Horst Complex

dr. T. Zhu (Tingting)

Assistant Professor
ET-TFE-TE
Horst Complex N215
t.zhu@utwente.nl
+31534898823
Business card

Dr. Zhu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Thermal and Fluid Engineering at the University of Twente. Her research develops advanced heating and cooling technologies, focusing on sustainable heat pump and refrigeration systems. Her work spans refrigerant thermodynamics, component and system optimization, and their applications in district heating networks, industrial high-temperature processes, hybrid renewable energy systems, and the thermal management of electronic devices and batteries.

She was a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow (H.C. Ørsted COFUND) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), where she advanced zeotropic refrigerant–based heat pump systems and led the development of a multifunctional heat pump testing platform. She have a strong academic background in Heat Transfer, Thermodynamics, and Thermal Engineering, which forms the basis of her research on efficient and low-carbon thermal energy systems.

Sustainable Heat Pump and Refrigeration Technologies (SuperHP)

                                        

Expertise

  • Engineering

    • Heat Transfer
    • Heat Pump
    • District Heating System
    • Refrigeration

  • Physics

    • Heating
    • Cooling
    • Thermodynamic Efficiency
    • Hydrocarbon

Organisations

Dr. Zhu’s research advances next-generation heat pump technologies for sustainable and efficient heating and cooling. Her work focuses on the thermodynamics and performance of natural refrigerant–based zeotropic mixtures, aiming to accelerate their application from fundamental understanding to practical implementation. She also explores the integration of heat pumps with renewable and low-carbon energy systems, and studies heat transfer and frost formation to enhance efficiency, reliability, and system performance.

  • Advanced Heat Pump Technologies: Exploring the thermodynamics and performance of sustainable refrigerants, particularly zeotropic mixtures, to enhance the efficiency and applicability of next-generation heat pump systems.
  • Integrated Heat Pump Systems: Advancing the integration of heat pumps with renewable energy sources into flexible, low-carbon energy networks, including district heating, data center cooling, industrial processes, and waste heat recovery applications.
  • Heat Transfer and Frost Formation: Understanding and mitigating frost formation on evaporator surfaces to improve system efficiency and reliability.
  • Thermal Functional Materials for Heat Transfer: Developing advanced materials, components, and designs to enhance the performance of thermal components, energy conversion processes, and systems.

Publications

Jump to: 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022

2026

Hydrogen solubility in aqueous solutions: A thermodynamic modeling approach using electrolyte equation of state (2026)International journal of hydrogen energy, 217. Article 153964. Sun, L., Zhu, T. & Liang, J.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2026.153964

2025

Zeotropic Mixture Refrigerants for Next-Generation Sustainable Heat Pump Systems (2025)[Contribution to conference › Poster] 2nd UT Climate Event 2025. Zhu, T.Optimization research to minimize fuel consumption/ NOx emission of a two-stroke low speed marine diesel engine (2025)International Journal of Engine Research, 26(11), 1726-1741. Shen, Z., Pan, Y., Zhou, H., Zhang, D. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1177/14680874251331307Micro-CT investigation of urea crystal structures for frost analysis (2025)International journal of thermal sciences, 214. Article 109893. Labuschagne, A., Zhu, T. & Rohlfs, W.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2025.109893A comprehensive review of key technologies for the development of oil-free single screw compressors (2025)Applied thermal engineering, 269(Part A). Article 126003. Ma, X., Du, Y., Li, B., Wu, Y., Zhang, C. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.126003Materials and flow fields of bipolar plates in polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis: A review (2025)Energy Reviews, 4(2). Article 100132. Wang, Y., Wang, Z., Qiao, J., Li, H., Wang, X., Cao, B., Zhu, T., Zhang, B. & Wang, M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enrev.2025.100132Heat transfer characteristics of flat-plate micro heat pipes with integrated copper foam for aerospace thermal management (2025)Applied thermal engineering, 263. Article 125319. Wang, G., Chen, Y., Yu, W., Hu, T., Su, H. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.125319Parametric Study and Optimization of a New Type of Solar Air Collector Employing Flat Micro Heat Pipe Arrays (2025)Journal of thermal science and engineering applications, 17(3). Article 031009. Wang, X., Diao, Y., Wang, Z., Pan, Y., Zhao, Y., Li, Y., Wang, T. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4067633Design and Validation of a Micro-Wind Tunnel for In-Situ Frost Formation Imaging in a Micro-CT Scanner (2025)In THMT-25 Turbulence, Heat and Mass Transfer 11, 21-25 July 2025, Tokyo, Japan (Proceedings of the International Symposium on Turbulence, Heat and Mass Transfer). Begell House Inc.. Labuschagne, A., Zhu, T. & Rohlfs, W.https://doi.org/10.1615/THMT-25.500

