Federation Fellow and Scientia Professor
School of Materials Science and Engineering
University of New South Wales
NSW 2052, Australia
Research Areas
• Particulate science and technology
• Mineral/metallurgical/chemical engineering
• Iron, steel and alloy processes
• Nanotechnology
Education/Qualification
• BEng (1978-1982), Department of Ferrous Metallurgy, Northeastern University, P.R. China
• MEng (1982-1985), Department of Ferrous Metallurgy, Northeastern University, P.R. China
• PhD (1986-1989), Department of Materials Engineering, The University of Wollongong, Australia
• DSc (2007), The University of New South Wales, Australia
Recent Appointments
• Postdoctoral Fellow (1990-1991), CSIRO Division of Mineral & Process Engineering
• Research Fellow (Jan.-May 1992), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wollongong
• Lecturer (1992-1995), School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales
• Senior Lecturer (1995-1998), School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales
• Associate Professor (1998-2001), School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales
• Inaugural Director (2000-2007), Centre for Computer Simulation and Modelling of Particulate Systems (http://www.simpas.unsw.edu.au/), University of New South Wales
• Professor (2001- ), School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales
• Australian Professorial Fellow (2005-2008), Australian Research Council (ARC)
• Scientia Professor (2007- ), University of New South Wales
• Federation Fellow (2008-2013), Australian Research Council (ARC)
In addition, holding various honorary positions including adjunct/concurrent professor with Xi'an Univ. of Architecture and Technology (94-), Northeastern University (99-), Beijing Univ. of Science & Technology (02-), and University of Leeds (06-); and guest/visiting professorship with many institutions in China, UK, USA and Japan.
Research Interests
• Powder/particle technology
• Particle characterisation and data interpretation
• Particle packing characteristics and porosity prediction
• Particle-structure-property relations
• Solids flow and segregation
• Fluid flow, heat and mass transfer in packed and fluidised beds
• Processing and handling of bulk/particulate materials
• Simulation of particulate systems
• Interfacial engineering in multiphase processes
• Modelling of particulate and multiphase processes
• Nanoparticles: synthesis and application
• Molecular dynamics simulation
• Industrial application
Research Grants
Attracted >$15M external research funds to UNSW since 1993 through various competitive schemes through, e.g. Australian Research Council (ARC). Current projects are:
• ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, ARC CoE, 04-10
• Blast furnace ironmaking: from fundamental simulation to process modeling, ARC LP, 04-08.
• Granular dynamics: theories, modelling and simulation, ARC DP, 05-09.
• Micromechanic analysis and modelling of the packing of cohesive particles, ARC DP, 06-09.
• Model studies of transport and solidification phenomena in blast furnace hearth, ARC LP, 06-09.
• Particle scale modelling of dense medium cyclones in coal preparation, ARC LP, 07-09.
• Multiscale modelling and analysis of particulate and multiphase flows, ARC FF, 08-13
• Multiscale modelling of the transport phenomena of liquid iron and slag in ironmaking blast furnace, ARC LP, 08-12
• Particle scale studies of powder mixing in bladed mixers, ARC LP, 07-09
• Multiscale modeling and analysis of particulate processes, DIISR Australia-China collaboration, 08-10
• Nanocomposite Materials for Clean Energy: Energy Generation, Storage, Savings and Safety, DIISR Australia-India collaboration, 09-11
Teaching Areas
• Transfer phenomena including courses such as fluid flow & heat transfer, and kinetics and mass transfer
• Modelling in materials engineering and/or metallurgical processes
• Others including diffusion, plant practice, metallurgical reaction engineering, etc.
