Doctor Yue Zhang

Research interests

• Anaerobic digestion (AD) for organic waste management and renewable energy production, especially optimisation of digestion process e.g. via selective trace element supplementation, and manipulation of microbially-mediated pathways methanogenesisMixed-culture fermentation for bio-based chemical production with integration of downstream recovery processes, especially on selective carboxylic acid production from protein-rich wastesCO2 biomethanisation, especially in-situ hydrogen addition new project to be createdMicrobial electrochemical systems for biofuel production, for instance for methane and biobutanol productionNutrient recovery from waste and wastewaterHeavy metal removal from industrial effluents and wastewaters using a range of synthetic nanoparticle and biosorption techniques.

Current research

VALORGAS - Valorisation of food waste to biogas

AD is not a new technology, but its application for energy recovery in the field of municipal waste treatment is only just becoming established in Europe, and only for mixed wastes. The use of source segregated food wastes as substrate is not yet widespread, possibly because of technical challenges linked with collection, handling, pre-treatment and digestion of this material. The research includes a number of closely related components with a common underlying goal: to evaluate and where possible improve the energy production process from the perspective of the overall net energy gain achieved within defined system boundaries that include collection, sorting, processing, and beneficial use of recovered material.

TRIF PS - Particle size requirements for effective bioprocessing of biodegradable municipal waste

This was a collaborative project funded under Defra's TRIF programme to look at the effects of particle size on the aerobic and anaerobic degradation of organic wastes.

Optimising processes for the stable operation of food waste digestion

This work identified a key cause of process instability in anaerobic digestion of food waste, and suggested technical solutions.

Anaerobic degradation of renewable plastics

This study for the National Non-Food Crops Centre (NNFCC) aimed to determine whether anaerobic digestion (AD) is an effective treatment for a mixed food waste stream containing renewable plastics.

Optimising Inputs and Outputs from Anaerobic Digestion Processes

The aim of the work was to better understand the factors influencing the stabilisation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) in the anaerobic digestion process. In particular the research addressed whether stabilisation, as judged by volumetric gas production, solids destruction and bio-stability of the residues, could be improved by co-digestion with other organic wastes from industry, commerce and agriculture.

Measuring stability of digestates from AD of source-segregated biodegradable waste and manures

Funded by the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the Bioenergy and Organic Resources Group led a consortium of 3 institutions, including The Open University and WRc, to develop the test which has now become part of PAS110 and confirms that a digestate is sufficient in terms of biological stability to ensure environmentally sound land application.

EU - China Cooperation for Liquid Fuels

ECOFUEL is building an international partnership for new second generation biofuel processes: the research will set the foundation stones for the technologies being developed, and make further contributions to overcoming barriers to commercialisation. The ECOFUEL project will effectively integrate respective regional programmes for better allocation and utilisation of resources, in particular to achieve the critical mass required to move the second generation of biofuels forward.

Production and extraction of C3 and C4 aliphatic carboxylic acids from the anaerobic digestion of waste blood as a model substrate

Biomethanisation of CO2 in Anaerobic Digestion Plants

This project is part of the IB Catalyst programme jointly funded by Innovate UK, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).    

Development of a bio-refinery system for organic acid production, bioenergy generation and nutrient recovery using fish wastes from Tumaco, Colombia

This project proposes a two-stage system: the first stage includes an acid and ammonia production and recovery process, and the second stage focuses on an anaerobic digestion process to use the untransformed wastes and unrecovered acids from stage one, as well as other fish waste components, for the production of biogas.

Biobutanol production via bioelectrochemical reduction of butyric acid

This proof-of-concept project focuses on diversification of anaerobic digestion into the field of industrial biotechnology through the conversion of one of its intermediate bulk chemicals, butyric acid, into butanol using a microbial electrochemical system.

Developing the Potential for CO2 Capture and Utilisation in Hybrid Anaerobic Digesters

Research projects