Professor Will Zimmerman
BScEng, MSc, PhD, CEng FIChemE
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Professor of Biochemical Dynamical Systems
+44 114 222 7517
Full contact details
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Kroto LG16
North Campus
Broad Lane
葫芦影业
S3 7HQ
- Profile
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I'm a graduate of Princeton and Stanford Universities in Chemical Engineering and the author of over 200 scientific publications. Previously I was Director of the MSc in Environmental and Energy Engineering, and a winner in US and UK national competitions of five prestigious fellowships (2005-6 Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow, 2000-5 EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow; 1994-99 Royal Academy of Engineering, Zeneca Young Academic Fellow; 1991-93 visiting professorships appointed by the French Ministry of Education at the Littoral University in Dunkirk in 1998 and 2005.
I was interviewed on my algal biofuels work on BBC Radio 4 鈥淢aterial World with Quentin Cooper鈥. My Royal Academy of Engineering SRF, entitled 鈥淪ystems Biology and Chemical Engineering鈥 has laid down a protocol for optimal experimentation for bioreactor model-building via inverse methods. I directed Microfluidics 2003, a workshop at CISM in Udine from which he edited a book on microfluidics, and is the author of two bestselling texts on multiphysics modelling.
- Research interests
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Having several patent families that exploit energy efficient microbubbles generated by fluidic oscillation, my team explores and innovates with new technology / capability where the role of microbubbles can be crucial to intensification, acceleration, or mechanistic change to bio/chemical processing -- typically in symbiotic engineering or novel simultaneous reactive (fermentative) separations.
Key research interests:
- Energy efficient generation of microbubbles and their applications (particularly biofuels and bioreactors)
- Plasma microreactors, especially low power consumption generation of ozone
- Fluid dynamics of helical turbulence and mixing
- Thin film dynamics and microrheometry
- Computational modelling with inverse methods (digital twinning)
Perlemax Ltd.
, University spinout company, was founded to exploit his research and technological advances. Perlemax and Zimmerman have won the below awards/recognition:
- Publications
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Books
- Microfluidics: Theory, History and Applications. Springer Verlag.
- Multiphysics modelling with finite element methods. World Scientific Pub Co Inc.
- . WORLD SCIENTIFIC.
- Process modelling and simulation with finite element methods. World Scientific Pub Co Inc.
Journal articles
- . Food and Bioproducts Processing, 145, 136-147.
- . Fuel, 358, 130125-130125.
- . Algal Research, 77, 103345-103345.
- . Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science, 101722-101722.
- . Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification, 109435-109435.
- . Johnson Matthey Technology Review.
- . Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 189, 707-720.
- . Bioengineering, 9(10).
- . Applied Thermal Engineering, 213, 118720.
- . Journal of Rheology, 66(4), 793-809.
- . Chemical and Process Engineering - Inzynieria Chemiczna i Procesowa, 43(1), 45-55.
- . Biomass and Bioenergy, 158, 106369-106369.
- . Chemical Engineering Science, 247, 117043-117043.
- . Chemical Engineering Journal, 424.
- . Journal of Cleaner Production, 311, 127525.
- . Chemical Engineering Science, 238.
- . Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry.
- . Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing, 41(2), 531-557.
- . Journal of Cleaner Production, 126258-126258.
- . Journal of the Brazilian Society of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, 43(1).
- . Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification, 108693-108693.
- . Biotechnology for Biofuels, 13(1).
- . Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 59(43), 19392-19405.
- . Journal of Cleaner Production, 259, 120729-120729.
- . Biocatalysis and Agricultural Biotechnology, 23, 101462-101462.
- . Fuel, 253, 25-31.
- . ECS Transactions, 91(1), 2623-2630.
- . Water Supply, 19(1), 97-106.
- . Advanced Science Letters, 24(12), 9499-9501.
- . Advanced Science Letters, 24(12), 9616-9619.
- . AIChE Journal, 64(11), 3803-3816.
- . Applied Energy, 221, 28-40.
