Overview
Background
Dr Liu Ye is is a Professor at The University of Queensland (UQ) in the School of Chemical Engineering. Dr Ye’s research is focused on sustainable environmental engineering and is dedicated to finding innovative and practical solutions to tackle challenges in achieving net zero emissions, climate resilience, and sustainability. She is the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) research program leader at UQ urban water engineering. She has an established national and international leadership in the research field of net-zero emissions from urban wastewater systems. Prof Ye has been awarded over AU$10M competitive research funding and has a broad research collaboration within academia and industry. She collaborated extensively with water industry partners (> 15, both Australia and overseas water utilities), Australian state Government, Industry peak bodies (Water Services Association of Australia (WSAA), Water Research Australia (WarterRA)) and Technology companies (e.g., Jacob, Suez, Veolia). She has also received more than eight scientific awards (including Research Innovation Award from Australia Water Association, UQ Foundation Research Excellence Award, etc.), and the EAIT faculty teaching excellence award. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and an elected member in the Strategic Council of International Water Association (IWA). She is also a member of the Australia Association for Engineering Education (AAEE) and Engineers Australia (EA). She current servers as the Associate editor of Environmental Science: Water Research and Technology and in the Editorial board of Engineering journal.
Research:
Liu’s research includes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation from biological wastewater treatment processes; sludge minimization and biogas production enhancement; advanced biological nutrient removal (BNR) technology development; on-line process control and optimisation and resource recovery from wastes.
Teaching and Learning:
CHEE2020: Process Equipment and Control (Coordinator and Lecturer);
CHEE2501: Environmental Systems Engineering I: Processes (Lecturer);
CHEE4012: Industrial Wastewater & Solid Waste Management (Lecturer);
CHEE4007/4027 Thesis project;
Availability
- Professor Liu Ye is:
- Not available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Engineering, Zhengzhou University
- Doctor of Philosophy, Beijing University of Technology
Research impacts
Prof Liu Ye's research is having a substantive impact in gaining a deeper scientific understanding of biological nutrient removal and recovery during wastewater treatment and outputs from her research are used by industry to recover nutrients from wastewater and reduce greenhouse gas emission and activate sludge production during wastewater treatment, which directly benefits the Australia water utilities and the living environment-:
- Leader and one of the key drivers to the development of N2O research at UQ, with solid and active collaboration with Australia water utilities. Research outcome has set a benchmark for reducing emissions by 35% at one of the largest Australian treatment plants in Adelaide, translating to potential annual savings of $50M for the water industry.
- GHG outcome featured as an exemplar of how chemical engineering can drive real change for a better future, as recognized by the IChemE in their publication "Chemical Engineering Impact in Australia" at the end of 2019.
- Featured by IChemE Sustainability Hub: Sustainability success stories on “Wastewater treatment and process emissions – Dr Liu Ye”, (https://www.icheme.org/knowledge-networks/sustainability-hub/sdg-6-clean-water-and-sanitation/making-a-difference-sustainability-success-stories/)
- Her methodology for real-time greenhouse gas emission measurement, which was applied in Melbourne Water’s full-scale treatment plant, won the 2022 Australia Water Association Research Excellence and Innovation award (Victoria region).
- Developed the first systematic approach to quantify the N2O emissions from wastewater system with surface aerators. It was successfully applied to estimate the N2O emission factor for a well-mixed full-scale oxidation ditch wastewater treatment plant in Perth.
- Her ground-breaking research has led to substantial development and commercialisation of the free nitrous acid (FNA) technology. Her research revealed, for the first time, FNA at a low concentration can completely suppress bacterial growth. This research, together with another research result, underpinned the application of FNA as a green chemical to control biofilm growth on sewers and to reduce the sludge production during urban wastewater treatment.
Works
Search Professor Liu Ye’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Conference Publication
Towards net-zero carbon utilities: challenges and opportunities
Ye, Liu, Duan, Haoran, Li, Kaili and Zhang, Xueying (2024). Towards net-zero carbon utilities: challenges and opportunities. Singapore International Water Week 2024, Sands Expo & Convention Centre Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, 18 – 22 June 2024.
