Runyu Yang

Associate Professor Runyu Yang is a faculty member at the School of Materials Science & Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he has served since 2003. His academic progression at UNSW includes positions as ARC-CSIRO Postdoctoral Fellow (2003-2006), Lecturer (2006-2008), Senior Lecturer (2008-2011), and Associate Professor (2012-present). His research focuses on particle/powder science and technology, with particular expertise in numerical modeling of particulate systems.

Dr. Yang's research interests center on discrete element method (DEM) modeling, granular flow dynamics, particle packing, and multi-phase flow systems. His work has significantly advanced understanding in powder dispersion mechanisms, particularly in pharmaceutical applications such as dry powder inhalers. He has developed improved DEM models by incorporating rolling friction and van der Waals forces, and demonstrated that the loosest state of mechanically stable random packings does not exist—a finding published in Physical Review Letters. His research spans both fundamental particle science and practical applications in pharmaceuticals, mineral processing, and energy systems.

Analysis of Dr. Yang's recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a strong focus on computational modeling of particulate systems across diverse applications. His work demonstrates a clear trajectory toward increasingly sophisticated multi-physics approaches, combining DEM with CFD, VOF, and GPU acceleration techniques. The research spans pharmaceutical aerosols (particularly dry powder inhalers), mineral processing (HPGR and SAG mills), metallurgical applications (blast furnace slag), and fundamental particle science. This interdisciplinary approach connects fundamental particle physics with practical engineering applications across multiple industries.

Dr. Yang has published over 60 high-quality, peer-reviewed journal and conference papers in prestigious journals including Physical Review Letters/E, Journal of Applied Physics, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, and AIChE Journal. His work has been cited over 460 times with an h-index of 12, reflecting significant impact in his field.

Dr. Yang has attracted more than $1 million in research funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), CSIRO, and industry partners. He is currently supervising 1 postdoctoral fellow and 6 postgraduate students. His teaching contributions include courses on Material Balance and Heat Transfer, Heat, Fluid and Mass Flow, Modelling in Material Engineering, and Pollution Control in Materials Processing.