Awards/Prizes/Distinctions
• 1986 Kembla Coal & Coke (KCC) Scholar (86-89)
• 1990 CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellowship Award (90-91)
• 1993 ARC Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship Award (93-97)
• 2001 Anthony Mason Fellowship Award, UNSW
• 2002 Josef Kapitan Ironmaking Award, Iron and Steel Society (ISS)
• 2003 Outstanding Overseas Chinese Scholar Award, China (03)
• 2004 Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE)
• 2005 ARC Australian Professorial Fellowship Award (05-09)
• 2006 Member, ARC College of Experts (06-08)
• 2006 Panel Member, Endeavour Asia Awards, Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
• 2007 Panel Member, Research Quality Framework Assessment, DEST
• 2007 Doctor of Science (DSc), University of New South Wales
• 2007 Panel Member, International Science Linkages (ISL) Program, Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST), (07-11)
• 2008 Federation Fellowship Award, ARC (08-13)
•
Membership of Professional Societies
• 1996-1999 Vice-President, Chinese Australian Academic Society
• 2000-2003 Vice-President, Australian Chinese Society of Science and Technology
• 2003-2006 Secretary, Australasian Particle Technology Society
• 2004- Fellow, Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
• 2004- Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE)
• 2006- Honorary Secretary (and Committee Member), NSW Division, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
• 2006-2008 President, Federation of Chinese Scholar Association (FOCSA)
• 2009- Chair, Advisory Board, FOCSA
•
Membership of Editorial Boards
• 1999 Engineering Editor, Science - Advancing into the New Millennium”, People's Education Press (China), 1999 (ISBN 7-107-13208-3)
• 2002 Co-editor, Proc. Int. Blast Furnace Lower Zone Symposium, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2005 (ISBN 920806 30 X)
• 2003- Associate Editor (Member of Editorial Board), Chinese Science Bulletin
• 2004 Guest Editor, Steel Research International
• 2005- Member of Editorial Board, Particuology - Science and Technology of Particles
• 2005- Member of Editorial Board, Science in China – B: Chemistry
• 2007- Member of Editorial Board, Powder Technology
• 2007- Member of Editorial Board, Recent Patents in Engineering
• 2007- Member of Editorial Board, Recent Patents in Nanotechnology
• 2007- Member of Editorial Board, Recent Patents in Chemical Engineering
• 2007- Member of Editorial Board, Recent Patents in Materials Science
• 2008- Member of Editorial Board, International Journal of Engineering Systems Modelling and Simulation (IJESMS)
• 2008- Member of Editorial Board, Granular Matter
• 2008 Guest Editor, Particuology (for a special issue on computer simulation and modelling)
• 2009- Member of Advisory/Editorial Board, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research (I&ECR)
• 2009- Thematic Editor, Particuology
• 2009 Guest Editor, Minerals Engineering (for a special issue on computational mineral processing)
Conference and Symposia
> 100 invited presentations at various international conferences and laboratories in various countries, including a number of keynote/plenary lectures at international conferences as highlighted by
• Plenary Lecturer: “Simulation and modelling of the packing of particles” at the 2nd Australia-Canada-USA-New Zealand Conference on Composites (Australia, 2001)
• Plenary Lecturer: “Particle scale modelling of gas-solid flow in fluidisation” at the 1st International Conference on Process Innovation and Intensification (UK, 2002)
• Plenary Lecturer: “Discrete element method – an effective method for particle scale research of particulate matter” at the 3rd International Conference on Discrete Element Method (USA, 2002)
• Session-lead Lecturer: “Simulation of particulate flow” at the 3rd International Conference on CFD application in Minerals and Process Industries (Australia, 2003)
• Keynote Lecturer: “Particle scale study of particulate systems” at the 10th Asian Pacific Confederation of Chemical Engineering Congress (Japan, 2004)
• Guest Speaker: “Computer simulation of the packing of cohesive particles” at the International Conference on Computational Physics (South Korea, 2006)
• Keynote Lecturer: “Discrete particle simulation applied to blast furnace modelling” at the 2nd Biannual BaoSteel International Academic Conference (China, 2006)
• Plenary Lecturer: “Discrete particle simulation: a design tool for bulk solids handling?” at the 9th International Conference on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Trasportation (Australia, 2007)
• Keynote Lecturer: “Computer simulation of the packing of particles", 3rd Asian Pacific Conference on Particle Technology (China, 2007)
• Guest Lecturer: "Recent developments in computational particle technology", 13th symposium of fluidization and particle technology (Japan, 2007)
• Guest Plenary Speaker: “Simulation of particulate and particle-fluid Flow”, 6th National Symposium on Particuology (China, 2008)
• Plenary Speaker: “Modelling of ironmaking blast furnace for process control and optimisation”, 3rd International Academic Conference on Iron and Steel Making (China, 2008)
Also involved in organising (on organising/technical committee) various conferences/symposia, including, for example, ACUN Conference on Composites, World Congress on Chemical Engineering, World Congress on Particle Technology, International Symposium on Blast Furnace Ironmaking, International Conference on Process Innovation and Intensification, International Conference on DEM, International Symposium on Agglomeration, Biannual BaoSteel International Academic Conference, Australia-China Symposium on Science, Technology and Education, International Conference on Bulk Materials Storage, Handling and Transportation, International Conference on Particulate Processes in Pharmaceutical Industry.
