Education background
Sept.2002-July.2006: PhD, Department of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
Sept.1999-Mar.2002: M.S. Power Engineering of North China Electric Power University, Baoding, China
Sept.1995-July.1999: B.S. Environmental Engineering of North China Electric Power University, Baoding, China
Experience
Dec 2023 - Present Full Professor at Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University
May 2017 – Dec 2023 Tenured Associate Professor at Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University
Dec.2009 – May 2017 Associate Professor at Department of Thermal Engineering Tsinghua University
July.2006- Dec.2009 Assistant Professor at Department of Thermal Engineering Tsinghua University
Concurrent Academic
(1) Committee Member of China Chemical Looping Conference, 2019 - present
(2) Committee Member of IEAGHG Network Meeting and Technical Workshop On High Temperature Solid Looping Cycles, 2019 – present
(3) Member of Engineering Education committee of China association for Higher Education, 2020 - present
Social Service
(1) Chair for CLC Session in The 2ndInternational Conference on Energy and Environment, 23-25 July 2021.
(2) Special Editor for ‘Recent Research Advances in China: Chemical Looping’ in Energy & Fuel, 2020
(3) Special Editor for ‘Recent progress in carbon capture, utilization and storage’ in the journal of Power Generation Technology, 2022
(4) Chair for Low Carbon Energy in THE 9th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON COAL COMBUSTION, 2019, 21-24 July, Qingdao, China.
(5) Chair for Session 8b in 5th Oxyfuel Combustion Research Network Meeting (IEAGHG), 2015, 27-30 October, Wuhan, China.
(6) Chair for Topic 4. Special for CO2 Issue in The 8th International Symposium on Coal Combustion, 2015, 19-22 July, Beijing, China.
(7) Host 4th IEAGHG Network Meeting and Technical Workshop On High Temperature Solid Looping Cycles. August, 2012, Beijing, China.
Areas of Research Interests/ Research Projects
RESEARCH INTERESTS
l Low carbon energy, energy conversion and CO2 capture
l Heterogeneous surface reaction and kinetics, solid looping processes
l Reactor technology and engineering application
Selected government fund
(1). Mar.2018- Present: Chinese-European Emission-Reducing Solutions(CHEERS), Co-funded from National Key Research and Development Plan of China and European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program.
(2). Jan.2020- Present: The gas-solid reaction kinetics measured by the micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis, National Natural Science Funds of China.
(3). Jul.2016- Jan.2022: Reaction kinetics of oxygen carrier and transport, National key research and development program.
(4). Jan.2015- Dec.2018: Multiple-Scale Investigation of Chemical Looping Combustion of Coal with Oxygen Carrier Uncoupling, National Natural Science Funds of China.
(5). Jan.2015- Dec.2019: Formation and growth of solid product mesoscale in gas-solid non-catalytic reactions, National Natural Science Funds of China.
(6). Jan.2014- Dec.2018: Molecular scale rate equation theory for gas solid reaction in chemical looping, National Natural Science Funds of China.
(7). Jan.2010- Dec.2013: Multi-scale evaluation of advanced technologies for capturing the CO2: chemical looping applied to solid fuels, National Natural Science Funds of China.
(8). Jan.2011- Dec.2015: Chemical looping combustion with oxygen uncoupling, National Basic Research Program of China.
Research Status
My research has a well-balanced emphasis on applications and fundamentals in the field of low carbon energy and CO2 capture. For application research, my research group has focused on the development, demonstration and upscale of chemical looping combustion technology (CLC), aimed at solving the technology challenge and achieving the commercial application of CLC. For fundamentals research, using first-principles based multiscale modeling my research group has focused on developing a deeper understanding of heterogeneous reactions. By incorporating the fundamental theory and knowledge into larger scale demonstration and technology development, we have also devoted out efforts to addressing engineering problems encountered in the low carbon energy and CO2 capture. Current focus areas include: Demonstration of the world’s largest chemical looping combustion unit; Micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis for heterogeneous reaction kinetics; First-principles-based multiscale modelling.
Honors And Awards
(1) Key technologies for low carbon and intelligent manufacture of novel dry cement, Award of Tianjin Science and Technology Progress, 2021.
(2) "Most Cited Author in China" in Energy field, Elsevier, 2014 - 2020.
(3) New Century Excellent Talents in University by Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China.
Academic Achievement
Book
Li ZS, Cai NS. Principle of Gas-Solid Reaction, China Science Press, 2020. In total 10 chapters, 770 pages.
