XiaoYu Wu (He/Him)

Professor XiaoYu Wu’s research group, Greener Production Group, combines expertise in solid oxide ceramics, system optimization, process integration, and techno-economics to study sustainable technologies for energy conversion and chemical production (e.g., solid oxide fuel cells, hydrogen/ammonia economics, energy storage, CO2 capture and utilization, biomass and hydrocarbon valorization). Both experimental and numerical methods are applied to obtain a fundamental understanding of the energy, economic and environmental impacts. We are interested in processes that require multiple energy inputs and can be utilized to decarbonize multiple sectors. Process modelling, energy system optimization, techno-economic analysis and life-cycle assessments are some of the tools that we use to evaluate the impacts of these processes. While the goal is not to develop new technologies, Greener Production Group aims to provide critical information to the public for decision making.

Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, Dr. Wu was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he also obtained his Ph.D. degree. Dr. Wu was an Associate Director (Environmental Pillar) in Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) in 2023-2025. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Association for Green Energy and the Chair for the Advanced Energy Systems Technical Committee in the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME).

• Hydrogen production

• Ammonia economy

• Energy storage

• Techno-economic assessment

• Sustainability

• Oxygen transport membrane reactor

• Thermochemical redox kinetics

• CO2 capture and utilization

• Solid oxide electrochemical cells

• 2017, Doctorate Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

• 2012, Master of Science Thermal & Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, China

• 2009, Bachelor of Science (BS) Energy & Environment System Engineering, Chu Ko-Chen Honors College & Zhejiang University, China

• 2025 Outstanding Performance Award, Faculty of Engineering, University of Waterloo

• 2023 Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology Research Leaders Award

• 2023 Top Downloaded Paper in Advanced Functional Materials

• 2023-2025 Associate Director (Environmental Pillar), Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA)

• ME 250 - Thermodynamics 1
  • Taught in 2023, 2024
• ME 353 - Heat Transfer 1
  • Taught in 2021, 2022
• ME 651 - Heat Conduction
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024
• MTE 309 - Introduction to Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer
  • Taught in 2022, 2023
• SYDE 381 - Thermodynamics
  • Taught in 2023

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• A. Shibu Nair, X.Y. Wu, P.K. Das, M. Fowler, “A review of nail penetration and thermal abuse tests of lithium-ion batteries and their emission characterization,” Batteries 12(2) 2026 74

• A.M. Cetin, X.Y. Wu, “Optimizing the operation of fuel cell vehicle-to-grid systems using supervised learning,” Frontiers in Energy Research 14 2026 1713377

• Z. Ye, W. Ye, J. Wen, X.Y. Wu, “Planning renewable hydrogen infrastructure for airports,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 210 2026 153609

• G. Parra-Panchi, H. Nasrollahzadeh, X.Y. Wu, M. Fowler, Y. Rangom, “Thermal system simulation of heating strategies for 21700 lithium-ion battery modules under cold-start conditions,” Batteries, 11(11) 2025 425

• C. Cunanan, M. Jain, A.D. Nimubona, X.Y. Wu, “Cost benefit analysis of grid-based electrolytic ammonia production across Canadian provinces,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 99 2025 793-807

• S. Skribbe, M. Liu, S. Patel, M.J. Rix, F. Bensebaa, L. Mak, X.Y. Wu, “The levelized cost of carbon abatement (LCCA) in substituting conventional ammonia production with power-to-ammonia for fertilizer, hydrogen and export,” Applied Energy, 373 2024 123859

• D. Ding, X.Y. Wu, “Hydrogen fuel cell electric trains: technologies, current status, and future,” Applications in Energy and Combustion Science, 7 2024 100255

• M.A. Giovanniello, X.Y. Wu, “Hybrid lithium-ion battery and hydrogen energy storage systems for a wind-supplied microgrid,” Applied Energy, 345 2023 121311

• M. Jain, R. Muthalathu, X.Y. Wu, “Electrified ammonia production as a commodity and energy storage medium to connect the food, energy, and trade sectors,” iScience, 25 (8) 2022 104724

• G. Chen, A. Feldhoff, A. Weidenkaff. C. Li, S. Liu, X. Zhu, J. Sunarso, K. Huang, X.Y. Wu, A. F. Ghoniem, W. Yang, J. Xue, H. Wang, Z. Shao, J.H. Duffy, K.S. Brinkman, X. Tan, Y. Zhang, H. Jiang, R. Costa, K. A. Friedrich, R. Kriegel, “Roadmap on Sustainable Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conducting Membranes,” Advanced Functional Materials, 32 (6) 2022 2105702

• Research team uses idle trucks to power the grid
• Using ammonia to push hydrogen as an alternative fuel
• Engineering researchers awarded almost $1.5 million
• Transitioning to a net-zero economy
• Lessons learned: undergraduate student contributes to green energy research
• Researchers awarded $874,000 for tools, equipment