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Weibiao ZHOU
 Professor
location Room 911 F10
telephone 9385 7969
facsimile 9385 5966
email wb.zhou@unsw.edu.au
 
School of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
The University of New South Wales
UNSW Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
 
Qualifications
  • PhD, University of Queensland, Australia, 1991
  • M.Eng., Chinese Academy of Sciences (Academia Sinica), Beijing, 1985
  • B.Sc., Beijing University of Chemical Technology, China, 1982
  • Qualified Cannery Person (Thermal Processing), approved by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS), 1997
  • Fellow, Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST).
  • Board Member, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).
Research InterestsMy research interests are in the food engineering and food processing areas, particularly food process modelling and optimisation, advanced process control, baking processes, dairy processes, and the effect of food processing on some functional components such as isoflavones and antioxidants.
Food processes are characterised by their high non-linearity, lack of suitable sensors (e.g. sensors for composition, flavour and taste), lack of reliable process models (both dynamic models and steady state models), batch processing, high hygiene requirement, and large/seasonal variations in raw materials, among other issues.
Making a food production process a success often means that firstly the process has been optimised in its design and secondly the process has always been well controlled during its operation. These tasks demand high quality process models, availability of sensors, and robust control strategies. Our research covers all these important areas.
Modelling and optimisation: neural network modelling, hybrid neural modelling, CFD modelling, mechanistic modelling, RSM, application of fractals to food property characterisation, multi-objective optimisation.
Sensor development: soft sensors, online sensors, sensors for special operating conditions.
Advanced process control: multivariable control, robust control, nonlinear model-based control, generic model control, passivity systems, L2 gain, time-delay compensation, constraint handling.
The current projects include the modelling and optimization of an industrial continuous bread baking oven and its control system, the development of functional bread with tea antioxidants, the study of bread colour development, the study of osmotic dehydration of food with edible film coating, the investigation of structural relaxation of amorphous food materials, the development of new generation rapid test kits for frying oils, the study of high intensity ultrasound aided yoghurt processing, and the application of advanced modelling techniques such as artificial neural network, fractals and CFD to several food processes.
Selected Publications
  • Wong, S.K., Yu, B., Curran, P., and Zhou*, W. (2009). Characterising the release of flavour compounds from chewing gum through HS-SPME analysis and mathematical modelling, Food Chemistry, 114(3), 852-858.
  • Bansal, G., Zhou*, W., Barlow, P.J., Joshi, P., Lo, H.L., and Chung, Y.K. (2009). Review of Rapid Tests Available for Measuring the Quality Changes in Frying Oils and Comparison with Standard Methods, Critical Review in Food Science and Nutrition, in press.
  • Bansal, G., Zhou*, W., Tan, T.W., Neo, F.L., and Lo, H.L. (2009). Analysis of Trans Fatty Acids in Deep Frying Oils by Three Different Approaches, Food Chemistry, in press.
  • Nguyen, T.M.P., Lee, Y.K., and Zhou*, W. (2009). Stimulating Milk Fermentation of Bifidobacteria by High Intensity Ultrasound, International Dairy Journal, in press.
  • Tan, M.Y. and Zhou*, W. (2009). Modelling of Bread Colour Development during Baking, Food Manufacturing Efficiency, in press.
  • Therdthai*, N., and Zhou, W. (2009). Characterization of microwave vacuum drying and hot air drying of mint leaves (Mentha cordifolia Opizex Fresen), Journal of Food Engineering, 91(3), 482-489.
  • Jiang, B., Liu, Y., Bhandari, B. and Zhou*, W. (2008). Impact of Caramelization on the Glass Transition Temperature of Several Caramelized Sugars. Part II: Mathematical Modeling, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(13), 5148-5152.
  • Jiang, B., Liu, Y., Bhandari, B. and Zhou*, W. (2008). Impact of Caramelization on the Glass Transition Temperature of Several Caramelized Sugars. Part I: Chemical Analyses, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(13), 5138-5147.
  • Liu, Y., Selomulyo, V.O. and Zhou*, W. (2008). Effect of High Pressure on Some Physicochemical Properties of Several Native Starches, Journal of Food Engineering, 88(1), 126-136.
  • Wang, R., Zhou*, W. and Jiang, X. (2008). Reaction Kinetics of Degradation and Epimerization of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in Aqueous System over a Wide Temperature Range, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 56(8), 2694-2701.
