Huanhuan Tian

Huanhuan is a PhD student in chemical engineering. She is working on shock electrodialysis (shock ED), a new electrochemical process for water treatment that was designed and developed by the Bazant Research Group. Recent experimental results shows that shock ED can selectively remove multivalent cations, which could be promising for continuous and economical heavy metal ion removal from drinking water and industrious waste. For instance, preliminary results showed that shock ED can almost completely remove lead ions (Pb++) from model Flint tap water (mostly NaCl) from unsafe levels (up to 50ppb) down to <1ppb, well below the EPA action limit of 15ppb, in a point-of-use small-scale device with an operating electrical cost of only pennies per meter cubed of fresh water, compared with $25/m³ for existing (impractical) filtration methods. This new technology could have a significant impact on human health in the U.S. and around the world. She is using MATLAB to study PDE-based models of shock ED from experimental data (including her own) on selective ion removal. Her innovative work with MATLAB could lead to new simulation tools for electrochemical systems involving charged porous media and membranes, including (but not limited to) water treatment applications. Huanhuan earned a BEng and SB in engineering mechanics, both from Tsinghua University, China.