2023
Journal Article
Decoupling the simultaneous effects of NO2−, pH and free nitrous acid on N2O and NO production from enriched nitrifying activated sludge
Zhao, Yingfen, Duan, Haoran, Erler, Dirk, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2023). Decoupling the simultaneous effects of NO2−, pH and free nitrous acid on N2O and NO production from enriched nitrifying activated sludge. Water Research, 245 120609, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120609
2023
Journal Article
Insights on biological phosphorus removal with partial nitrification in single sludge system via sidestream free ammonia and free nitrous acid dosing
Lu, Xuanyu, Oehmen, Adrian, Zhao, Jing, Duan, Haoran, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2023). Insights on biological phosphorus removal with partial nitrification in single sludge system via sidestream free ammonia and free nitrous acid dosing. Science of the Total Environment, 895 165174, 165174. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165174
2023
Journal Article
In a quest for high-efficiency mainstream partial nitritation-anammox (PN/A) implementation: One-stage or two-stage?
Cao, Shenbin, Koch, Konrad, Duan, Haoran, Wells, George F., Ye, Liu, Zhao, Yingfen and Du, Rui (2023). In a quest for high-efficiency mainstream partial nitritation-anammox (PN/A) implementation: One-stage or two-stage?. Science of the Total Environment, 883 163540, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163540
2023
Journal Article
Impact of electrochemically generated iron on the performance of an anaerobic wastewater treatment process
Hu, Zhetai, Hu, Shihu, Hong, Pei-Ying, Zhang, Xueqin, Prodanovic, Veljko, Zhang, Kefeng, Ye, Liu, Deletic, Ana, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2023). Impact of electrochemically generated iron on the performance of an anaerobic wastewater treatment process. Science of the Total Environment, 875 162628, 1-7. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162628
2023
Journal Article
Novel use of a ferric salt to enhance mainstream nitrogen removal from anaerobically pretreated wastewater
Hu, Zhetai, Hu, Shihu, Ye, Liu, Duan, Haoran, Wu, Ziping, Hong, Pei-Ying, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2023). Novel use of a ferric salt to enhance mainstream nitrogen removal from anaerobically pretreated wastewater. Environmental Science and Technology, 57 (16), 6712-6722. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c08325
2023
Journal Article
Significant production of nitric oxide by aerobic nitrite reduction at acidic pH
Lu, Xi, Wang, Zhiyao, Duan, Haoran, Wu, Ziping, Hu, Shihu, Ye, Liu, Yuan, Zhiguo and Zheng, Min (2023). Significant production of nitric oxide by aerobic nitrite reduction at acidic pH. Water Research, 230 119542, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119542
2023
Journal Article
High hydraulic loading rates favored mainstream partial nitritation: experimental demonstration and model-based analysis
Duan, Haoran, Zheng, Min, Li, Jiyun, Liu, Tao, Wang, Zhiyao, Shrestha, Sohan, Wang, Bingzheng, Ye, Liu, Hu, Shihu and Yuan, Zhiguo (2023). High hydraulic loading rates favored mainstream partial nitritation: experimental demonstration and model-based analysis. ACS ES and T Water, 3 (2), 556-564. doi: 10.1021/acsestwater.2c00569
2022
Journal Article
A comprehensive carbon footprint analysis of different wastewater treatment plant configurations
Wu, Ziping, Duan, Haoran, Li, Kaili and Ye, Liu (2022). A comprehensive carbon footprint analysis of different wastewater treatment plant configurations. Environmental Research, 214 (Pt 2) 113818, 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113818
2022
Conference Publication
Hybridizing mechanistic and deep learning approaches to model and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from full-scale wastewater treatment plants
Li , Kaili, Duan, Haoran, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2022). Hybridizing mechanistic and deep learning approaches to model and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions from full-scale wastewater treatment plants. 13th IWA Conference on Instrumentation, Control and Automation, Virtual, Beijing, China, 17 - 21 October 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Electrochemical iron production to enhance anaerobic membrane treatment of wastewater
Hu, Zhetai, Zheng, Min, Hu, Shihu, Hong, Pei-Ying, Zhang, Xueqing, Prodanovic, Veljko, Zhang, Kefeng, Pikaar, Ilje, Ye, Liu, Deletic, Ana and Yuan, Zhiguo (2022). Electrochemical iron production to enhance anaerobic membrane treatment of wastewater. Water Research, 225 119202, 119202. doi: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.119202
2022
Conference Publication
Novel PAOs play the key role to achieve combined biological short-cut N and P removal in the one-sludge system with side-stream sludge treatment
Lu, Xuanyu , Oehmen, Adrian , Zhao, Jing , Duan, Haoran , Carvalho, Gilda , Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2022). Novel PAOs play the key role to achieve combined biological short-cut N and P removal in the one-sludge system with side-stream sludge treatment. IWA World Water Congress & Exhibition, Copenhagen, Denmark, 11-15 September 2022. IWA.