  • Wang, R., Zhou*, W. and Jiang, X. (2008). Mathematical modeling of the stability of green tea catechin epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) during bread baking, Journal of Food Engineering, 87(4), 505-513.
  • Huang*, H., Lin, P., and Zhou, W. (2007). Moisture transport and diffusive instability during bread baking, SIAM Journal on Applied Mathematics, 68(1), 222-238.
  • Wang, R., Zhou*, W. and Isabelle, M. (2007). Comparison study of the effect of green tea extract (GTE) on the quality of bread by instrumental analysis and sensory evaluation, Food Research International, 40(4), 470-479 (2007).
  • Liu, Y., Bhandari, B. and Zhou*, W. (2007). Study of glass transition and enthalpy relaxation of mixtures of amorphous sucrose and amorphous tapioca starch syrup solid by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Journal of Food Engineering, 81(3), 599-610.
  • Mya, M.K., Zhou*, W., and Yeo, S.Y. (2007). Mass transfer in the osmotic dehydration of coated apple cubes by using maltodextrin as the coating material and their textural properties, Journal of Food Engineering, 81(3), 514-522.
  • Wong, S.Y., Zhou*, W., and Hua, J. (2007). Designing Process Controller for a Continuous Bread Baking Process Based on CFD Modeling, Journal of Food Engineering, 81(3), 523-534.
  • Selomulyo, V.O. and Zhou*, W. (2007). Frozen bread dough: Effects of freezing storage and dough improvers, Journal of Cereal Science, 45(1), 1-17.
  • Therdthai*, N., Zhou, W., and Jangchud, K. (2007). Modeling of the effect of relative humidity and temperature on proving rate of rice-flour based dough, Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft und -Technologie (LWT - Food Science and Technology), 40(6), 1036-1040.
  • Mya, M.K., Zhou*, W., and Perera, C.O. (2007). Impact of process conditions and coatings on the dehydration efficiency and cellular structure of apple tissue during osmotic dehydration, Journal of Food Engineering, 79(3), 817-827.
  • Wong, S.Y., Zhou*, W., and Hua, J. (2007). CFD Modeling of an industrial continuous bread baking process involving U-movement, Journal of Food Engineering, 78(3), 888-896.
  • Wong, S.Y., Zhou*, W., and Hua, J. (2006). Improving the efficiency of food processing ovens by CFD techniques, Food Manufacturing Efficiency, 1(1), 35-44.
  • Liu, Y., Bhandari, B. and Zhou*, W. (2006). Glass transition and enthalpy relaxation of amorphous food saccharides - a review, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(16), 5701-5717.
  • Wang, R., Zhou*, W. and Wen, R.H. (2006). Kinetic study of the thermal stability of tea catechins in aqueous system using a microwave reactor, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 54(16), 5924-5932.
  • Bai, X. and Zhou*, W. (2006). Study of the Bread Oven Rise by On-line Image Analysis, Asia-Pacific Journal of Chemical Engineering, (Special ChemBioSys Issue), 1(1/2), 104-109.
  • Wong, S.Y., Zhou*, W., and Hua, J. (2006). Robustness analysis of a CFD model to the uncertainties in its physical properties for a bread baking process, Journal of Food Engineering, 77(4), 784-791.
  • Wang, R., Zhou*, W., Yu, H., and Chow, W. (2006). Effects of Green Tea Extract on the Quality of Bread by Unfrozen and Frozen Dough Processes, Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 86(6), 857-864.
  • Mya, M.K., Zhou*, W., and Perera, C.O. (2006). A study of the mass transfer in osmotic dehydration of coated potato cubes, Journal of Food Engineering, 77(1), 84-95.
  • Mya, M.K., Zhou*, W., and Perera, C.O. (2005). Development in the combined treatment of coating and osmotic dehydration of food - a review, International Journal of Food Engineering, 1(1), Article 4.
  • Zhou*, W. and Goh, J. (2005). Investigation of the effect of different comminution methods on the quality of chilli powder, Developments in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing, 13(5/6), 709-718.
  • Zhou*, W., Dong, S., and Lee, P.L. (2005). Robustness analysis of exponential tracking with disturbance attenuation by output feedback (ETDAOF) with time-delay in control input, Chemical Engineering Communications, 192(10), 285-1299.
  • Zhou, W. (2005). Application of FDM and FEM to solving the simultaneous heat and moisture transfer inside bread during baking, International Journal of Computational Fluid Dynamics, 19(1), 73-77.
