Wen Zhang, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
Principal Investigator
Professor
Phone: (973) 596-5520
Fax: (973) 596-5790
Email: wen.zhang@njit.edu
Office Location: Colton Hall 211
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In an effort to provide hands-on experience and insight into the intricacies of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, Professor Zhang’s environmental engineering class enjoyed an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the inner environment of the Campus Center's HVAC system on March 4th 2024. The tour was facilitated by William Marx, our Senior Manager and Mitchell E. Gayer, Exec. Director, Environmental Health and Safety, who kindly provided PPE and invaluable knowledge to undergraduate students alongside a Ph.D. student, Fangzhou Liu and a postdoc Dr. Jiahui Hu
Marx commenced the tour by elucidating the fundamental principles underlying HVAC technology, shedding light on its pivotal role of air filters in maintaining indoor air quality. Venturing to the fourth floor of the Campus Center, the group was granted access to the pump and air filtration room, where they gained firsthand insights into the operation and maintenance of these crucial components. Students were afforded the unique opportunity to partake in the process of replacing the exhausted dark-colored MERV air filters with the new white clean ones, allowing them to gain some practical experience and a deeper understanding of routine maintenance procedures.
Environmental Engineering Class Explored Campus Center HVAC System
The undergraduate students witnessed the system in operation. They elucidated the roles and advantages of microwave catalysis over other disinfection methods such as UV irradiation and how this reactive filtration could facilitate the capture and sterilization of aerosol pathogens. They underscored the imperative of developing sterilizing air filtration systems amidst the backdrop of the Covid-19 pandemic. This lecture on air disinfection provided invaluable insights into the current approaches in commercial markets and those being explored to enhance indoor air quality and mitigate health risks in shared spaces. Professor Zhang's initiative not only enriched the students' understanding of environmental engineering but also demonstrated frontier research in addressing contemporary challenges in public health.
Returning to the classroom, Ph.D. student Fangzhou Liu and postdoc Dr. Jiahui Hu assisted Dr. Zhang to demonstrate the principles of a novel microwave-enhanced air filtration system and its operation. This novel technology development has been supported by grants from NSF, EPA, NJIT’s Technology Innovation Translation and Acceleration (TITA) Program and New Jersey Health Foundation (See details: http://www.wenresearch.com/2024-01-05-tita-phase-3-fangzhou.html)
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Wen's Research Group