2022
Conference Publication
Modelling and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from sewage treatment plants using an integrated mechanistic and deep learning approach
Li, Kaili, Duan, Haoran, Liu, Linfeng, Qiu, Ruihong, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2022). Modelling and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from sewage treatment plants using an integrated mechanistic and deep learning approach. World Water Congress and Exhibition 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark, 11 – 15 September 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Toward mainstream anammox by integrating sidestream treatment
Cao, Shenbin, Koch, Konrad, Du, Rui, Wells, George F, Ye, Liu and Drewes, Jörg E. (2022). Toward mainstream anammox by integrating sidestream treatment. Environmental Science and Technology, 56 (15), 10553-10556. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c03256
2022
Journal Article
Wastewater primary treatment using forward osmosis introduces inhibition to achieve stable mainstream partial nitrification
Zhao, Yingfen, Ab Hamid, Nur Hafizah, Reddy, Nichelle, Zheng, Min, Yuan, Zhiguo, Duan, Haoran and Ye, Liu (2022). Wastewater primary treatment using forward osmosis introduces inhibition to achieve stable mainstream partial nitrification. Environmental Science and Technology, 56 (12), 8663-8672. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05672
2022
Book Chapter
Perspectives on fugitive GHGs reduction from urban wastewater systems
Nopens, Ingmar, Porro, Jose and Ye, Liu (2022). Perspectives on fugitive GHGs reduction from urban wastewater systems. Quantification and modelling of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from urban water systems. (pp. 245-257) edited by Liu Ye, Jose Porro and Ingmar Nopens. London, United Kingdom: IWA Publishing. doi: 10.2166/9781789060461_0245
2022
Book
Quantification and Modelling of Fugitive Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Urban Water Systems
Ye, Liu, Porro, Jose and Nopen, Ingmar eds. (2022). Quantification and Modelling of Fugitive Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Urban Water Systems. London, United Kingdom: IWA Publishing. doi: 10.2166/9781789060461
2022
Book Chapter
Introduction
Ye, Liu and Porro, Jose (2022). Introduction. Quantification and modelling of fugitive greenhouse gas emissions from urban water systems. (pp. 1-9) edited by Liu Ye, Jose Porro and Ingmar Nopens. London, United Kingdom: IWA Publishing. doi: 10.2166/9781789060461_0001
2022
Journal Article
An integrated first principal and deep learning approach for modeling nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment plants
Li, Kaili, Duan, Haoran, Liu, Linfeng, Qiu, Ruihong, van den Akker, Ben, Ni, Bing-Jie, Chen, Tong, Yin, Hongzhi, Yuan, Zhiguo and Ye, Liu (2022). An integrated first principal and deep learning approach for modeling nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment plants. Environmental Science and Technology, 56 (4) acs.est.1c05020, 2816-2826. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.1c05020
2022
Journal Article
A green, hybrid cleaning strategy for the mitigation of biofouling deposition in the elevated salinity forward osmosis membrane bioreactor (FOMBR) operation
Ab Hamid, Nur Hafizah, Wang, David K., Smart, Simon and Ye, Liu (2022). A green, hybrid cleaning strategy for the mitigation of biofouling deposition in the elevated salinity forward osmosis membrane bioreactor (FOMBR) operation. Chemosphere, 288 (Pt 3) 132612, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132612
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Liu Ye is:
- Not available for supervision
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Doctor Philosophy
State of Knowledge and modeling of Scope 1 emissions from Sewage Treatment Plants
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan, Dr Shakil Ahmmed
-
Doctor Philosophy
Novel biofilm-based nitrogen removal technology and its N2O emission in wastewater treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Quantification and reducing direct greenhouse gas emissions from next generation wastewater treatment systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment processes with stable isotopes and mathematical modelling
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan, Professor Hongzhi Yin
-
Doctor Philosophy
Novel Phosphorous accumulating organisms in next generation wastewater treatment systems
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen
-
Doctor Philosophy
