University of Canterbury Mechanical Engineering Professor Dan Zhao has been made a Ngā Ahurei a Te Apārangi Fellow by the Royal Society.
Congratulations to Professor Zhao for his outstanding achievement and nationwide recognition as one of 22 newly elected fellows to the Academy of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Professor Zhao has made essential contributions to combustion engineering, addressing key issues in low-emission, safe, and efficient engine design. He has conducted innovative research on the prediction and control of thermoacoustic instabilities, which are a barrier to improvements in engine efficiency.
He has developed several new control approaches, enabling ultra-low-emission combustion systems to maintain peak performance throughout the full range of engine operating conditions. Professor Zhao has been developing CO2-free combustion technologies using hydrogen and ammonia fuels. His interdisciplinary research leadership has led to 300 fully refereed publications in scientific journals, including Nature Communications Physics.
As a science communicator, he has served as the chief or senior editor for seven top-tier journals, and founded the first New Zealand-based chartered branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, remaining to serve as the academic advisor.
He joins more than 400 Fellows (FRSNZ) who have been elected to the Academy for distinction in research or for advancing science, technology and the humanities since 1919.