- . Frontiers in Microbiology, 9.
- . Biology, 7(1), 4-4.
- . Fuel, 209, 117-126.
- . Biomass and Bioenergy, 105, 147-154.
- . Fuel Processing Technology, 165, 131-137.
- . Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 19(22), 14306-14318.
- . Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, 92(8), 1961-1961.
- . Applied Sciences, 7(4).
- . Chemical Engineering Research and Design.
- . Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 55(50), 12909-12918.
- . Chemical Engineering Science, 156, 24-35.
- . Irrigation Science, 34(6), 421-430.
- . Applied Optics, 55(26), 7392-7392.
- . Applied Optics, 55(22), 6102-6102.
- . Food and Bioproducts Processing.
- . Biomass and Bioenergy, 93, 187-193.
- . Algal Research, 17, 217-226.
- . International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 41(15), 6180-6192.
- . Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, 23, 83-89.
- . AIChE Journal, 62(4), 1192-1199.
- . International Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2016, 1-10.
- . Langmuir, 32(5), 1269-1278.
- . Chemical Engineering Science, 137, 243-253.
- . Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 104, 357-366.
- . Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 50(12), 1249-1258.
- Laboratory preparation of simulated sludge for anaerobic digestion experimentation. Journal of Engineering, 21(6), 140-154.
- . International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 16(5), 11509-11521.
- . Environmental Research, 137, 32-39.
- . BIOCHIP JOURNAL, 8(2), 122-128.
- . International Journal of Industrial Chemistry, 5(2).
- . International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 60, 40-49.
- . Plasma Processes and Polymers, 11(3), 279-288.
- . Biochemical Engineering Journal, 82, 174-182.
- . Thin Solid Films.
- . Physics Letters, Section A: General, Atomic and Solid State Physics.
- Microbubbles Enhanced Synthetic Phorbol Ester Degradation by Ozonolysis. International Journal of Chemical, Materials Science and Engineering, 8(1), 78-81.
- . Journal of Microbial and Biochemical Technology, 6(3), 167-173.
- Efficient Compact Micro DBD Plasma Reactor for Ozone Generation for Industrial Application in Liquid and Gas Phase Systems, 8(1), 82-85.
- Monitoring earths's canary. Planet Earth(WINTER), 22-24.
- . International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 56, 119-125.
- . Understanding Complex Systems, 55-58.
- . Engineering, 5(9), 735-743.
- . Chemical Engineering Science, 101, 865-877.
- . Biofuels, 4(4), 363-369.
- . Energy & Fuels, 2748-2761.
- . Journal of Biomaterials and Nanobiotechnology, 4(2A), 1-9.
- , 59-61.
- . Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 91(3), 457-463.
- . Surface and Coatings Technology.
- . Comb Chem High Throughput Screen, 16(3), 210-222.
- . Green Chemistry, 14(12), 3251-3251.
- Computational Modelling of the Hydride Generation Reaction in a Tubular Reactor and Atomization in a Quartz Cell Atomizer. Journal of Analytical Sciences, Methods and Instrumentation, 2(3), 126-139.
- Application of liquid nitrogen cold trap for purification of hydrogen gas stream generated from NaBH4. J. chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 6(5), 425-434.
- Bubbles for biofuels. Chemical Engineer(850), 34-37.
- The study of the impact of mercury sample magnetization prior to detection by emission spectroscopy. Journal of Environmental Science and Engineering, 1(3A), 380-387.
- . Journal of Analytical Sciences, Methods and Instrumentation, 02(03), 126-139.
- . Biotechnol Bioeng, 109(7), 1663-1673.
- . International Journal of Hydrogen Energy.
- . Biofuels, 3(5), 511-513.
- . Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 51(4), 1864-1877.
- Applications of the airlift loop effect in the cultivation of microalgae. Current Topics in Biotechnology, 7.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 66(20), 4733-4741.
- . Anal Bioanal Chem, 401(9), 2713-2722.
- . Measurement Science and Technology, 20.
- Analysis of capillary-gravity waves using the discrete periodic inverse scattering transform. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects.
