Hui (Steven) Rong

Postdocs (PD)

Postdoctoral Fellow 2025-...

Current

Location:

Building 3, Level 4, Area 3, Workspace: 4287-WS16

Social Profile:

Biography

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Energy and Power Engineering from Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology in 2019, my Master’s degree in Renewable Energy from the University of New South Wales in 2022, and my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Canterbury in 2025. My research background includes biomass and oil sludge co-pyrolysis, renewable energy systems, and small-scale combustion of carbon-free fuels. During my Ph.D., I primarily focused on the performance optimization of small-scale combustors using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods and on analyzing the combustion performance of carbon-free fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia, at small scales. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Multiscale Reaction Engineering (MuRE) Group.

Research Interests

My research interests primarily include computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, combustor structural optimization, and the enhancement of combustion performance for carbon-free fuels, as well as the resource utilization of oilfield waste. I focus on optimizing various fuel performances through a combination of numerical simulations and experimental analysis. I am also interested in research related to catalytic process design and optimization.

Selected Publications

  • Rong, H., Zhao, D., Sun, J., Thermodynamic and Heat Transfer Comparison Studies on Hydrogen-Fuelled Meso-Scale Combustors with Tear-Drop Dimple and Protrusion Structures for Thermophotovoltaic Applications. Energy, 325 (2025) 136143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2025.136143
  • Rong, H., Zhao, D., Performance Analyses of Tesla-Valve Structured Meso-Combustors within Ammonia-Hydrogen/Air Combustion for Thermophotovoltaic Applications. Renew. Energ, 243 (2025) 122546. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2025.122546
  • Rong, H., Zhao, D., Becker, S., Liu, X., Entropy Production and Thermodynamic Exergy Investigation on an Ammonia-Methane Fueled Micro-Combustor with Porous Medium for Thermophotovoltaic Applications. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 49 (2024) 384–400. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.08.034
  • Rong, H., Zhao, D., Cai, T., Becker, S., Enhancing Thermal and Exergy Performances in a CO₂-Free Micro-Combustor with Reverse Flow Double-Channel Outlet Structure. Appl. Therm. Eng., 233 (2023) 121180. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.121180
  • Rong, H., Yuan, J., Feng, Y., Yi, Y., Chang, Z., A TG-IR Study on the Co-Pyrolysis Characteristics of Oily Sludge and Crops. Biomass Convers. Biorefin., 12 (2020) 5153–5163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-020-00969-7

Education

  • PhD, Mechanical Engineering, University of Canterbury, 2025
  • Master of Engineering Science, Renewable Energy, University of New South Wales, 2022
  • Bachelor of Engineering, Energy and Power Engineering, Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, 2019

KAUST Affiliations

  • Multiscale Reaction Engineering (MuRE)
  • KAUST Catalysis Platform (KCP)

Research Interests Keywords

Hydroprocessing Waste Upgrading