Yanzhao An, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Fellows

Postdoctoral Fellow​​​​

Current

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Biography

Dr. An received his Ph.D. degree in April 2016 from the State Key Laboratory of Engines (SKLE), Tianjin University, China. His Ph.D. research is the formation mechanism and experimental study of soot particles in gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines. 
After he completed his Ph.D. degree, he has been working as a postdoc in Prof. Bengt Johansson engine team. He participated in the fuel combustion (FUELCOM) program from August 2016. The FuelCom program is a long-term, multimillion, strategic research collaboration between the Fuel Technology Research and Development Division of Saudi Aramco and the CCRC, KAUST. His current research is Visualization of low-octane gasoline compression ignition (GCI) combustion in an optical engine by the laser diagnostics. 

● He independently designed a fully transparent quartz piston window with a production ω-shape bowl and improved the optical engine design to achieve 200 continuous fire cycles. He tested different fuels including FACE fuels (fuel for advanced combustion engines) and different low-octane naphtha fuels under different combustion modes from HCCI, via PPC to CI. 

● He developed the dynamic flame tracing analysis method to study in-cylinder auto-ignition and combustion stability based on the high-speed color imaging technology. He investigated in-cylinder soot formation/oxidation process based on the combustion stratification method and linked with soot particle size distribution from the exhaust. 

● In addition, he also performed the CFD numerical simulation of in-cylinder combustion and soot particulate formation for low-octane fuels. 

Currently, Dr. An is working on laser diagnostics in spark assisted GCI engine to quantitatively measure spray-wall interaction and fuel distribution by fuel-tracer planar laser-induced inflorescence (PLIF) and also to qualitatively trace the first-stage of the low-temperature combustion process by formaldehyde PLIF.

Research Interests

The major strategic goals of my research are to improve the efficiency and reduce emissions from combustion engines. My research focuses on Diesel and Gasoline Engine combustion (HCCI/PPC/GCI-gasoline compression ignition) optical diagnostics. 

● Experimental study the effects of fuel properties and control strategies on combustion and emissions of engines;

● Fuel surrogates and alternative fuels, mainly focus on heavy naphtha and light naphtha; 

● Chemical kinetics and reaction mechanisms and their applications in advanced engine combustion simulations; 

● Combustion simulation and optimization with both conventional and renewable fuels; 

● Numerical study of the soot particle precursors and soot particle formation processes.


Current Research Project: spray-wall interaction and fuel distribution by fuel-tracer planar laser-induced inflorescence (PLIF)​

Selected Publications

Education

  • Ph.D Power Machinery and Engineering. State Key Laboratory of Engines, Tianjin University. Tianjin, China. 2016
  • M.S. Power Machinery and Engineering. College of Mechanical Engineering, Guangxi University. Nanning, China. 2012
  • B.A Vehicle engineering, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, China. 

Professional Profile

  • ​​2016: Postdoctoral fellow, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia​

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • Classic SAE Member Session 
  • Chairman of Particle Emissions from Combustion Sources in PF&L 2017 
  • Reviewers of Fuel, Energy, Energy Conversion and Management, Chemical Engineering & Technology 
  • Lecturer for Clean Combustion Winter School 2018​

Awards

  • ​​China's National Inspirational Scholarship (2007). ​
  • China National Scholarship (2008). 
  • Hunan Province Outstanding Graduates (2009). 

KAUST Affiliations

Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC)

Physical Sciences and Engineering ( PSE )​

Research Interests Keywords

Combustion Laser Diagnostics CFD Simulation Future Fuel Soot Particulate