Jian Zhao

• Assistant Professor, Michael W. Hall School of Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University, 2024-present 
• Guest Editor, Energy (Elsevier), Frontiers in Thermal Engineering (Frontiers), International Journal of Green Energy (Taylor & Francis), 2023-present 
• Board Member, International Association for Green Energy (IAGE) 2022-present 
• Assistant Editor, International Journal of Green Energy (Taylor & Francis), 2019-present 
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, Center for Advanced Vehicular Systems, Mississippi State University, 2022-2023 
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Waterloo, 2019-2022 
• Special Lecturer, University of Waterloo, 2021-2021 

• Power Generation Systems 
• Fuel Cell Technology 
• Thermodynamics 
• Heat Transfer

My research focuses on advancing green energy technologies to decarbonize energy systems using advanced experimental and modeling methods. Specifically, my research interests cover the following areas: 

• Advanced Energy Systems  
• Electrochemical Energy Conversion 
• Thermochemical Energy Storage 
• Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Sequestration 
• Hydrogen and Fuel Cell 
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)  
• Experimental and Uncertainty Analysis 
• Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning 

For all publications, download my curriculum vitae

Journal Articles

• Zhao J, Korba D, Mishra A, Klausner J, Randhir K, AuYeung N, Li L. Particle-based High-temperature Thermochemical Energy Storage Reactors. Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 2024 (Accepted). doi:10.1016/j.pecs.2024.101143 
• Zhao J, Liu H, Li X. Structure, Property, and Performance of Catalyst Layers in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells. Electrochemical Energy Reviews 2023;6(1),13.
• Zhao J, Li X, Shum C, McPhee J. Computational Fuel Cell Dynamics – Model Order Reduction vs. Computational Speed. Energy 2023;266:126488.
• Zhao J, Li X, Shum C, McPhee J. A Computationally Efficient and High-fidelity 1D Steady-state Model for PEM Fuel Cells. Journal of Physics: Energy 2023;5:015003.
• Zhao J, Li X, Shum C, McPhee J. A Review of Physics-based and Data-driven Models for Real-time Control of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells. Energy and AI 2021; 6:100114.

Conference Papers/Presentations 

• (Invited Keynote Speaker) “Structural dependent Properties of Catalyst Layers for PEM Fuel Cells - A Comprehensive Review” at the 2022 International Colloquium on Environmentally Preferred Advanced Generation (ICEPAG) and the 2022 World Fuel Cell Conference (WFCC), Dec. 12-15, 2022, University of California, Irvine, USA. 
• Zhao J, Liu H, Li X. Effect of Microstructure on the Transport Coefficients, Electrochemical Properties, Performance and Durability of Catalyst Layers in PEM Fuel Cells. 2021 Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering International Congress, Paper No.: 204. 
• Zhao J, Li X. Modeling of Cathode Oxygen Transport in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells Based on Measured Permeability and Effective Diffusivity (Abstract only). Proc. of The Joint Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and CFD Society of Canada International Congress 2019, Paper No.: 286. 
• Zhao J, Li X, Liu Z, Pan Z. “Formation of Storm Eye and Mushroom Cloud Cascading in Nanoparticle-laden Evaporating Drops”, in the Gallery of Fluid motion at the 72th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics.
• Zhao J, Li X. Effect of Catalyst Layer Fabrication Methods on Electrode Structure and Mass Transport in Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cells. 10th Int. Conf. on Applied Energy (ICAE2018), Paper No.: 433. 

Books/Book Chapters 

• Zhao J, Li X, Shum C, McPhee J. "Control-oriented computational fluid dynamics models for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells." Fuel Cells for Transportation. Woodhead Publishing, 2023. 393-417. 
• Zhao J, Li X. "Fuel cell durability under automotive driving cycles—fundamentals and experiments." Fuel Cells for Transportation. Woodhead Publishing, 2023. 419-462.