Tribology & Device Design Lab
Research Field
Professional Profile
Distinguished Professor with over two decades of expertise in mechanical engineering, specializing in tribology, surface engineering, and material science. Currently serving as a Project Consultant for the Metal Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) and formerly as the Deputy Dean of R&D at NTOU, I have established a robust track record in bridging fundamental research with industrial applications. My recent research pivot focuses on addressing critical challenges in Offshore Wind Power and Energy Storage Systems, leveraging advanced coating technologies and tribological analysis to enhance the durability and efficiency of renewable energy infrastructure.
Research Focus: Renewable Energy & Advanced Materials
- Offshore Wind Power Technology: Leveraging extensive experience in corrosion-resistant coatings and tribology to solve maintenance challenges in harsh marine environments.
- Corrosion Protection: Development of high-performance coatings, such as Inconel 625 and composite bilayers, to protect wind turbine components from saltwater corrosion and biofouling.
- Component Durability: Application of "reciprocating friction and wear test apparatus" (Patented) to simulate and analyze the wear mechanisms of wind turbine bearings and gears under variable loads.
- Strategic Development: As a consultant for MIRDC, contributing to the localization and optimization of supply chains for Taiwan’s offshore wind sector.
- Energy Storage Systems (ESS): Focusing on the materials and mechanical reliability of next-generation storage solutions, specifically Redox Flow Batteries.
- Non-Invasive Monitoring: Development of optical sensing technologies for real-time State of Charge (SoC) tracking in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFB), ensuring optimal performance and longevity.
- Hybrid Systems: Integration of flow battery storage with hybrid wind-solar power generation systems to stabilize grid output and enhance renewable energy utilization.
Professional Experience
- Project Consultant, Metal Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) (2024–Present).
- Deputy Dean, Office of Research and Development, NTOU (2022–2024).
- Professor, Dept. of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, NTOU (2015–Present).
- Visiting Scholar, National Institute for Materials Science, Japan (2012).
Key Skills & Patents
- Patented Testing Technology: Inventor of specialized tribological testing apparatuses (Patent US 12,467,840 B2) crucial for validating materials used in linear-contact applications.
- Advanced Coatings: Expertise in diamond-incorporated copper coating processes (Patent US 11,242,611 B2).
Laboratory Overview
Starting from the specific conditions of material applications, our laboratory integrates mechanism design and surface modification technologies. We employ innovative and inter-disciplinary approaches to seek solutions for complex engineering challenges.
Research Areas
Current Research
Our active research focuses on the following cutting-edge fields:
- Offshore Wind Energy: Design and simulation of offshore wind turbines.
- Green Hydrogen: Hydrogen production via water electrolysis.
- Advanced Manufacturing: Development of novel cold/thermal spray technologies.
- Biomedical Engineering: Additive manufacturing of metallic cardiovascular implants.
Past Research Projects
We have a proven track record in diverse engineering domains, including:
- Precision Tooling: Composite diamond electroplating for cutting tools used on hard and brittle materials.
- Biocompatibility: Enhancing the blood compatibility of titanium implants.
- Manufacturing Processes: Precision metal stamping and Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM).
- Materials Processing: Material calcination techniques.
- Tribology: Characteristics of nano-diamond additives in lubricating oils.
- Medical Devices: Surface modification of artificial cartilage and the design/fabrication of novel mechanical heart valves.
- Marine Energy: Design of mooring and deployment mechanisms for Kuroshio current power generation systems.
Laboratory Equipment
In addition to specialized equipment such as wear testers, metal additive manufacturing systems, high-temperature vacuum furnaces, rotary electroplating systems, and cold spray equipment. Our lab frequently utilizes high-end core facilities managed by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
Energy Testbeds & Partnerships
We have established a micro wind-solar-storage hybrid energy test site. A small-scale site is under constructing. Our research is further strengthened by strategic collaborations with:
- The Metal Industries Research & Development Center (MIRDC): Focused on integrated marine energy projects.
- The National Atomic Research Institute (NARI): Conducting professional research on behind-the-meter (BTM) renewable energy technologies.
Advancing Sustainable Engineering: Research Internship Opportunities in Renewable Energy and Advanced Manufacturing
We invite passionate students to join our innovative internship program at National Taiwan Ocean University (NTOU). We are specifically seeking candidates eager to contribute to the following research frontiers:
1. Wind Turbine Simulation and Design
- Aerodynamic Behavior, Structural Mechanics, and Fatigue Assessment: Evaluation of the interaction between airflow and turbine blades, alongside the analysis of mechanical integrity and long-term material degradation under cyclic loading.
- Application of Machine Learning in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Modeling and Short-term Wind Turbine Performance Prediction: Leveraging AI-driven algorithms to enhance fluid flow simulations and provide high-accuracy, real-time forecasting for power output.
2. Protective Coatings for Marine and Aerospace Applications
- Development and Evaluation of Durable Coatings via Cold Spray Technology for Extreme Environmental Conditions: Engineering high-performance surface layers capable of resisting corrosion, erosion, and thermal stress using kinetic energy-based deposition.
- Development and Application of Multi-axis Automated Cold Spray Equipment: Designing advanced automatic systems to ensure precision and uniformity in the application of protective metallic or composite coatings.
3. Water Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production
- Structural Development of Porous Metal Electrode Materials: Designing high-surface-area metallic frameworks to optimize mass transport and catalytic activity during the electrolysis process.
- Investigation and Application of Ultrasound-Assisted Principles: Exploring the use of acoustic cavitation to reduce overpotential, mitigate bubble accumulation, and enhance the overall efficiency of hydrogen evolution reactions.
- Excellent Paper Award, The 11th National Conference on Wind Engineering.
- Full Member, Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Honor Society.
- Distinguished Paper Award (Grand Prize), The 15th Symposium on Fracture Science.
- 3rd Place, Tribology Practical Technology Competition, The 8th Taiwan Symposium on Tribology. (Project No. MOST 110-2221-E-019-070)
- Best Poster Award, 2022 International Conference on Engineering Tribology and Applied Technology (ICETAT 2022), Nov. 4–6. (Project No. MOST 111-2813-C-019-001-E)
- Distinguished Service Award, The 12th Taiwan Association for Coating and Thin Film Technology (TACT).
- Gold Medal Award, Invention Competition, 2022 Taiwan Innotech Expo.
(Only data spanning the last five years are presented above.)
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan (1998).
Job Description
Terms of Internship
- Duration: 2 to 3 months.
- Commencement: The internship must begin no later than October.
Preferred Intern Educational Level
The internship positions are open to senior undergraduate, Master's, or Doctoral students possessing a strong academic foundation in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Metallic Materials Science.
Skill sets or Qualities
Ideal candidates will demonstrate proficiency in at least two of the following technical domains:
- Machine Learning (ML)
- Electrochemical Analysis
- Machine Tool Process Control
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)