Jianhua ZHOU, Ph.D., P.E.
- Passionate and creative engineering professional with Ph.D. and P.E. in Mechanical Engineering and strong fundamentals in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
- 25+ years’ professional experience including 14 consecutive years’ service in HVAC&R system design, optimization, testing, qualification and troubleshooting.
- Exceptional modeling and analysis skills with successful record of modeling and simulation for complex thermal and fluid systems involving multiple engineering disciplines.
- Proficient in high-efficiency thermal and fluid system design, optimization, prototype manufacturing, test instrumentation, data reduction/interpretation/presentation, etc.
- Demonstrated project leadership, strategic roadmap planning, priority management, standard work development, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Strong self-motivation, forward-thinking, excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills.
- Licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.) certified by NCEES and New York State Board.
Technical Skills:
- Programming with Visual FORTRAN, Visual C/C++, Python, VBA, Modelica, MATLAB, EES, etc.
- ANSYS Fluent CFD, DesignModeler, SpaceClaim, Creo Parametric, Dymola,LabVIEW, EES, REFPROP, Office, etc
Areas of Expertise:
Engineering leadership and project management, thermal and fluid system prototyping, testing and analysis, steady-state and transient numerical modeling and simulation, heat exchanger design /optimization /testing /instrumentation /validation, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), design/tests/troubleshooting of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA), standard work process creation and enforcement, engineering standards/codes/regulations compliance, patent and IP strategies, technical writing and presentations, talent development and mentorship, etc.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Carrier Corporation 2023 - present
Carrier Transicold, Refrigeration System Engineering, Syracuse, NY
Principal Engineer
- Technical leadership and project management in multiple programs: variable-speed and/or electric transport refrigeration system development and qualification, transport refrigeration system fuel efficiency improvement, field unit failure diagnosing/troubleshooting, steady-state and dynamic refrigeration system simulation and analysis, etc.
- Accomplishments: single-temp and multi-temp transport refrigeration system fuel efficiency improvement via unit software changes; customer unit alarm/failure analysis and troubleshooting (high discharge pressure, low suction superheat, high AC amps, etc); VFD fault analysis and new firmware tests for variable-speed refrigeration systems; qualification of variable-speed refrigeration system in Middle East region; field trial unit operation data collection, analysis and presentation; European and North American electric trailer refrigeration system architecture analysis; adaptive engine/compressor speed control for fuel/power consumption reduction; evaporator fan power reduction package support (low-loss nozzle, flow shaper, low-power rotor, variable-speed induction/PM motors, etc); 1-D flow model development for diesel engine fuel system simulation; cassette air-conditioning system model calibration support for cost reduction (Carrier Montilla, Spain); NaturaLINE refrigeration system (CO2) simulations at part-load conditions; OptimaLINE FuelWise control logic improvement for system power reduction; dynamic pulldown simulations for trailer engine speed optimization (Dymola); electronic chip cooling models for data center applications; map-based engine, generator and VFD models; map-based CO2 ejector model development for CCR refrigeration system models; developed tube-on-tube and tube-in-tube heat exchanger models for economized refrigeration systems; electric truck refrigeration system model generation and calibration; 20-coefficients R454B compressor model development for residential applications; fix a bug in fan curve model in calculating the fan power for different motor locations (in airstream or outside airstream); implementation of CoilDesigner (a University of Maryland modeling tool) into Carrier modeling platform (IPM); etc.
Carrier Corporation 2021 - 2023
Center of Excellence, System & Controls, Syracuse, NY
Principal Engineer
- Technical leadership in global HVAC/thermo/fluid modeling activities, provide technical solutions for complex modeling/simulation challenges, guide BU engineers in HVAC&R system testing and analysis
- Plan resource/schedule, align work plan/technical path, create and enforce standard work processes, validate modeling/simulation results against lab test data, develop talents and mentor young engineers; etc.
- Accomplishments: new suction line model with capability of predicting oil return and oil retention; heat exchanger analysis and optimization for R32 heat pump (HP) air-cooled chiller units; variable-speed ARI compressor model loading tool improvement; high-efficiency air-conditioning system with innovative liquid-desiccant loop; parallel-mode MCHX evaporator model; improve multirun tools of refrigeration system model and RTPF / MCHX component modeling tools for 64-bit computer system; technical support to next-generation modelica-based modeling platform development; robust BPHE heat exchanger model development based on discretized NTU-effectiveness approach; modeling of flash tank with vapor - liquid drop disengagement prediction capability; Bitzer DLL-based compressor model development; using digital method to diagnose failure mode of refrigerant and air-conditioning systems; variable speed economized screw/scroll compressor model development and system testing for transport refrigeration and commercial HVAC; MCHX heat exchanger model development with unfinned tube sections; Level I RTPF heat exchanger model improvement; Level II MCHX evaporator distributor model development and validation; wire-on-tube condenser model development; expand existing modeling tool capabilities to handle new low GWP (global warming potential) high-glide refrigerants; new MCHX header pressure drop model development capturing multi-physics including elbow, T-junction, MPE tube insertion, increasing/decreasing mass flux, etc; guide commercial refrigeration team to improve charge prediction accuracy; etc.
- Deliver advanced level HVAC&R modeling/design live trainings to global engineering modeling/design teams as instructor and presenter on Carrier Engineering University platform.
Carrier Corporation 2014 - 2021
Heat Transfer Group, Technologies & Components, Syracuse, NY
Staff Heat Transfer Engineer
- Lead multiple key cost saving and energy/footprint reduction BU programs with low GWP, A2L and CO2 refrigeration technologies as Project Manager, leading to millions of dollars annual cost saving for the company.
