Hanwu Lei, PhD

Professor and Scientist


Research and Teaching Interests

Dr. Lei’s work is in the BSysE Bioenergy and Bioproducts Engineering research emphasis area. He is dedicated to helping students gain the skills and information they need to develop their ability and succeed in engineering discipline and professional life.

Dr. Lei’s research focus is on discovering and applying novel approaches for biofuels and bioproducts development, renewable energy technologies, and cost-effective biomass conversion technologies. Together with his team and collaborators, he works on a number of exciting research projects funded by DOE, USDA, JCATI, SunGrant, etc., and investigates the mechanisms responsible for the generation of fuel components and high value chemicals and materials.

Dr. Lei’s research interests include biomass thermochemical conversions (torrefaction, pyrolysis, liquefaction, aqueous phase reforming, catalytic processes, and bio-oil upgrading) to produce jet fuels, aromatics, cycloalkanes, phenols, hydrocarbons, hydrogen, syngas, biofuels, bioproducts, and use of biochar for carbon sequestration, activated carbon, and CO2 capture. Dr. Lei’s research activities also include biomass pretreatment for biological or chemical conversions to renewable energy and bioproducts, especially working on hydrothermal pretreatment and organosolv clean fractionation processes.

See more at my Research Site.

My Research In the News

Hanwu Lei

Email Dr. Lei
509-372-7628
Fax:  509-372-7690

BSEL 225
Biological Systems Engineering
Washington State University
Tri-Cities Campus
Richland, WA 99354-1670


Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
Research Site
Google Scholar