- . Applied Energy, 88(10), 3357-3369.
- . Chemical Engineering Journal, 170(1), 44-52.
- An intermediate wavelength, weakly nonlinear theory for the evolution of capillary gravity waves. Wave Motion.
- Towards energy efficient nanobubble generation with fluidic oscillation. Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science.
- . Chemical Engineering Science, 66(7), 1412-1425.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 65(17), 4925-4930.
- . MICROFLUID NANOFLUID, 9(2-3), 559-571.
- On the design and simulation of an airlift loop bioreactor with microbubble generation by fluidic oscillation. INT SUGAR J, 112(1334), 90-103.
- . Applied Rheology, 20(5), 1-13.
- Creeping flow analysis of an integrated microfluidic device for rheometry. Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics, 165(19-20), 1302-1308.
- . FOOD BIOPROD PROCESS, 87(C3), 215-227.
- . CHEM ENG RES DES, 87(6A), 798-808.
- . EXP FLUIDS, 45(6), 973-986.
- . Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 86(3), 198-207.
- . PHYS FLUIDS, 20(4).
- . Recent Patents on Engineering, 2(1), 1-8.
- . PHYS FLUIDS, 19(12).
- . Adv Colloid Interface Sci, 134-135, 346-359.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 62(6), 1770-1782.
- . MICROFLUID NANOFLUID, 2(6), 481-492.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 61(19), 6424-6441.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 61(19), 6486-6498.
- . MEAS SCI TECHNOL, 17(8), 2175-2185.
- . SENSOR ACTUAT A-PHYS, 125(2), 159-169.
- Experimental investigation and visualization of helical structures in a novel swirling jet. 2006 ASME Joint U.S.-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting, FEDSM 2006, 2006.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 61(2), 621-632.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 61(2), 605-620.
- . Biotechnol Bioeng, 92(1), 91-116.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 60(15), 4147-4156.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 60(11), 3013-3028.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 60(11), 2879-2893.
- On the use of audio-tapes for teaching vector analysis to engineering undergraduates. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 33(4), 358-368.
- . INT J ENG SCI, 42(17-18), 1753-1778.
- . LANGMUIR, 20(20), 8721-8727.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 59(14), 2961-2968.
- Capacitively and inductively coupled plasmas for mems applications. Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA 2004, 3, 545-551.
- . Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA 2004, 3, 561-567.
- . Proceedings of the 7th Biennial Conference on Engineering Systems Design and Analysis, ESDA 2004, 3, 553-560.
- Long solitary internal waves in stable stratifications. NONLINEAR PROC GEOPH, 11(2), 165-180.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 58(13), 3005-3023.
- . CHEM ENG SCI, 58(12), 2691-2703.
- . J Colloid Interface Sci, 261(2), 547-551.
- . Atmospheric Science Letters, 4(1-4), 1-14.
- . Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 26(6-7), 763-773.
- The drag on sedimenting discs in broadside motion in tubes. INT J ENG SCI, 40(1), 7-22.
- Simulations of the probability structure of a dispersing, passive scalar. ENVIRONMETRICS, 12(6), 569-589.
- Characterization of hydraulic jumps/falls under surface tension variations in thin film flows. Dynamics of Oceans and Atmospheres, 34, 349-364.
- Strong dispersive effects on internal nonlinear waves in a sheared, stably stratified fluid layer. WAVE MOTION, 30(2), 159-173.
- Internal gravity waves: Analysis using the periodic, inverse scattering transform. NONLINEAR PROC GEOPH, 6(1), 11-26.
- Advection of pollutants by internal solitary waves in oceanic and atmospheric stable stratifications. NONLINEAR PROC GEOPH, 5(4), 209-217.
- The probability structure associated with a simple model of turbulent dispersion. ENVIRONMETRICS, 9(2), 131-138.
- The effect of chemical equilibrium on the formation of stable stratification. APPL SCI RES, 59(2-3), 283-298.
