
Dr Woei Saw
Senior Lecturer
School of Chemical Engineering
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
Dr Woei Saw is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide (UA). He has demonstrated a good track record in the development and demonstration of novel technology in the decarbonisation of high-temperature industrial processes. For example, he has developed a patent on net-zero steam alumina calcination, which allows steam generated from the alumina calcination process to be recovered and utilised in the bauxite digestion within the Bayer process. Currently, he is leading a HILT-CRC project to perform a preliminary assessment of technical and economic feasibility of low carbon alumina calcination via electrification or hydrogen pathway.
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. For example, he co-led the development of process integration (including techno-economic assessment) of CST plant and high-temperature storage into alumina calcination process and contributed to scaling up of and lab-scale demonstration of the UA solar expanding vortex receiver (SEVR).
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.
- My Research
- Career
- Publications
- Grants and Funding
- Teaching
- Supervision
- Professional Activities
- Contact
Research Interests
- Net-zero Alumina Production
- Net-zero Cement Production
- Process modelling, Process Integration and Techno-economic assessment
- Ash chemistry
- Concentrated solar thermal for power generation, liquid fuel production and mineral processing
- Gasification of biomass/refuse-derived fuel (DRF) for production of synthetic gas (H2,CO) for liquid fuels or H2
- Waste (including Food waste) to value
- Torrefaction and pyrolysis of biomass for high value products
- High temperature thermal energy storage
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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
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Journals
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Conference Papers
Year Citation 2021 Ingenhoven, P., Saw, W., Chinnici, A., Potter, D., Nathan, G., Rafique, M. M., . . . Jafarian, M. (2021). Energetic Assessment of a High Temperature Packed Bed Storage System in Combination with a Solar Expanding-Vortex Particle Receiver. In Proceedings of the ISES Solar World Congress 2021 (pp. 858-867). Virtual conference: International Solar Energy Society.
2020 Rafique, M. M., Nathan, G., & Saw, W. (2020). Uncertainty in predicting the start-up time and losses for a high temperature particle receiver due to solar resource variability. In ASME 2020 14th International Conference on Energy Sustainability, ES 2020 (pp. 1-8). online: ASME.
Scopus3 WoS22020 Chinnici, A., Davis, D., Lau, T. C. W., Tian, Z. F., Saw, W., & Nathan, G. J. (2020). First-of-a-kind investigation on performance of a directly-irradiated windowless vortex-based particle receiver. In AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 2303 (pp. 1-7). online: AIP Publishing.
Scopus4 WoS32020 Saw, W. L., Naufal, A., Sandoval, A. B., Beath, A., Lovegrove, K., van Eyk, P., . . . Nathan, G. (2020). Technical feasibility of integrating concentrating solar thermal energy in the Bayer alumina process. In AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 2303 (pp. 1-8). online: AIP.
Scopus2 WoS22019 Saw, W. L., Guo, P., Ashman, P. J., Nathan, G. J., & Lim, S. (2019). Performance Assessment of a Vertical Pneumatic Conveying System for High Temperature Solar Particle Receivers Using a New Correlation for Minimum Transport Boundary. In Fluidization XVI (pp. 391-393). 2019 Guo, P., Ly, Q. H., Saw, W. L., Lim, K. S., Ashman, P. J., & Nathan, G. J. (2019). A technical assessment of pneumatic conveying of solids for a high temperature particle receiver. In AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 2126 (pp. 1-8). online: AIP.
Scopus12018 Davis, D., Chinnici, A., Saw, W., Lau, T., & Nathan, G. (2018). Particle residence time distributions in a solar vortex receiver. In Proceedings of the 2017 Asia Pacific Solar Research Conference (APSRC) (pp. 1-13). Melbourne, Australia: Australian PV Institute. 2017 Coventry, J., Arjomandi, M., Asselineau, C., Chinnici, A., Corsi, C., Davis, D., . . . Saw, W. (2017). Development of ASTRI high-temperature solar receivers. In AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 1850 (pp. 030011-1-030011-9). Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: AMER INST PHYSICS.
Scopus7 WoS62016 Hinkley, J., McNaughton, R., Pye, J., Saw, W., & Stechel, E. (2016). The challenges and opportunities for integration of solar syngas production with liquid fuel synthesis. In V. Rajpaul, & C. Richter (Eds.), AIP Conference Proceedings Vol. 1734 (pp. 8 pages). Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA: AIP.
Scopus5 WoS52015 Saw, W., Kaniyal, A., Van Eyk, P., Nathan, G., & Ashman, P. (2015). Solar Hybridized Coal-to-liquids via Gasification in Australia: Techno-economic Assessment. In Z. Wang (Ed.), Energy Procedia Vol. 69 (pp. 1819-1827). Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV.
