Zhiwei Sun

Dr Zhiwei Sun

Senior Lecturer

School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.


Dr. Zhiwei Sun works on advanced experiments in combustion and multiphase flows like particle-laden flows, fluidised beds and bubble flows. Unique home-developed optical/laser-based techniques are used to quantify the key parameters in lamianr or turbulent flows with high spatial and temporal resolution. Dr Sun focuses on the development of unique new experimental methods.

  • Advanced laser/optical diagnostics
  • Experiments in thermo-fluids, laminar and turbulent 
  • Renewable thermal energy, hydrogen, combustion and multi-phase flows (particles, bubbles,...)
  • High temperature processing and industry decarbonisation
Award:
  • Measurement Achievement Encouragement Award (formerly the NMI prize), National Measurement Institute (2023)
  • Centre’s Best contribution to Research Quality in Optical Diagnostics, Centre for Energy Technology (CET), The University of Adelaide (2020)
  • Endeavour Research Fellowship, Department of Education (2018) 
  • David Warren Travelling Fellowship, ANZ section, the Combustion Institute (2014)
Grant and Funding:
  • Physical and chemical properties of Australia ores associated with new processing technologies, HILT-CRC, (Sun, Saw, Nathan and Ashman, 2024 - 2026)
  • De-risking large-scale Australian fine-ore hydrogen ironmaking, ARENA, ANU leads, (UoA participants: Saw, Nathan, Sun and Zhao, 2024 - 2027)
  • SiPHyR: A new technology for affordable net-zero hydrogen production, CRC-P 15, $2,500,000 (UoA: Sun and Nathan, 2024 - 2027)
  • The Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Centre, NSF and CSIRO; UoA ~$2,225,000 (Metha, Nathan and Sun, 2024 - 2028)
  • Global partnership engagement seed funding to Sweden for green ironmaking, The University of Adelaide, $6,800 (Sun, 2023)
  • A 12 kHz high-speed camera, The University of Adelaide, $93,000 (Sun and Medwell, 2023)
  • A compact 30 kHz Nd:YAG laser, The University of Adelaide, $10,000 (Sun, 2022)
  • Develop a heat-exchanger via optical diagnostics and CFD modellings, $450,000 (Sun, Nathan and Chin, 2022 - 2023)
  • Digi+ FAME Strategy: Step-change numerical models using big data from laser diagnostics, $100,000 (co-CI Sun, 2022)
  • Innovation Connections Grant, Stage-II, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources,  $160,000 (Nathan and Sun, 2021)
  • Innovation Connections Grant, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, $100,000 (Nathan, Sun, Jafarian and Alwahabi, 2020)
  • Particle Technologies, Australian Solar Thermal Institute (ASTRI), $363,000 (Nathan, Arjomandi, Saw, Sun, Sedaghatizadeh, Manickam, 2020)

Combustion technology & High-temperature processing

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

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2024 Co-Supervisor Investigation of particle size and flow parameters in turbulent particle-laden flows Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Mit Piyush Bakhai
    2019 Co-Supervisor Heat and Mass Transport in Particle-Laden Flows Under Conditions of Solar Receiver Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Xiaopeng Bi
  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)

    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Optical diagnostics of soot formation in low pressure laminar premixed flames Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Safa Mohammed M Algoraini
    2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor Experimental and Numerical Study of Free-falling Particle-laden Flows Relevant to Solar Particle Receivers Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Shipu Han
  • Position: Senior Lecturer
  • Phone: 83132310
  • Email: zhiwei.sun@adelaide.edu.au
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Engineering South, floor Third Floor
  • Room: S324
  • Org Unit: Mechanical Engineering

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External Profiles