Xili Duan

Dr. Xili Duan is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He holds a PhD from the University of Manitoba and has industry experience at Siemens Energy and MIT. His research focuses on energy systems, thermo-fluids, and phase change phenomena with applications in thermal energy storage, drag reduction, and harsh environment materials. He has been awarded the CSME Fellowship (2022) and Terra Nova Young Innovator Award (2019).

Education: B.Eng. (Thermal Energy Engineering), M.Sc. (Chemical Process Machinery) from China University of Petroleum; PhD (Mechanical Engineering) from University of Manitoba.

Research interests include superhydrophobic surfaces, multiphase flow, and energy conversion. Current projects involve wind-to-heat systems, marine vessel drag reduction, and thermal management of high-temperature pipelines. Collaborators include MIT, Ocean Graduate Excellence Network, and Natural Resources Canada.

Awards include CSME Fellowship, Terra Nova Innovator Award, and recognition in Stanford’s Top 2% Scientists List. Supervised over 20 graduate and undergraduate students, with recent alumni in industry roles at Hatch, MDA, and Dillon Consulting.

Led projects funded by NSERC, Mitacs, and RDC. Lab focuses on interfacial thermofluids and energy, with expertise in experimental and numerical modeling of heat transfer and fluid dynamics.