- Accomplishments: CO2 MCHX gas cooler development and qualification for Carrier Transport Division (CTD) NaturaLINE container and Carrier Commercial Refrigeration (CCR) condensing units; designed efficient heat exchangers for CCR ultra slim / ultra narrow and frost-free refrigerated display cabinets (frost-free unit achieved 60% energy consumption reduction); developed and qualified MCHX condenser for CTD PrimeLINE container system (R134a) (~$3million cost saving/year); optimized MCHX condenser for CTD breakthrough efficiency Vector trailer unit with low GWP refrigerants (R448A/R452A); Modeled MCHX heat exchangers for air-cooled screw chiller system; Conducted steady-state CFD simulations to evaluate new fin performances for CCR 7mm RTPF gas cooler (ANSYS Fluent); performed transient CFD modeling to quantify the infiltration energy during cabinet door opening/closing (ANSYS Fluent); carried out dynamic frosting/defrosting modeling for 5mm/7mm RTPF evaporators for ultra slim /ultra narrow display cabinets (Dymola); designed and optimized RTPF and MCHX heat exchangers for rooftop and residential air conditioning and heat pump systems; Level-II heat transfer model development of MCHX and RTPF heat exchangers with general air-side HT/DP correlations; next generation large liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger model development; conducted wind tunnel tests to qualify the air-side performances of Midea evaporator coils; modeling and programming to simulate Chiller VFD cooling; wind tunnel test uncertainty analysis with Monte Carlo approach; new supplier heat exchanger qualification for CTD Supra S9/S10 truck units; developed and qualified Luvata all-aluminum RTPF evaporator coil for CTD N.A. Trailer units; modeling and analysis of oil+vapor pressure loss through honeycomb plates for Horizon HP; fixed bugs in GenScrew compressor models; improved MCHX heat exchanger models so ribbon bends can be properly simulated; extended MCHX model functionality so users can directly input RA60 and DP70 for a new fin design; 2G MCHX performance gap analysis; fixed bugs in MCHX condenser model in order to handle cases with low temperature approach; fixed bugs in the refrigerant pressure drop calculation of multi-slab MCHX evaporators; etc.
Carrier Corporation 2011 - 2014
MASC Team, Technologies, Methods & Components, Syracuse, NY
Senior HVAC&R Modeling Development Engineer
- Led and developed numerous Level I and Level II refrigeration and air-conditioning component models to predict the thermal and hydraulic performances of a wide range of heat exchanger types, including RTPF, MCHX, shell & tube heat exchangers, falling film evaporator, ice cream machine evaporators, etc.
- Accomplishments: developed segment-by-segment numerical models to calculate the fin cross conduction in Level II evaporator, condenser and water coils in Carrier RTPF coil modeling platform; developed 3D new shell and tube heat exchanger models which account for multiple physical mechanisms including the liquid carry-over, vapor blanketing, submergence, and row-by-row bundle effects; developed falling film evaporator model for large chiller with the capability of handling part-load operation in HVAC&R system modeling platform; created detailed and reduced heat transfer models for microchannel freezing cylinder, flooded freezing cylinder, cold-wall refrigerated cabinet and cold-wall mix can in Taylor ice cream machines; updated shell and tube heat exchanger tube data library in HVAC&R system modeling platform; flooded evaporator and refrigerant line model development for Carrier next-generation HVAC&R modeling platform; ECAT 30HX chiller model improvement and validation in 64-bit computer operation system; documented DOE-2.1 building daylighting computer codes for E20-II; designed new refrigeration systems for two CTD truck systems (Viento 350 and Supra 750) using CO2 as the refrigerant aiming to reduce ODP (ozone depletion potential) and GWP; etc.
University of Missouri 2005 - 2011
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Columbia, MO
Postdoctoral Research Associate (2005-2008); Research Assistant Professor (2008-2011)
- Accomplishments: 2D and 3D inverse heat transfer with static or dynamic temperature-dependent thermal properties; nonequilibrium heat transfer in composite materials; Monte Carlo radiative transfer modeling in bimodal packing structures; random packing modeling of spherical particles for powder-based additive manufacturing; non-Fourier heat conduction effects (hyperbolic heat conduction, dual-phase-lag heat conduction, etc); laser-induced thermotherapy research; plasma formation in biological tissues induced by short laser pulses; etc.
University of New South Wales 2002 - 2004
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sydney, Australia
Visiting Research Scholar
- Effective thermal conductivities of randomly packed beds; transient heat transfer during particle colliding process.
Chinese Academy of Sciences July - Oct 2002
Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Beijing, China
Postdoctoral Research Associate
- 3D light and heat transfer modeling in biological tissues; numerical investigation of heat transfer in cryopreservation applications.
Chinese Academy of Sciences 1999 - 2002
Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Beijing, China
Ph.D. Graduate Research Assistant
- Experimental/numerical investigation of heat and mass transfer in biological tissues in laser-induced thermal therapy.
North China Electric Power University 1996 - 2001
Department of Power Engineering, Beijing, China
Assistant Professor
- 3D numerical simulation of HT/DP in heat exchangers of large-capacity thermal power plants; solid-liquid phase change heat transfer for latent energy storage systems and electronic chip cooling applications; etc.
- Taught "Gas-Liquid Two Phase Flow and Heat Transfer" and "Thermal Equipment in Large-Capacity Power Plants".
