Abstract:

We are developing green technologies to benefit sustainable environment, which will enable people and the environment to prosper together. The Center for Filtration Research (CFR) at the University of Minnesota, collaborating with 20 leading international filtration manufacturers and end users, was established to develop green technologies to mitigate PM_2.5 and other environmental pollutants. CFR investigators perform fundamental and applied research on air, gas and liquid filtration.  The current research projects include indoor air cleaning and Covid prevention, sensors development and evaluation, nanofiber production and modeling, among others. Large scale air cleaning towers are established in Xi’an and Yancheng in China, and two additional towers in Delhi, India. They are developed to mitigate PM_2.5 pollutants in urban air.  The second-generation tower in Yancheng is developed to reduce not only the PM_2.5 but also CO₂ in the atmosphere.  All these research and development activities are helping to improve sustainable environment.

 Bio:

David Y. H. Pui is a Regents Professor and LM Fingerson/TSI Inc. Chair in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota.  He is a Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and the Director of the Center for Filtration Research consisting of 20 international filtration manufacturers.  Dr. Pui has a broad range of research experience in aerosol/nanoparticle engineering and filtration technology and has over 350 journal papers and 40 patents.  He has developed several widely used commercial aerosol instruments for PM_2.5 measurements and large-scale urban air cleaning systems.  He received the Max Planck Research Award (1993), the CAS Einstein Professor Award (2013), and the Fuchs Memorial Award (2010) - the highest disciplinary award conferred jointly by the American, German and Japanese Aerosol Associations.  He served as President of the American Association for Aerosol Research (2000-2001), and President of the International Aerosol Research Assembly (2006-2010) consisting of 16 national associations from around the world.