Evaluating and reducing the carbon footprint of biosolids treatment from urban wastewater system
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Damien Batstone
-
Doctor Philosophy
Climate smart biological wastewater treatment processes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Establishment LCA method coupled with an activated sludge model for sustainable nitrogen management technology evaluation.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Rocky Chen, Dr Shakil Ahmmed
-
Doctor Philosophy
Sustainable and cost-effective biological phosphorus removal technology in urban water systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho, Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen
-
Doctor Philosophy
A sustainable biological nutrient removal and recovery process for cost-effective wastewater treatment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen, Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho
-
Doctor Philosophy
Investigating novel microbes for simultaneous nutrient removal from wastewater in Carbon Neutral era
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen
-
Doctor Philosophy
The development of process control strategies to optimise biological phosphorus removal and recovery
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Gilda Carvalho, Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen
-
Doctor Philosophy
Cost-effective and sustainable treatment of ammonium-rich industrial wastewater
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Shihu Hu, Dr Haoran Duan
Completed supervision
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding nitrous oxide generation from novel partial nitrification systems for sustainable wastewater treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan, Dr Haoran Duan
-
2022
Master Philosophy
Carbon Footprint Analysis of Urban Wastewater Treatment Processes and Nitrous Oxide Emission From Aerobic Digestion
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Haoran Duan
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Achieving and Understanding Combined Biological Phosphorus Removal and Short-cut Nitrogen in Wastewater Treatment Processes
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen, Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
Freshwater Anammox bacteria for treatment of saline wastewater
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Pratt
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding of Carbon/Nitrogen recovery from wastewater as value-added bioproducts
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianhua Guo
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Forward Osmosis (FO) Membrane-based Technology in Urban Wastewater Treatment
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Simon Smart
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
The return activated sludge sidestream process and the role of Tetrasphaera, a fermenting polyphosphate accumulating organism
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Adrian Oehmen
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Versatile uses of iron in the urban wastewater system
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Shihu Hu
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Controlling nitrite oxidizing bacteria using nitrogen released from sludge digestion
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2016
Master Philosophy
Biological silicon removal from coal seam gas water
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Steven Pratt
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
FNA-based Pre-treatment of Primary, Secondary and Digested Sludge
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2015
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding nitrous oxide production by ammonia oxidizing bacteria in an enriched nitrifying sludge
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2014
Doctor Philosophy
Treatment of secondary sludge using free nitrous acid to achieve sludge reduction and enhance methane production in wastewater treatment systems
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Understanding nitrous oxide production during denitrification by methanol-utilizing denitrifying activated sludge
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Honorary Professor Zhiguo Yuan
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Liu Ye directly for media enquiries about:
- Biological wastewater treatment
- Greenhouse gas emissions
- nitrous acid
- online process control
- saline wastewater treatment
- sludge reduction
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