Professor Will Zimmerman

BScEng, MSc, PhD, CEng FIChemE

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Professor of Biochemical Dynamical Systems

Professor William Zimmerman
Profile picture of Professor William Zimmerman
w.zimmerman@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7517

Full contact details

Professor Will Zimmerman
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Kroto LG16
North Campus
Broad Lane
Sheffield
S3 7HQ
Profile

I'm a graduate of Princeton and Stanford Universities in Chemical Engineering and the author of over 200 scientific publications. Previously I was Director of the MSc in Environmental and Energy Engineering, and a winner in US and UK national competitions of five prestigious fellowships (2005-6 Royal Academy of Engineering Senior Research Fellow, 2000-5 EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow; 1994-99 Royal Academy of Engineering, Zeneca Young Academic Fellow; 1991-93 visiting professorships appointed by the French Ministry of Education at the Littoral University in Dunkirk in 1998 and 2005.

I was interviewed on my algal biofuels work on BBC Radio 4 “Material World with Quentin Cooper”. My Royal Academy of Engineering SRF, entitled “Systems Biology and Chemical Engineering” has laid down a protocol for optimal experimentation for bioreactor model-building via inverse methods. I directed Microfluidics 2003, a workshop at CISM in Udine from which he edited a book on microfluidics, and is the author of two bestselling texts on multiphysics modelling.

Research interests

Having several patent families that exploit energy efficient microbubbles generated by fluidic oscillation, my team explores and innovates with new technology / capability where the role of microbubbles can be crucial to intensification, acceleration, or mechanistic change to bio/chemical processing -- typically in symbiotic engineering or novel simultaneous reactive (fermentative) separations.

Key research interests:

  • Energy efficient generation of microbubbles and their applications (particularly biofuels and bioreactors)
  • Plasma microreactors, especially low power consumption generation of ozone
  • Fluid dynamics of helical turbulence and mixing
  • Thin film dynamics and microrheometry
  • Computational modelling with inverse methods (digital twinning)

Perlemax Ltd.
Perlemax Ltd, University spinout company, was founded to exploit his research and technological advances. Perlemax and Zimmerman have won the below awards/recognition:

Publications

Books

  • Zimmerman WBJ (2006) Microfluidics: Theory, History and Applications. Springer Verlag. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WBJ (2006) Multiphysics modelling with finite element methods. World Scientific Pub Co Inc. RIS download Bibtex download
  • ZIMMERMAN WBJ (2006) INTRODUCTION TO COMSOL MULTIPHYSICS. WORLD SCIENTIFIC. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WBJ (2004) Process modelling and simulation with finite element methods. World Scientific Pub Co Inc. RIS download Bibtex download