- Fluctuations in passive scalar concentration convected by a helical flow in a conducting fluid. PHYS FLUIDS, 8(6), 1631-1642.
- . International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 24(2), 151-152.
- . Powder Technology, 87(1), 3-12.
- . International Journal of Mechanical Engineering Education, 24(1), 58-59.
- . The Chemical Engineering Journal and the Biochemical Engineering Journal, 60(1-3), 174-175.
- FLUCTUATIONS IN DENSE GAS CONCENTRATIONS MEASURED IN A WIND-TUNNEL. BOUND-LAY METEOROL, 75(4), 321-352.
- . The Chemical Engineering Journal and the Biochemical Engineering Journal, 55(3), 149-150.
- . NONLINEAR PROCESSES IN GEOPHYSICS, 1(4), 219-223.
- VISCOUS FINGERING IN MISCIBLE DISPLACEMENTS - UNIFICATION OF EFFECTS OF VISCOSITY CONTRAST, ANISOTROPIC DISPERSION, AND VELOCITY DEPENDENCE OF DISPERSION ON NONLINEAR FINGER PROPAGATION. PHYS FLUIDS A-FLUID, 4(11), 2348-2359.
- 3-DIMENSIONAL VISCOUS FINGERING - A NUMERICAL STUDY. PHYS FLUIDS A-FLUID, 4(9), 1901-1914.
- NONLINEAR VISCOUS FINGERING IN MISCIBLE DISPLACEMENT WITH ANISOTROPIC DISPERSION. PHYS FLUIDS A-FLUID, 3(8), 1859-1872.
- . Studies in Comparative Communism, 9(1-2), 62-79.
- . Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing.
- . Bioengineering, 9(12), 739-739.
- . Reaction Chemistry & Engineering, 4(4), 705-714.
- . Energies, 11(10), 2680-2680.
- . Chemosensors, 6(3), 31-31.
- . Micromachines, 6(10), 1445-1458.
- . Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics Discussions, 2(5), 1407-1424.
- . Journal of Analytical & Bioanalytical Techniques, s4(01).
- . Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, 3(2), 110-114.
- . Colloids and Interfaces, 3(4), 65-65.
- . Fluids, 6(7), 241-241.
Chapters
- What do scholars know about Soviet foreign policy?, Soviet Foreign Policy in a Changing World (pp. 84-98).
- , Advances in Microbial Physiology Elsevier
- , Soviet Foreign Policy, 1917-1991 (pp. 119-131). Routledge
- , Nanoscience (pp. 1047-1056). CRC Press
- , Surfactant Science (pp. 1047-1056). CRC Press
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 143-172). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 237-276). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 375-391). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 27-63). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 213-236). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 313-322). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 111-141). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 173-211). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 65-109). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 323-344). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Series on Stability, Vibration and Control of Systems, Series A (pp. 277-299). WORLD SCIENTIFIC
- , Selected Topics in Nonlinear Wave Mechanics (pp. 203-222). Birkh盲user Boston
- , Mixing and Dispersion in Stably Stratified Flows (pp. 373-392). Oxford University PressOxford
- CRC Press
Conference proceedings papers
- . Advanced Science Letters, Vol. 24(12) (pp 9502-9504)
- . USES
- . Fourth International Conference on Advances in Bio-Informatics, Bio-Technology and Environmental Engineering - ABBE 2016
- . Fourth International Conference on Advances in Bio-Informatics, Bio-Technology and Environmental Engineering - ABBE 2016
- Use of raw capacitance tomography data for flow pattern control. 2nd World Congress on Industrial Process Tomography (pp 12-19)
- Microflotation for microorganism harvest. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 246
- . MEASUREMENT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 20(11)
- Consequence modelling of accidents in hazardous substances transportation. 9th International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management 2008, PSAM 2008, Vol. 4 (pp 2662-2669)
- . PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART C-JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, Vol. 222(5) (pp 761-768)
- . CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, Vol. 61(9) (pp 2826-2834)
- . CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, Vol. 61(9) (pp 2977-2985)
- . Proceedings of the International Symposium on Turbulence, Heat and Mass Transfer, 25 September 2006 - 29 September 2006.