Publications
> 450 journal and conference publications since 1986. Representative publications are:
Particle packing and transport properties:
1. A. B. Yu and N. Standish, "An Analytical-Parametric Theory of the Random Packing of Particles", Powder Technology, 55 (1988) 171-186.
2. A.B. Yu and N. Standish, "Estimation of the Porosity of Particle Mixtures by a Linear-Mixture Packing Model", Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 30 (1991) 1372-1385.
3. Z. P. Zhang, A. B. Yu and R.B.S. Oakeshott, “Effect of packing method on the randomness of disk packing”, Journal of Physics A: Mathematical & General, 29 (1996) 2671-2685.
4. A. B. Yu, R. P. Zou and N. Standish, “Modifying the linear packing model for predicting the porosity of nonspherical particle mixtures”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 35 (1996) 3730-3741.
5. G. J. Cheng, A. B. Yu and P. Zulli, “Evaluation of effective thermal conductivity from the structure of a packed bed”, Chemical Engineering Science, 54 (1999) 4199-4209.
6. R. Y. Yang, R. P. Zou and A.B. Yu, “Computer simulation of the packing of fine particles”, Physical Review E, 62 (2000) 3900-3908.
7. R. Y. Yang, R. P. Zou and A. B. Yu, “Numerical study of the packing of wet coarse uniform spheres”, AIChE-Journal, 49 (2003) 1656-1666.
8. X. Z. An, R. Y. Yang, K. J. Dong, R. P. Zou, and A. B. Yu, Micromechanic simulation and analysis of one-dimensional vibratory packing of uniform spheres, Physical Review Letters, 95 (2005) 205502.
9. R.P. Zou, C.L. Feng, J.Q. Xu, A.B. Yu, “Prediction of the Porosity of Multi-component Mixtures of Wet Coarse Spheres”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 44 (2005) 8401-8408.
10. K. J. Dong, R. Y. Yang, R. P. Zou and A. B. Yu, Role of Interparticle Forces in the Formation of Random Loose Packing, Physical Review Letters, 96 (2006) 145505.
11. A. B. Yu, X. Z. An, R. P. Zou, R. Y. Yang and K. Kendall, Self-assembly of particles for densest packing by mechanical vibration, Physical Review Letters, 97 (2006) 265501.
12. R.Y. Yang, R.P. Zou, A.B. Yu and S.K. Choi, Characterisation of inter-particle forces in the packing of cohesive fine particles, Physical Review E, 78 (2008) 031302.
Particle and particle-fluid flow:
1. B. H. Xu and A. B. Yu, “Numerical simulation of the gas-solid flow in a fluidised bed by combining discrete particle method with computational fluid dynamics”, Chemical Engineering Science, 52 (1997) 2786-2809.
2. S. J. Zhang, A. B. Yu, B. Wright, P. Zulli and U. Tuzun, “Modelling of the granular flow in a blast furnace”, ISIJ International, 38 (1998) 1311-1319.
3. Y. C. Zhou, W.D. Wright, R.Y. Yang, B.H. Xu and A.B. Yu, “Rolling friction in the dynamic simulation of sandpile formation”, Physica A, 269 (1999) 536-553.
4. H. P. Zhu and A. B. Yu, “An average method of granular materials”, Physical Review E, 66 (2002) 021302.
5. A. B. Yu and B. H. Xu, “Particle scale modelling of particle-fluid flow in fluidization”, Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 78 (2003) 111-121.
6. Y. C. Zhou, A. B. Yu, R. Stewart and J. Bridgwater, “Microdynamic analysis of particle flow in a bladed mixer”, Chemical Engineering Science, 59 (2004) 1343-1364.
