My main research interest is in Sustainable product design principle study based on Energy footprint mapping (EFM) model. The research topics including Energy-using Product (EuP) usage saving design and development, life cycle energy dynamics planning and evaluation with EFM, life cycle energy saving structure design for EuP.

Past research

I began my research in the field of Sustainable product design principle with the End-of-life Product automatic disassemble sequence planning studies during my Ph. D studies at the Tianjin University. By the end of my Ph. D period, stemmed from the rich practical experience of “special purpose equipment design” projects with local enterprises, I was inspired and proposed an EFM based sustainable design methodology for the early design phrase. The core concept is to build up an EFM according to the part’s energy property to predicate the dynastic of product energy flow and consumption in its using stage, and then redesign or optimize the sustainable product structure. And in the same year of my graduation, I host my first project sponsored by NSFC (National Natural Science Foundation of China) in this subject with 260 thousand RMB.

Because of my research fields and contents are so match them in the BEST lab of UCB, especially because of the innovative design thoughts I used to model the product energy consumptions have been accepted by Prof. Alice. M. Agogino, who is the worldwide outstanding expert in sustainable product design field, the member of the American academy of engineering, Dean of BEST lab in UCB (University of California at Berkeley). She hosted me as her visiting scholar for the period of 16-month.

  In BEST lab and BIT Lab in UCB, I was provided a broad multidisciplinary design platform, where I can touch many different product design thoughts and advanced design theories in kinds of professional fields, which help I integrated my EGM methodology and widen my research scope to the whole life cycle.

Current Research

Based on the practice experience collation from the just finished three projects on hands, and the theory experience gained from the visiting experience in UCB, My currently search is mainly focused in the following three key areas

l  Integrated the EFM uniformed model structure. Enrich the engineering examples using the uniformed model, matching the parameters with the detail part structure.

l  Energy Footprint Mapping (EMP) based methodology system. This EMP modelling methodology theory can also been extended to a sustainable product design process in its whole life cycle. That’s a complete methodology system.

l  Energy Footprint Mapping (EMP) element’s database study. Taken the benefits of “Data Science” technology, an integrated EFM information database can be built to support a scenario decision for a sustainable product development in its early design stage.

Up to now, I have written 13 EI papers totally, in which 9 articles are first authors or corresponding authors. I have completed 3 research projects sponsored by NSFC, including one hosting Project. Besides that I also have a national utility model patent as the first inventor.

Future work

With continuous rapid development of internet of things and data science, I believe that sustainable product design principle and energy saving technology must be keen to leaner and more integrated. So, I should strengthen my research by the multidiscipline exchange and international communication. In addition, I should also think more effect way to helping students’ learning.