  • Therdthai, N., Zhou*, W. and Adamczak, T. (2004). Simulation of starch gelatinisation during baking in a travelling-tray oven by integrating a three-dimensional CFD model with a kinetic model, Journal of Food Engineering, 65(4), 543-550.
  • Wang, R. and Zhou*, W. (2004). Stability of tea catechins in the breadmaking process, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 52(26), 8224-8229.
  • Therdthai, N., Zhou*, W. and Adamczak, T. (2004). Three-dimensional CFD modelling and simulation of the temperature profiles and airflow patterns during a continuous industrial baking process, Journal of Food Engineering, 65(4), 599-608.
  • Therdthai, N., Zhou*, W., and Adamczak, T. (2004). The development of an anemometer for industrial bread baking, Journal of Food Engineering, 63(3), 329-334.
    • (Frost & Sullivan "Sensor Technology Alerts" report on the research findings in this paper:)
  • Therdthai, N. and Zhou*, W. (2003). Recent advances in the studies of bread baking processes and their impacts on the bread baking technology, Food Science and Technology Research, 9(3), 219-226 (invited contribution).
  • Therdthai, N., Zhou*, W. and Adamczak, T. (2003). Two dimensional CFD modelling and simulation of an industrial continuous bread baking oven, Journal of Food Engineering, 60(2), 211-217.
  • Bao*, J., Lee, P.L., Wang, F. and Zhou, W. (2003). Robust process control based on the passivity theorem, Developments in Chemical Engineering and Mineral Processing, 11(3/4), 287-308.
  • Zhou*, W., Dong, S., and Lee, P.L. (2002). Exponential Tracking with Disturbance Attenuation (ETDA) by Output Feedback, Computers & Chemical Engineering, 26(9), 1231-1239.
  • Therdthai, N., Zhou*, W., and Adamczak, T. (2002). Optimisation of the Temperature Profile in Bread Baking, Journal of Food Engineering, 55(1), 41-48.
  • Guo, Y., Zhou*, W., and Lee, P.L. (2002).H¥ Control for a Class of Structured Time-Delay Systems, Systems & Control Letters, 45(1), 35-47.
  • Therdthai, N., and Zhou*, W. (2002). Hybrid Neural Modelling of the Electrical Conductivity Property of Recombined Milk, International Journal of Food Properties, 5(1), 49-61.
    Patent
  • Zhou, W. and Jiang, X. Process for Producing High Quality Dehydrated Carrots, US Provisional Patent No. 61/029,690, March 2008.

    • Book Chapters
  • Zhou, W. Chapter 15. Baking Process: Mathematical Modeling and Analysis, in Mathematical Analysis of Food Processing, Ed.: M. Farid, CRC Press, New York, in press, 2008.
  • Zhou*, W. and Therdthai, N. Chapter 43. Artificial Neural Networks in Food Processing, in Mathematical Analysis of Food Processing, Ed.: M. Farid, CRC Press, New York, in press, 2008.
  • Liu, Y, Intipunya, P., Truong, T.T., Zhou, W., Bhandari*, B. Development of Novel Phase Transition Measurement Device for Solid Food and Non-Food Materials: Thermal Mechanical Compression Test (TMCT), in Water Properties in Food, Health, Pharmaceutical and Biological Systems: ISOPOW 10, Ed.: T. Sajjaanantakul and D. Reid, Wiley, New York, in press, 2008.
  • Zhou*, W. and Therdthai, N. Chapter 9. Heat and mass transfer during baking of sweet goods, in Food Engineering Aspects of Baking Sweet Goods, Ed.: S.G. Sumnu and S. Sahin, Taylor & Francis, New York, ISBN 978-1-4200-5274-9, pp.173-190, 2008.
  • Zhou*, W. and Therdthai, N. Chapter 11. Three-dimensional CFD modelling of a continuous industrial baking process, in Computational Fluid Dynamics in Food Processing, Ed.: D-W. Sun, CRC Press, New York, ISBN 978-0-849-39286-3, pp.287-312, 2007.
  • Zhou*, W. and Therdthai, N. Chapter 14. Manufacturing of Bread and Bakery Products, in Handbook of Food Products Manufacturing, Vol. 1, Ed.: Y. H. Hui, Wiley, New Jersey, ISBN 978-0-470-12524-3, pp.261-278, 2007.
  • Zhou*, W. and Therdthai, N. Chapter 17. Bread Manufacture, in Bakery Products Science and Technology, Ed.: Y. H. Hui, Blackwell, Oxford, ISBN 0-8138-0187-7, pp.301-317, 2006.