Related papers ( * indicating correspondence author)
(1) Chen H; Li ZS*; Liu XL; Li WC; Cai NS; Bertholin S; Tebianian S; Yazdanpanah M; Zhang AL. Solid Circulation Study in a 1.5 MWth Cold Flow Model of Chemical Looping Combustion, Ind. Eng. Chem.Res, 2021, 60(5), 2265-2277
(2) Chen H, Li ZS*, Liu XL, Li WC, Cai NS. Cold Model Study of a 1.5 MWth Circulating Turbulent Fluidized Bed Fuel Reactor in Chemical Looping Combustion. Energy & Fuels 2020, 34, (7), 8575-8586.
(3) Cheng M, Sun HM, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Annular Carbon Stripper for Chemical-Looping Combustion of Coal. Ind. Eng. Chem.Res, 2017, 56 (6), 1580–1593.
(4) Sun HM, Cheng M, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Riser-Based Carbon Stripper for Coal-Fueled Chemical Looping Combustion. Ind. Eng. Chem.Res, 2016, 55(8): 2381-2390.
(5) Cheng M, Li Y, Li ZS*, Cai NS. An integrated fuel reactor coupled with an annular carbon stripper for coal-fired chemical looping combustion. Powder Technology, 2017, 320, 519-529
(6) Chen H, Cheng M, Liu L, Li Y, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Coal-fired chemical looping combustion coupled with a high-efficiency annular carbon stripper. International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, 2020, 93, 102889.
(7) Liu L; Li ZS*; Wu SJ; Li D; Cai NS. Conversion characteristics of lignite and petroleum coke in chemical looping combustion coupled with an annular carbon stripper, Fuel Processing Technology, 2021, 213, 106711
(8) Bao JH, Li ZS*, Sun HM, Cai NS, Continuous test of ilmenite-based oxygen carriers for chemical looping combustion in a dual fluidized bed reactor system, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2013, 52, 14817-14827.
(9) Liu L, Li ZS*, Wang Y, Li ZA, Yngve Larring, Cai NS. Industry-scale production of a perovskite oxide as oxygen carrier material in chemical looping. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 431, 134006.
(10) Liu L; Li ZS*; LiY; Cai NS. Evaluation of oxygen uncoupling characteristics of oxygen carrier using micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis, Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2021, 32, 408-415
(11) Liu L; Li ZS*; Li ZA; Larring Y; Cai NS. Fast redox kinetics of a perovskite oxygen carrier measured using micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis. Proceeding of the Combustion Institute, 2021, 38(4), 5259-5269
(12) Liu L; Li ZS*; Li ZA; Larring Y; Cai NS. Heterogeneous reaction kinetics of a perovskite oxygen carrier for chemical looping combustion coupled with oxygen uncoupling. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 417, 128054
(13) Liu L; Li ZS*; Li ZA; Larring Y; Cai NS. Perovskite oxygen carrier with chemical memory under reversible chemical looping conditions with and without SO2 during reduction. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2021, 424, 130417.
(14) Bao JH, Li ZS*, Cai NS, Promoting the Reduction Reactivity of Ilmenite by Introducing Foreign Ions in Chemical Looping Combustion, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2013, 52, 6119-6128.
(15) Xu L, Edland R, Li ZS*, Leion H, Zhao DM, Cai NS. Cu-Modified Manganese Ore as an Oxygen Carrier for Chemical Looping Combustion, Energy Fuels, 2014, 28(11): 7085-7092.
(16) Bao JH, Li ZS*, Cai NS, Reduction Kinetics of Foreign-Ion-Promoted Ilmenite Using Carbon Monoxide (CO) for Chemical Looping Combustion, Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2013, 52, 10646-10655.
(17) Xu L, Sun HM, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Experimental study of copper modified manganese ores as oxygen carriers in a dual fluidized bed reactor, Appl Energ, 2016, ,162, 940-947.
(18) Li Y, Li ZS*, Liu L, Cai NS. Measuring the fast oxidation kinetics of a manganese oxygen carrier using microfluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 385, 123970
(19) Liu L; Li ZS*; Cai NS. Oxidization and reduction kinetics of a manganese oxygen carrier granulated with the spray drying method at a tonnage scale for chemical looping combustion. Fuel, 2021, 303, 121267.
(20) Chen H, Li ZS*, Wang RW. Design Theory of a CLC Air Reactor with Oxygen Carrier Recirculation and Its Application to a 3 MWth Pilot. Energy Fuels 2021, 35, 2, 1580–1593
(21) Li Y, Wang H, Li WC, Li ZS*, Cai NS.CO2 Gasification of a Lignite Char in Microfluidized Bed Thermogravimetric Analysis for Chemical Looping Combustion and Chemical Looping with Oxygen Uncoupling, Energy Fuels, 2019，33(1)，449-459
(22) Li Y，Li ZS*, Wang H, Cai NS. CaO carbonation kinetics determined using micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis. Fuel, 2020, 116823.