7. Y. Q. Feng, S. J. Zhang, B. H. Xu, A. B. Yu and P. Zulli, “Discrete particle simulation of gas fluidization of particle mixtures”, AIChE Journal, 50 (2004) 1713-1728.
8. X. F. Dong, A. B. Yu, J. Yagi and P. Zulli, “Modelling of the four-fluid flow in blast furnace”, ISIJ International, 47 (2007) 1553-1570.
9. B. Wang, K.W. Chu and A.B. Yu, “Numerical Study of Particle-Fluid Flow in a Hydrocyclone”, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 46 (2007) 4695-4705.
10. H. P. Zhu, R. Y. Yang, Z. Y. Zhou and A. B. Yu, “Discrete simulation of particulate systems”, Chemical Engineering Science, 62 (2007) 3378-3396 & 63 (2008) 5728-5770.
11. K.W. Chu and A.B. Yu, “Numerical Simulation of Complex Particle-Fluid Flows”, Powder Technology, 179 (2008) 104-114.
12. Z. Y. Zhou, A. B. Yu and P. Zulli, Particle Scale Study of Heat Transfer in Packed and Bubbling Fluidized Beds, AIChE Journal, 55 (2009) 868-884.
Nanotechnology and Materials:
1. J.S. Han, T. Bredow, D.E. Davey, A.B. Yu and D.E. Mulcahy, “The effect of Al addition on the gas sensing properties of Fe2O3-based sensors”, Sensors and Actuators B, 75 (2001) 18-23.
2. Q. H. Zeng, A. B. Yu, G. Q. Lu and R. Standish, “Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Organo-inorganic Nanocomposites: the Layering Behavior and Interlayer Structure of Organoclays”, Chemistry of Materials, 15 (2003) 4732-4738.
3. K.J. Dong, R.S. Liu, A.B. Yu, R.P. Zou, J.Y. Li, “Simulation study of the evolution mechanisms of clusters in a large-scale liquid Al system during rapid cooling processes, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 15 (2003) 743-753.
4. Q,H, Zeng, A.B. Yu, G.Q. Lu and D.R. Paul, “Clay-based polumer nanocomposites: research and commercial development”, J. Nanoscience and Nonotechnology, 5 (2005) 1574-1592.
5. Z.P. Xu, Q.H. Zeng, G.Q. Lu and A.B. Yu, “Inorganic nanoparticles as carriers for efficient cellular delivery”, Chemical Engineering Science, 61 (2006) 1027-1040.
6. X.C. Jiang, Q.H. Zeng and A.B. Yu, “A Self-seeding Coreduction Method for Shape Control of Silver Nanoplates”, Nanotechnology, 17 (2006) 4929-4935.
7. Q.H. Zeng, X.C. Jiang, A.B. Yu and G.Q. Lu, “Growth mechanisms of silver nanoparticles: a molecular dynamics study”, Nanotechnology, 18 (2007) 035708.
8. X.C. Jiang, Q.H. Zeng and A.B. Yu, “Thiol-Frozen Shape Evolution of Triangular Silver Nanoplates”, Langmuir, 23 (2007) 2218-2223.
9. Q. H. Zeng, K. Wong, X. C. Jiang and A. B. Yu, Molecular Understanding of the Deposition of Gold Nanoclusters on TiO2(110). Applied Physics Letters, 92 (2008) 103109.
10. X. C. Jiang and A. B. Yu, Silver Nanoplates: A Highly Sensitive Material towards Inorganic Anions. Langmuir, 24 (2008) 4300-4309.
11. Q.H. Zeng, A.B. Yu and G.Q. Lu, “Multiscale Modeling and Simulation of Polymer Nanocomposites”, Progress in Polymer Science, 33 (2008) 191-269.
12. R. Kydd, W. Y. Teoh, Y. Wang, K. Wong, Q. H. Zeng, J. Scott, A. B. Yu, J. Zou and R. Amal, Catalytic Copper Dimers for CO-PROX via High Temperature Flame Synthesis, Advanced Functional Materials, 19 (2009) 269–377.
Research Supervision
• Graduated >30 PhD students and 5 MEng students, plus many postdoctoral fellows
• Currently supervisor of 8 research fellows/associates, 16 research students
