CAHNRS > Biological Systems Engineering > Hanwu Lei > Hanwu Lei

Hanwu Lei

  1. Professor, Biological Systems Engineering
Email Addresshlei@wsu.edu
LocationBioproducts, Science, and Engineering Laboratory 225, WSU Tri-Cities
Phone509-372-7628

Biography

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

 

  • Dr. Hanwu Lei Featured by USDA NIFAJune 12, 2019  |   NIFA UpdateA research group led by Washington State University (WSU) scientists has found a way to turn daily plastic waste products into jet fuel.In a new paper published in the journal Applied Energy, WSU’s Hanwu Lei and colleagues melted plastic waste at high temperature with activated carbon, a processed carbon with increased surface area, to produce jet fuel.“Waste plastic is a huge problem worldwide,” said Lei, a professor in WSU’s Department of Biological System … » More …Read Story