Scopus12 WoS112015 Guo, P., Saw, W., Van Eyk, P., Ashman, P., Nathan, G., & Stechel, E. (2015). Fischer-tropsch liquid Fuel Production by Co-gasification of Coal and Biomass in a Solar Hybrid Dual Fluidized Bed Gasifier. In Z. Wang (Ed.), Energy Procedia Vol. 69 (pp. 1770-1779). Beijing, PEOPLES R CHINA: ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV.
Scopus11 WoS92012 Saw, W., Hongrapipat, J., & Pang, S. (2012). Effect of steam to biomass ratio and calcite bed material on the performance of a 100kwth dual fluidised bed gasifier. In Chemeca 2012: Quality of life through chemical engineering: 23-26 September 2012, Wellington, New Zealand (pp. 308-318). Barton, A.C.T., Australia: Engineers Australia. 2009 Saw, W., Nathan, G., Ashman, P., & Hupa, M. (2009). Influence of droplet size on the release of atomic sodium during the combustion of black liquor. In Proceedings of the Australian Combustion Symposium 2009 (pp. 163-166). CD: University of Queensland. 2009 Saw, W., Nathan, G., Ashman, P., Alwahabi, Z., & Hupa, M. (2009). Surface temperature measurement of a burning black liquor droplet using two-colour optical pyrometry. In Proceedings of the Australian Combustion Symposium 2009 (pp. 167-170). CD: University of Queensland. 2008 Saw, W., Nathan, G., Ashman, P., & Alwahabi, Z. (2008). Assessment of the release of high concentration Na using quantitative PLIF. In P. O'Neill (Ed.), Proceeding of the Fifth Australian conference on laser diagnostics in fluid mechanics and combustion (pp. 67-70). Australia: UWA. 2007 Saw, W., Nathan, G., Ashman, P., Alwahabi, Z., Forssen, M., & Hupa, M. (2007). Assessment of the release of sodium from a burning liquor droplet using planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and smelt analysis. In Andrew Jones (Ed.), Proceedings of the 2007 International Chemical Recovery Conference (pp. 97-100). Canada: PAPTAC. 2007 Saw, W., Hupa, M., Ashman, P., Nathan, G., Forssen, M., & Alwahabi, Z. (2007). Insight into the fate of atomic sodium from black liquor combustion in a flat flame using equilibrium calculations. In A. Masri, K. Sendt, P. Nelson, & P. Yaroshchyk (Eds.), Proceedings of the Australian Combustion Symposium 2007 (pp. 118-121). Australia: The Combustion Institute. 2006 Saw, W., Nathan, G., Alwahabi, Z., Ashman, P., Forssen, M., & Hupa, M. (2006). Preliminary investigation on the release rate of atomic sodium from combustion of black liquor. In Caroline Lemerle (Ed.), Proceedings of Bioenergy Australia 2006 (pp. 1-8). Australia: Bioenergy Australia. -
Report for External Bodies
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CHEM ENG 1007 Introduction to Process Engineering
ENG 1001/1011 Introduction to Engineering
CHEM ENG 4058/7058 Metallurgical Processes
CHEM ENG 4014 Plant Design Project
CHEM ENG 4054 Research Project
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Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2023 Co-Supervisor Application of engineered biochar to treat acid mine drainage (AMD) and contaminated soil remediation: an integrated approach Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Md Anwarul Islam 2023 Co-Supervisor Techno-Economic Assessment on photocatalytic hydrogen production and the design and development of Photo-Thermal Receivers. Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Anthony Ernest Pellicone 2023 Principal Supervisor Calcination of clay as a supplementary cementitious material Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Nikhil Kirti 2022 Principal Supervisor Assessment of Hydrogen Driven Alumina Calcination Process Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Daniel Jin Tung Ang 2022 Co-Supervisor Thermal Performance of the Solar Expanding Vortex Receiver (SEVR) with a Buffer Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Mr Gangyisen Lu 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 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 -
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 2019 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Assessment of a High Temperature Refractory-lined Suspension Flow Solar Particle Receiver Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Muhammad Mujahid Rafique 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
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Community Engagement
Date Title Engagement Type Institution Country 2022 - ongoing Operating Agent for SolarPACES Task II- Solar Chemistry Research Scientific Community Engagement SolarPACES - 2022 - ongoing National Coordinator of Australia for SolarPACES TASK II: Solar Chemistry Research Scientific Community Engagement SolarPACES -
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