(23) Li Y, Li ZS*, Liu L, Cai NS. Measuring the fast oxidation kinetics of a manganese oxygen carrier using microfluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis, Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 385, 123970
(24) Wang H, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Reduced-order model for CaO carbonation kinetics measured using micro-fluidized bed thermogravimetric analysis, Chemical Engineering Science, 2021, 229, 116039
(25) Li Y, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Microfluidized Bed Thermogravimetry Combined with Mass Spectrometry (MFB-TG-MS) for Redox Kinetic Study of Oxygen Carrier. Energy & Fuels, 2020, 34(9), 11186-11193.
(26) Wang SH, Li Y, Li ZS*. Fast Adsorption Kinetics of CO2 on Solid Amine Sorbent Measured Using Microfluidized Bed Thermogravimetric Analysis. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 2020, 59(15), 6855-6566.
(27) Chen DG, Zhang Z, Li ZS*, Cai NS.Online deposition measurement and slag bubble behavior in the reduction zone of pulverized coal staged combustion，Proceeding of the Combustion Institute, 2019，37(4)，4435-4442
(28) Chen DG, Fang JG, Zhou MM, Li ZS*. Development of an Online Ash-Deposition Thermogravimetric Analyzer for Pulverized Coal Combustion. Energy & Fuels, 2018, 32(11), 11947-11960.
(29) Li ZS*. First-principles-based microkinetic rate equation theory for oxygen carrier reduction in chemical looping, Chemical Engineering Science, 2022, 247, 117042.
(30) Li ZS*, Cai JZ, Liu L. A First-Principles Microkinetic Rate Equation Theory for Heterogeneous Reactions: Application to Reduction of Fe2O3 in Chemical Looping. Ind. Eng. Chem.Res, 2021, 60(43): 15514-15524
(31) Fang F, Li ZS*, Cai NS, Tang XY, Yang HT. AFM investigation of solid product layers of MgSO4 generated on MgO surfaces for the reaction of MgO with SO2 and O2. Chemical Engineering Science, 2011, 66(6), 1142-1149.
(32) Li ZS*, Fang F, Tang XY, Cai NS. Effect of temperature on the carbonation reaction of CaO with CO2. Energy & Fuels. 2012, 26(4): 2473-2482.
(33) Li ZS*, Sun HM, Cai NS. Rate equation theory for the carbonation reaction of CaO with CO2. Energy & Fuels, 2012, 26(7): 4607-4616.
(34) Li ZS*. General rate equation theory for gas–solid reaction kinetics and its application to CaO carbonation, Chemical Engineering Science, 2020, 227, 115902
(35) Wang H, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Multiscale model for steam enhancement effect on the carbonation of CaO particle. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2020, 124892.
(36) Liu L, Wang H, Cai JZ, Cai NS, Li ZS*. First-principles-based multiscale modelling of heterogeneous CoO oxidation kinetics in high-temperature thermochemical energy storage. Fuel Process Technol, 2022, 228, 107164.
(37) Chen DG, Zhang Z, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Optimizing in-situ char gasification kinetics in reduction zone of pulverized coal air-staged combustion. Combustion Flame, 2018, 194, 52-71.
(38) Zhang Z, Chen DG, Li ZS*, Cai NS, Imada J. Development of Sulfur Release and Reaction Model for Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling in Sub-Bituminous Coal Combustion. Energy Fuels, 2017, 31 (2), 1383–1398
(39) Zhang Z, Li ZS*, Cai NS. Reduced-order model of char burning for CFD modeling. Combustion Flame, 2016,165: 83-96.
(40) Zhang Z, Wu YX, Chen DG, Shen HS, Li ZS*, Cai NS, Zhou MM, Smith ST, Thornock JN, Isaac BJ. A semi-empirical NOx model for LES in pulverized coal air-staged combustion, Fuel, 2019, 241, 402-409
(41) Wang H, Chen DG, Li ZS*, Zhang DH, Cai NS, Yang J, Wei G. SO3 Removal from Flue Gas with Ca(OH)2 in Entrained Flow Reactors. Energy Fuels, 2018, 32 (4), pp 5364–5373
(42) Li D, He XL, Peng XP, Chen CH, Li ZS*. Experimental study and CFD modeling of NOx reduction and reductive gas formation in deep reburning of cement precalciner, Fuel Processing Technology, 2022, 229, 107183
