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Professor Zhongyun Fan
Director - BCAST - (Professor)

Research area(s)

Fan’s research has been focused on:

  1. Understanding of early stages of solidification covering prenucleation, heterogeneous nucleation, Grain initiation and Grain refinement
  2. Developing metallic materials for closed-loop recycling
  3. Developing innovative techniques for processing light metals.

Research Interests

Professor Fan’s current research interest covers metallic materials processing, solidification under intensive forced convection, heterogeneous nucleation, structure of liquid metals, rheology and alloy development.

Research grants and projects

Grants

STEP Aluminium 2018 (Constellium)
Funder: Constellium
Duration: December 2028 - November 2023
Manufacturing made smarter (UKRI/ISCF Research Centre)
Funder: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: September 2021 - February 2025
UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for CircularMetal
Funder: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: January 2021 - December 2024
Aluminium Intensive Vehicle Enclosure (ALIVE)
Funder: Advanced Propulsion Centre UK
Duration: July 2020 - June 2023
The Future Metallurgy Centre - AMCC III
Funder: Research England
Duration: April 2020 - March 2021
STEP Aluminium 2018 (EPSRC)
Funder: Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: March 2019 - February 2024
Aluminium for Ultra Low Emission Vehicles
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: July 2018 - June 2020
APC7 - RACEFORM (Rapid Aluminium Cost-Effective Forming)
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: November 2017 - April 2020
CHAMAELEON
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: September 2017 - August 2019

Project Chamaeleon offers UK capability to deliver high volume, lightweight materials and processing technologies to reduce weight and improve vehicle rigidity in new architectures so that electric and hybrid powertrains can be fitted on common platforms, rather than bespoke designs.

Frog Bikes Innovate UK Manufacturing and materials application
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: July 2017 - March 2019
ACE-DC
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: June 2017 - November 2020
REALCAR3
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: June 2017 - March 2020
Aluminium carbon fibre hybrid structures
Funder: Innovate UK
Duration: September 2016 - August 2018
Future Liquid Metal Engineering Hub
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Duration: November 2015 - October 2022
The Advanced Metals Casting Centre Phase II
Funder: HAFCE
Duration: July 2015 - March 2017

On the continual development of research facilities for solidification and casting of metallic materials at BCAST

Lightweight Energy Absorbing Aluminium Structures for Transport (LEAAST)
Funder: Technology Strategy Board
Duration: June 2015 - May 2018

The main technical objectives are the demonstration of the use of a novel end of life recycling compatible, high energy absorbing aluminium extrusion alloy in combination with overcasting techniques for joints and roll forming for the manufacture of hydraulic cylinders with the incorporation of energy absorbent metallic foam and honeycomb structures to make a new generation of lightweight crash management systems that meet or exceed the requirements for mechanical properties, durability and load management for automotive and rail transport applications.

EPSRC Large Equipment Account for Advanced Metal Casting Centre (AMCC)
Funder: EPSRC
Duration: January 2014 - January 2024
Scale-up facilities for resource efficient processing of high performance alloys
Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council -- Capital for great technologies--Advanced materials
Duration: June 2013 - March 2014

AMCC 1 (Building and Equipment)

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