2024

Advancing gasoline vapor recovery in oil depots: Integrating cooling and adsorption technologies (2024)Energy, 313. Article 133823. Liang, J., Sun, L., Cheng, C., Wang, K., Zhu, T. & Li, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.133823Booster heat pump with drop-in zeotropic mixtures applied in ultra-low temperature district heating system (2024)Energy, 305. Article 132292. Zhu, T., Vieren, E., Liang, J., Thorsen, J. E., De Paepe, M., Lecompte, S. & Elmegaard, B.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2024.132292A comprehensive review of compression high-temperature heat pump steam system: Status and trend (2024)International journal of refrigeration, 164, 218-242. Ma, X., Du, Y., Zhao, T., Zhu, T., Lei, B. & Wu, Y.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrefrig.2024.04.024Allocation optimization of two-stage compression-absorption heat exchanger (2024)International journal of heat and fluid flow, 107. Article 109396. Hua, J., Wang, J. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2024.109396Numerical analysis on thermal behavior of cascaded thermal storage units using multichannel flat tubes (2024)Journal of Energy Storage, 92. Article 112142. Pan, Y., Diao, Y., Liu, Y., Chen, C., Wang, X., Sun, C., Zhao, Y., Wang, T. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2024.112142Performance investigation of a novel flat-plate solar air collector with L-shaped dual micro heat pipe arrays (2024)Applied thermal engineering, 243. Article 122566. Wang, X., Diao, Y., Wang, Z., Zhao, Y., Pan, Y., Zhang, D. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2024.122566Performance of boilers equipped with vapor-pump (BEVP) system equipped with a novel air-flue gas total heat exchanger (2024)International journal of heat and fluid flow, 106. Article 109316. Hua, J., Wang, J. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatfluidflow.2024.109316Performance evaluation of air-source heat pump based on a pressure drop embedded model (2024)Heliyon, 10(4). Article e24634. Koopman, T., Zhu, T. & Rohlfs, W.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24634An experimental investigation on the heat transfer characteristics of cascaded thermal storage units based on multichannel flat tubes (2024)Journal of Energy Storage, 78. Article 110012. Pan, Y., Diao, Y., Liu, Y., Chen, C., Zhao, Y., Wang, X., Zhang, D. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.110012

2023

Integration of booster heat pumps in ultra-low temperature district heating network: Prototype demonstration and refrigerant charge investigation (2023)Energy and buildings, 298. Article 113516. Zhu, T., Du, Y., Liang, J., Rohlfs, W., Eric Thorsen, J. & Elmegaard, B.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2023.113516A Numerical Study of Vapor–Liquid Equilibrium in Binary Refrigerant Mixtures Based on 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoroprop-1-ene (2023)Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(19). Article 14482. Sun, L., Liang, J. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914482Thermal performance of cold thermal energy storage system with fin and fin–foam structures (2023)Applied thermal engineering, 228, 1-11. Article 120459. Chen, C., Diao, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, Z., Han, Y., Wang, Z., Liu, Y., Fang, D. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2023.120459A heat pump system for simultaneous comfort floor cooling and domestic hot water (2023)In 14th IEA Heat Pump Conference 2023. Zhu, T., Liang, J., Thorsen, J. E., Gudmundsson, O., Rohlfs, W. & Elmegaard, B.Characteristic analysis and energy efficiency of an oil-free dual-piston linear compressor for household refrigeration with various conditions (2023)Energy, 270. Article 126931. Li , C., Sun, J., Zou, H., Cai, J. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2023.126931Experimental investigation of preheating performance of lithium-ion battery modules in electric vehicles enhanced by bending flat micro heat pipe array (2023)Applied energy, 337. Article 120896. Liang, L., Zhao, Y., Diao, Y., Ren, R., Zhu, T. & Li, Y.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2023.120896Experimental Analysis of the Discharge Valve Movement of the Oil-Free Linear Compressor in the Refrigeration System (2023)Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(7). Article 5853. Li, C., Sun, J., Zou, H., Cai, J. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.3390/su15075853Melting performance of a cold energy storage device filled with metal foam–composite phase-change materials (2023)Journal of Energy Storage, 60. Article 106567. Chen, C., Diao, Y., Zhao, Y., Wang, Z., Liu, Y., Han, Y., Zhu, T., Fang, D. & Li, J.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2022.106567Development of a Zero-Dimensional Model for a Low-Speed Two-Stroke Marine Diesel Engine with Exhaust Gas Bypass and Performance Evaluation (2023)Processes, 11(3). Article 936. Zhang, D., Shen, Z., Xu, N., Zhu, T., Chang, L. & Song, H.https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030936Performance prediction of a fin–metal foam–cold thermal energy storage device: Solidification (2023)International journal of heat and mass transfer, 202. Article 123672. Chen, C., Diao, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhu, T., Wang, Z., Han, Y. & Liu, Y.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.123672Thermodynamic Performance Comparisons of Ideal Brayton Cycles Integrated with High Temperature Fuel Cells as Power Sources on Aircraft (2023)Sustainability and climate change, 15(3). Article 2805. Ji, Z., Guo, F., Zhu, T., Cheng, K., Zhang, S., Qin, J. & Dong, P.https://doi.org/10.3390/su15032805Method feasibility of micro-ct investigation into frost formation (2023)In Proceedings of the 17th International Heat Transfer Conference, IHTC-17. Labuschagne, A., Zhu, T., van der Bijl, H. & Rohlfs, W.

2022

Systematic review of solar air collector technologies: Performance evaluation, structure design and application analysis (2022)Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, 54. Article 102885. Zhang, J. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2022.102885Performance of an air-cooled photovoltaic/thermal system using micro heat pipe array (2022)Applied thermal engineering, 217. Article 119184. Wang, G., Yang, Y., Yu, W., Wang, T. & Zhu, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119184Optimal design of a cathode flow field with a new arrangement of baffle plates for a high clean power generation of a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (2022)Journal of cleaner production, 375. Article 134187. Wang, Y., Guan, C., Zhang, P., Zhu, T., Wang, S., Zhu, Y. & Wang, X.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.134187A thermal network model for hydrocarbon heat pump systems: A coupling analysis of configuration, working condition, and refrigeration distribution (2022)Energy conversion and management, 267. Article 115908. Liang, J., Zhu, T., Sun, L., Wang, H. & Li, T.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2022.115908

Research profiles

Somelinks:
4TU Event:Energy Transition in Building | Hackathon & Workshop (2025.9.3-9.4)
Report on a two-day hackathon and workshop on Energy Transition in Buildings

Address

University of Twente

Horst Complex (building no. 20), room N215
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands

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