Rate My Professor Zhiwei Sun

Dr. Zhiwei Sun is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering within the College of Engineering and Information Technology at Adelaide University. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Department of Physics at Jilin University, China, between 1999 and 2006, followed by his PhD from the Division of Combustion Physics, Department of Physics, at Lund University, Sweden, from 2007 to 2012. Sun joined Adelaide University in 2012 as a Senior Researcher, holding that position until 2022, before his promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2023. His career has been dedicated to advancing experimental research in thermofluids at the institution.

Sun's research focuses on developing and applying advanced optical and laser-based diagnostic techniques to quantify key flow parameters with high spatial and temporal resolution in complex flow systems. His academic interests span chemical thermodynamics and energetics, fluidisation and fluid mechanics, non-automotive combustion and fuel engineering, optics, powder and particle technology, renewable power generation, hydrogen production from both fossil fuels and renewable sources, artificial intelligence and image processing, heat transfer, and sustainable engineering design for net-zero transitions. Particular emphasis is placed on experiments in thermo-fluids, high-temperature reactors, flames, plasmas, multi-phase flows involving particles, bubbles, and droplets, as well as AI-integrated laser diagnostics and computational fluid dynamics. Applications include renewable thermal energy, solar thermal energy, biomass utilisation, and decarbonisation of heavy industries such as iron ore reduction, alumina refining, and cement production. Sun has received notable awards, including the 2023 Measurement Achievement Encouragement Award from the National Measurement Institute, the 2020 Centre’s Best Contribution to Research Quality in Optical Diagnostics from the Centre for Energy Technology, the 2018 Endeavour Research Fellowship from the Department of Education, and the 2014 David Warren Travelling Fellowship from the Australia-New Zealand Section of the Combustion Institute. He has been recognised for leading the nation's research in combustion and propulsion. Key publications include 'A comparison of current and emerging net-zero hydrogen production technologies: a perspective drawn from the international HyPT forum' (2026), 'Influence of particle-to-fluid density ratio on horizontal particle-laden pipe flows across distinct gravity regimes' (2025), 'New understanding of the regimes and controlling mechanisms in a falling curtain of particles' (2024), 'Reconstructing temperature fields from OH distribution and soot volume fraction in turbulent flames using an artificial neural network' (2024), and 'Experimental study of a dense stream of particles impacting on an inclined surface' (2024). His contributions have significantly influenced advancements in laser diagnostics, combustion science, multi-phase flows, and energy transition technologies.