- Microhydrodynamics of flotation processes in the sea surface layer. DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS, Vol. 34(2-4) (pp 327-348)
- Characterisation of hydraulic jumps/falls with surface tension variations in thin film flows. DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS, Vol. 34(2-4) (pp 349-364)
- An algorithm based on perturbation theory for electrical capacitance tomography. 1st World Congress on Industrial Process Tomography (pp 184-188)
- The modelling of imperfect mixing in buffer tanks. FLUID MIXING 6(146) (pp 127-134)
- Neural network modeling of surface aeration in mechanically agitated bioreactors.. FLUID MIXING 6(146) (pp 227-233)
- Diffusion limited mixing and reaction in heterogeneous catalysis of initially segregated species. FLUID MIXING 6(146) (pp 317-324)
- A CNN video based control system for a coal froth flotation.. CNNA 98 - 1998 FIFTH IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS - PROCEEDINGS (pp 192-197)
- Enhancement of mixing by internal solitary waves in stratified flows.. FLUID MIXING 5(140) (pp 225-235)
- Simple model of equilibrium froth height for foams: An application for CNN image analysis. 1996 FOURTH IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, PROCEEDINGS (CNNA-96) (pp 237-241)
- Fluctuations in passive tracer concentration due to mixing by coherent structures in anisotropic homogeneous, helical turbulence.. FLUID MIXING 5(140) (pp 213-223)
- STATISTICAL FLUCTUATIONS DUE TO MICROSCALE MIXING IN A DIFFUSION LAYER. ENVIRONMETRICS, Vol. 6(6) (pp 665-675)
- A WEAKLY NONLINEAR INSTABILITY OF MISCIBLE DISPLACEMENTS IN A RECTILINEAR POROUS-MEDIA FLOW. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIFURCATION AND CHAOS, Vol. 4(5) (pp 1319-1328)
- NONLINEAR-WAVES IN STABLY STRATIFIED DISSIPATIVE MEDIA - SOLITARY WAVES AND TURBULENT BURSTS. PHYSICA SCRIPTA, Vol. 55 (pp 111-114)
- . USES Conference Proceedings
- . USES Conference Proceedings
- . USES Conference Proceedings
- . USES Conference Proceedings
Patents
- Fluidic oscilator. WO2020208250 Appl. 11 Oct 2020.
- Apparatus and method for the treatment of a substrate with ozone microbubbles. WO2016/203252 (PCT). Appl. 22 Dec 2016.
- MASS TRANSFER PROCESSES WITH LIMITED SENSIBLE HEAT EXCHANGE. WO/2014/079993 (PCT). Appl. 30 May 2014.
- BUBBLE GENERATION TO STRIP COMPONENTS OF A LIQUID. WO/2014/060740 (PCT). Appl. 24 Apr 2014.
- RHEOMETER AND RHEOMETRIC METHOD. WO/2013/164587 (PCT). Appl. 07 Nov 2013.
- PLASMA MICROREACTOR APPARATUS, STERILISATION UNIT AND ANALYSER. WO/2010/079351 (United States of America). Appl. 15 Jul 2010.
- BUBBLE GENERATION FOR AERATION AND OTHER PURPOSES. WO/2008/053174 (Europe). Appl. 08 May 2008.
Preprints
- Professional activities and memberships
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- 2009 IChemE Moulton Medal
- 2010 Royal Society Innovation Award (Brian Mercer Fund) ()
- 2010 CleanTech Open, AXA UK Global Ideas Champion
- 2010 CleanTech Open, International Finalist, Global Ideas
- 2011 Zayed International Future Energy Prize, Semifinalist
Feature article in The Times of London heralded the solution (microbubbles did it!) to the age old Mpemba effect. Subsequently published four journal articles and gave a keynote address at the 15th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics on the topic of microbubble enhanced het transfer: Cracked, the cold case of why boiling water freezes faster