Journal articles

Book chapters

Conference proceedings

  • Siswanto AP, Kuvshinov D, Pandhal J & Zimmerman W (2018) Plasma Reactor Characterization of Lignocellulosic Materials on Agricultural Waste Treatment. Advanced Science Letters, Vol. 24(12) (pp 9502-9504) RIS download Bibtex download
  • SISWANTO A, KUVSHINOV D, DESAI P & ZIMMERMAN W (2016) Energy Efficient Microbubble Generation Mediated by Oscillatory Flow for Water Treatment. Fourth International Conference on Advances in Bio-Informatics, Bio-Technology and Environmental Engineering - ABBE 2016 (pp 64-67) RIS download Bibtex download
  • SISWANTO A, KUVSHINOV D, PANDHAL J & ZIMMERMAN W (2016) Application of the Microbubble Enhanced Ozonolysis Technology in Biomass Utilisation. Fourth International Conference on Advances in Bio-Informatics, Bio-Technology and Environmental Engineering - ABBE 2016 (pp 11-14) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Kuvshinova EE, Kuvshinov DG, Rees JM & Zimmerman WB (2015) Stagnation Flow Extensional Viscosity Measurement Using Inverse Methods. USES 2015 - The University of Sheffield Engineering Symposium. The Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield, 24 June 2015 - 24 June 2015. View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Ng WC, Brittle S, Howell R & Zimmerman WB (2014) Computational Model for Microbubble Enhanced Performance of Airlift Bioreactor (ALB). The University of Sheffield Engineering Symposium Conference Proceedings Vol. 1, Vol. 1. The Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Al-Yaqoobi A & Zimmerman WB (2014) Microbubble Distillation Studies of a Binary Mixture . The University of Sheffield Engineering Symposium Conference Proceedings Vol. 1, Vol. 1. The Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Brittle S, Samuel A & Zimmerman WB (2014) Atmospheric Moisture Content Effects on Ionic Liquid Wettability of Alumina . The University of Sheffield Engineering Symposium Conference Proceedings Vol. 1, Vol. 1. The Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Siswanto A, Kuvshinov D & Zimmerman WB (2014) Investigation of Bubble Size Distributions in Oscillatory Flow at Various Flow Rates. The University of Sheffield Engineering Symposium Conference Proceedings Vol. 1, Vol. 1. The Octagon Centre, University of Sheffield View this article in WRRO RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jeanmeure LFC, Dyakowski T, Zimmerman WBJ & Baker G (2014) Use of raw capacitance tomography data for flow pattern control. 2nd World Congress on Industrial Process Tomography (pp 12-19) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hanotu JO & Zimmerman WBJ (2013) Microflotation for microorganism harvest. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 246 RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bandalusena HCH, Zimmerman WB & Rees JM (2009) Microfluidic rheometry of a polymer solution by micron resolution particle image velocimetry: a model validation study. MEASUREMENT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Vol. 20(11) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bernatik A, Zimmerman W & Senovsky M (2008) Consequence modelling of accidents in hazardous substances transportation. 9th International Conference on Probabilistic Safety Assessment and Management 2008 Psam 2008, Vol. 4 (pp 2662-2669) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Bandulasena HCH, Zimmerman WB & Rees JM (2008) An inverse methodology for the rheology of a power-law non-Newtonian fluid. PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS PART C-JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, Vol. 222(5) (pp 761-768) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB & Hewakandamby BN (2006) On the mixing properties of spherically symmetric helical coherent structures in turbulence. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, Vol. 61(9) (pp 2826-2834) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hassell DG & Zimmerman WB (2006) Investigation of the convective motion through a staggered herringbone micromixer at low Reynolds number flow. CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, Vol. 61(9) (pp 2977-2985) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WBJ & Allen RWK (2006) Challenges for Hydrogen Generation Using Fourth Generation Nuclear Reactors. Proceedings of the International Symposium on Turbulence, Heat and Mass Transfer (pp 85-98), 25 September 2006 - 29 September 2006. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Grammatika M & Zimmerman WB (2001) Microhydrodynamics of flotation processes in the sea surface layer. DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS, Vol. 34(2-4) (pp 327-348) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Hewakandamby BN & Zimmerman WB (2001) Characterisation of hydraulic jumps/falls with surface tension variations in thin film flows. DYNAMICS OF ATMOSPHERES AND OCEANS, Vol. 34(2-4) (pp 349-364) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB (1999) The modelling of imperfect mixing in buffer tanks. FLUID MIXING 6(146) (pp 127-134) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Grammatika M & Zimmerman WB (1999) Neural network modeling of surface aeration in mechanically agitated bioreactors.. FLUID MIXING 6(146) (pp 227-233) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB, Mchedlov-Petrossyan P & Khomenko GA (1999) Diffusion limited mixing and reaction in heterogeneous catalysis of initially segregated species. FLUID MIXING 6(146) (pp 317-324) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jeanmeure LFC, Zimmerman WBJ, Dyakowski T, Jaworski AJ & Davies GA (1999) An algorithm based on perturbation theory for electrical capacitance tomography. 1st World Congress on Industrial Process Tomography (pp 184-188) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jeanmeure LFC & Zimmerman WBJ (1998) A CNN video based control system for a coal froth flotation.. CNNA 98 - 1998 FIFTH IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS - PROCEEDINGS (pp 192-197) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WBJ & Jeanmeure LFC (1996) Simple model of equilibrium froth height for foams: An application for CNN image analysis. 1996 FOURTH IEEE INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON CELLULAR NEURAL NETWORKS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS, PROCEEDINGS (CNNA-96) (pp 237-241) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Haarlemmer GW & Zimmerman WB (1996) Enhancement of mixing by internal solitary waves in stratified flows.. FLUID MIXING 5(140) (pp 225-235) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB (1996) Fluctuations in passive tracer concentration due to mixing by coherent structures in anisotropic homogeneous, helical turbulence.. FLUID MIXING 5(140) (pp 213-223) RIS download Bibtex download
  • ZIMMERMAN WB & CHATWIN PC (1995) STATISTICAL FLUCTUATIONS DUE TO MICROSCALE MIXING IN A DIFFUSION LAYER. ENVIRONMETRICS, Vol. 6(6) (pp 665-675) RIS download Bibtex download
  • ZIMMERMAN WB (1994) A WEAKLY NONLINEAR INSTABILITY OF MISCIBLE DISPLACEMENTS IN A RECTILINEAR POROUS-MEDIA FLOW. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIFURCATION AND CHAOS, Vol. 4(5) (pp 1319-1328) RIS download Bibtex download
  • ZIMMERMAN WB & VELARDE MG (1994) NONLINEAR-WAVES IN STABLY STRATIFIED DISSIPATIVE MEDIA - SOLITARY WAVES AND TURBULENT BURSTS. PHYSICA SCRIPTA, Vol. 55 (pp 111-114) RIS download Bibtex download

Patents

  • Zimmerman W & Desai PD (2020) Fluidic oscilator. WO2020208250 Appl. 11 Oct 2020. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB & Steele JE (2016) Apparatus and method for the treatment of a substrate with ozone microbubbles. WO2016/203252 (PCT). Appl. 22 Dec 2016. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB (2014) MASS TRANSFER PROCESSES WITH LIMITED SENSIBLE HEAT EXCHANGE. WO/2014/079993 (PCT). Appl. 30 May 2014. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB (2014) BUBBLE GENERATION TO STRIP COMPONENTS OF A LIQUID. WO/2014/060740 (PCT). Appl. 24 Apr 2014. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB & Rees JM (2013) RHEOMETER AND RHEOMETRIC METHOD. WO/2013/164587 (PCT). Appl. 07 Nov 2013. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB & Lozano Parada JH (2010) PLASMA MICROREACTOR APPARATUS, STERILISATION UNIT AND ANALYSER. WO/2010/079351 (United States of America). Appl. 15 Jul 2010. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zimmerman WB & Tesar V (2008) BUBBLE GENERATION FOR AERATION AND OTHER PURPOSES. WO/2008/053174 (Europe). Appl. 08 May 2008. RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Professional activities and memberships
  • 2009 IChemE Moulton Medal
  • 2010 Royal Society Innovation Award (Brian Mercer Fund) (Video)
  • 2010 CleanTech Open, AXA UK Global Ideas Champion
  • 2010 CleanTech Open, International Finalist, Global Ideas
  • 2011 Zayed International Future Energy Prize, Semifinalist

Feature article in The Times of London heralded the solution (microbubbles did it!) to the age old Mpemba effect. Subsequently published four journal articles and gave a keynote address at the 15th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics on the topic of microbubble enhanced het transfer: Cracked, the cold case of why boiling water freezes faster