Prof. Wenxian Lin obtained PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sydney in 2000. He is the Head of Discipline of Mechanical Engineering at the College of Science & Engineering of James Cook University.

Prof. Lin’s research interests encompass computational fluid dynamics, buoyancy-driven flows, turbulent flows, stratified flows, heat transfer, natural convection, boundary layers, scaling analysis, environmental fluid dynamics, solar thermal energy, mixing and entrainment, building heating and ventilation, solar collector technologies, solar water heaters, turbulence modelling, DNS and LES, hydrodynamics, etc. He has published more than 130 refereed journal publications and more than 50 refereed conference publications and has the h-index of 24.

Prof. Lin has received numerous awards and fellowships over his career, including the ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship (ARC, 2003), Australian Awards for University Teaching: Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (Office for Learning and Teaching, Australian Government, 2015), and Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (JCU, 2015), and Dean’s Research Excellence Award – Research Group (JCU, 2006). Together with his collaborators, he has attracted 8 ARC DPs/APD.

Teaching

• CS3008: Fluid Mechanics (Level 3; TSV)
• ME2521: Dynamics of Machine Elements (Level 2; TSV)
• ME4513: Advanced Fluid Mechanics (Level 4; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Turbulent Flows
• Solar Thermal Engineering
• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Natural Convection Heat Transfer
• Buoyant Jets
• Entrainment and Mixing
• Boundary Layers
• Building Heating and Ventilation
• Buoyancy-Driven Flows
• Turbulence Modelling

Teaching

• Fluid Mechanics
• Dynamics
• Energy Technologies

Experience

• 2016 to present - Professor, James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
• 2010 to present - Head, Mechanical Engineering Discipline, James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
• 2010 to 2015 - Associate Professor, James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
• 2006 to 2009 - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
• 2004 to 2006 - ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Sydney (Sydney, Australia)

Research Disciplines

• Fluid mechanics and thermal engineering (4012)
• Mechanical engineering (4017)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding knowledge (2801)

Awards

• 2015 - JCU Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
• 2015 - Australian Awards for University Teaching: Citations for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, the Office for Learning and Teaching, Australian Government
• 2006 - Dean’s Research Excellence Award – Research Group, JCU

Fellowships

• 2004 to 2006 - ARC Australian Postdoctoral Fellowship

Memberships

• 2008 - Secretary and Executive Committee Member, Australasian Fluid and Thermal Engineering Society (AFTES)
• 2000 - Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
• 2012 to 2018 - Executive Committee Member, Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society (AFMS)

Other

• 1992 to 1998 - Associate Editor, Energy - The International Journal

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Cowley J, Khatamifar M, Lin W and Erskine D (in press) Experimental investigation of static pressure characteristics in a slotted short pin array. Experimental Heat Transfer,
• Lin W, Armfield S and Khatamifar M (2022) Scaling laws for natural convection boundary layer of a Pr > 1 fluid on a vertical solid surface subject to a sinusoidal heating flux in a linearly stratified ambient. Heat Transfer, 51 (4). pp. 2956-2976
• Nguyen D, Kirkpatrick M, Williamson N, Armfield S and Lin W (2022) Turbulence structure in a very sharp thermally stratified open-channel meander. Physics of Fluids, 34.
• Peng D, Khatamifar M and Lin W (2022) Experimental and numerical studies of the orientation effect on the natural convection heat dissipation of composite polymer heat sinks. Journal of Enhanced Heat Transfer, 29 (6). pp. 1-26
• Xiao Y and Lin W (2022) Linear temporal stability analysis on cross sheared flow: the stabilization effects via cross shear. Physics of Fluids, 34.
• Dong L, Lin W and Khatamifar M (2021) Direct numerical simulation of confined weak round fountains in homogeneous ambient. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 28.
• Dong L, Lin W and Khatamifar M (2021) Experimental study on the intrusion and stratification produced by confined laminar and turbulent round fountains. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 89. pp. 1-26
• Khatamifar M, Lin W and Dong L (2021) Transient conjugate natural convection heat transfer in a differentially-heated square cavity with a partition of finite thickness and thermal conductivity. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 25.
• Lin W, Armfield S and Khatamifar M (2021) Scalings for unsteady natural convection boundary layer under time-varying heating flux in a small Prandtl number fluid. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering, 27.
• Timbs K, Khatamifar M, Antunes E and Lin W (2021) Experimental study on the heat dissipation performance of straight and oblique fin heat sinks made of thermal conductive composite polymers. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 22.
• Tucker R, Khatamifar M, Lin W and McDonald K (2021) Experimental investigation of orientation and geometry effect on additive manufactured aluminium LED heat sinks under natural convection. Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 23.
• Xiao Y and Lin W (2021) Linear temporal stability analysis on non-parallel free cross sheared flow with a primary hyperbolic velocity and an orthogonal Bickley jet velocity. Physics of Fluids, 33.

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 152+ research outputs authored by Prof Wenxian Lin from 2000 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• To obtain Experimental Results of the Cyclic Plastic Behaviour for 3 Strain Ratios (e.g. R=-1; R=0; R=0.5) and study Mean Stress Relaxation Effects (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Development and Design Optimization of High Capacity Gravitational Vortex Hydro Power Plant (GVHPP) for High and Constant Flowing River conditions employing Computational Fluid Dynamics and modelling (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Surface integrity study of the as-fabricated and post-processed SLM Aluminum alloy. (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Iron Ore Bulk Ore Moisture Integration as Dust Prevention. (Masters , Secondary Advisor/AM)

Completed

• Heat and mass transfer mechanisms in a wet scrubber (2020, PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Intrusion, wall fountain and stratification of homogeneous fluid in confined space filling with fountains (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Instability, coherent structures and turbulent mixing in cross sheared flow in stratified environments (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Conjugate natural convection boundary layers (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.