Woei Saw

Dr Woei Saw

Grant-Funded Researcher (C)

School of Chemical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology


Dr Woei Saw is a senior Research Fellow in the School of Chemical Engineering and Advanced Materials at the University of Adelaide (UA). He has research and hands on experience in designing and operating pilot scale systems, and expertise relevant to thermal conversion technologies. He has been heavily involved in concentrated solar thermal (CST) research projects funded by ARENA. Currently, he is project managing one of the ARENA funded R&D projects, 'Integration of CST energy into the Bayer process'.

Furthermore, he is working towards on a transformation of agricultural waste through the development of technologies to produce value-adding energy co-products. The work targets on converting organic matter to both ‘liquid smoke’ and much more energy dense and stable ‘bio-coal’. He is also target on the development of solar gasification technologies that convert agricultural products to solar syngas or solar fuels that can be transported as liquids (green biodiesel). These technologies are delivering a low cost route to a sustainable and carbon neutral fuel to replace both conventional diesel and kerosene.

Prior to his position at UA, he held a research position at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, as the project leader leading one of the four research programs, 'Thermal conversion of biomass to H2-rich syngas and liquid fuel', funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment.

Research Interests 

  • Concentrated solar thermal for power generation, liquid fuel production and mineral processing 
  • Gasification of biomass for production of synthetic gas (H2,CO) for biofuel or H2
  • Waste (including Food waste) to value
  • Process modelling and Techno-economic assessment 
  • Torrefaction and pyrolysis of biomass for high value products
  • High temperature thermal energy storage
  • Appointments

    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2020 - ongoing Deputy Director of Internationalisation University of Adelaide
    2020 - 2022 Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2017 - 2022 Senior Research Fellow University of Adelaide, Adelaide
    2013 - 2017 Research Fellow University of Adelaide
    2009 - 2013 Research Fellow University of Canterbury, Christchurch
  • Language Competencies

    Language Competency
    Chinese (Mandarin) Can read, write and speak
    English Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review
    Malay Can read, write and speak
  • Education

    Date Institution name Country Title
    2009 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia PhD
    2004 University of Adelaide, Adelaide Australia BE Mechatronics
  • Research Interests

Date Project Investigators Funding Body Amount
2020-21 Feasibility study of co-gasification of bagasse and solid waste in a sugarcane mill Saw, Woei Lean; Kwong, Philip; Nathan, Graham; Ashman, Peter Department of Industry, Innovation and Science $50,000
2019 Development of biochar briquette and low cost kindling
for energy
Saw, Woei Lean; Kwong, Philip; Nathan, Graham; Ashman, Peter Department of Industry, Innovation and Science $70,545
2018 Establishing new, leading interdisciplinary capability and solutions for secure, affordable and sustainable energy Maier, H.; Nathan, G.; Ashman, P.; Burton, R.; Cavagnaro, T.; Riddell, G.; Dally, B.; Binenbaum, E.; Adamson, D.; Lewis, M.; Simpson, A.; Saw, W.; van Eyk, P.; Packer, J. University of Adelaide, Interdisciplinary Fund $65,000
2018-2021 Converting Sunlight Innovation Challenge, Building Australia’s international partnerships in solar fuels research and innovation
for energy
Nathan, G; Stein, W; Dally, B; Stechel, E; Steinfeld, A; Kodama, T; McDaniel, A; Saw, W; Chinnici, A Australian Renewable Energy Agency $494,000
2017-2018 Potential for reduction in the cost and carbon emissions
for energy
Jafarian, Mehdi; Saw, Woei Lean; Nathan, Graham Department of Industry, Innovation and Science $110,215
2016-2020 Integrating concentrating solar thermal energy into the Bayer alumina process; Nathan, Graham; Saw, Woei Lean; Alwahabi, Zeyad; Arjomandi, Maziar; Ashman, Peter; Dally, Bassam; Hawkes, Evatt; Hinkley, Jim; Steinfeld, A; Taylor, Robert; Tian, Zhao Feng; van Eyk, Philip Joseph; Yeoh, Guan Heng; Chatfield, Ray; Abraham, John; Harrison, Ian; Haywood, Ross; Lovegrove, Keith; Stein, Wes; Stephenson, Ian; ARENA: Emerging Renewables Program: $4,490,752
2016-2017 Design tools for complex solar hybrid thermochemical processes Nathan, Graham; Dally, Bassam; Pitsch, Heinz; Medwell, Paul; Jafarian, Mehdi; Saw, Woei Lean; Chinnici, Alfonso; Universities Australia - DAAD - Australia Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme $25,000

CHEM ENG 1007              Introduction to Process Engineering

ENG 1001/1011                Introduction to Engineering

CHEM ENG 4058/7058    Hydro and Electrometallurgy

CHEM ENG 4014             Plant Design Project

CHEM ENG 4054             Research Project

 

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2022 Co-Supervisor Thermal Performance of the Solar Expanding Vortex Receiver (SEVR) with a Buffer Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Mr Gangyisen Lu
    2022 Principal Supervisor Assessment of Hydrogen Driven Alumina Calcination Process Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Daniel Jin Tung Ang
    2021 Co-Supervisor Recovery of valuable metals from spent lithium ion batteries Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Cherry Nguyen
    2021 Principal Supervisor Assessment of the effect of steam on alumina calcination Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Siyun Ning
    2021 Co-Supervisor Solar Thermo-photocatalytic Technologies Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Anthony Ernest Pellicone
    2020 Principal Supervisor Technical-economic assessment of dual fluidized bed gasification of non-woody biomass feedstock for poly-generation of fuels, power, heat Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Nguyet Ky Ngo
    2019 Principal Supervisor Assessing the influence of solar variability on the heat transfer and techno-economic feasibility of high temperature particle receivers Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Muhammad Mujahid Rafique
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Thermal Performance of the Solar Expanding Vortex Receiver (SEVR) Master of Philosophy Master Full Time Mr Daniel Jin Tung Ang
    2017 - 2022 Principal Supervisor Agglomeration characteristics of olivine sand during combustion and gasification of potassium-or silicon-rich agricultural residues Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Gule Li
    2015 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Characterising the Performance of Vortex-Based Solar Thermal Particle Receiver-Reactors Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dominic Michael Walldorf Davis
    2015 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Influence of Potassium and Sodium Salts, Calcium and Phosphorus on Agglomeration Behaviour of Biomass and Quartz Sand Under Combustion and Gasification Atmospheres Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Zimeng He
    2014 - 2017 Co-Supervisor Assessment of Fischer-Tropsch Liquid Fuels Production via Solar Hybridized Dual Fluidized Bed Gasification of Solid Fuels Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Peijun Guo
  • Position: Grant-Funded Researcher (C)
  • Phone: 83131182
  • Email: woei.saw@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering Annexe, floor First Floor
  • Room: 104
  • Org Unit: Chemical Engineering

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