Dr. Zhenning Li is an R&D scientist in the Building Equipment Research Group at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 2019 and his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2014. His research focuses on ultra-low-charge R290 heat pump and heat pump water heater development, advanced heat exchanger design, thermal energy storage integration, and dual fuel controls. He combines physics-based modeling, optimization, reinforcement learning and model predictive control to improve the efficiency, affordability, and environmental performance of building equipment. His work advances heat-pump technologies from simulation and laboratory evaluation to field demonstration.
Dr. Li serves as Chair of ASHRAE Technical Committee 1.13, Optimization, and is a member of ASHRAE and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). He has chaired conference sessions on thermal energy storage and propane heat pumps at international conferences, including Purdue’s International Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Conference and the IIR Gustav Lorentzen Conference on Natural Refrigerants. He also serves as a reviewer for journals including Applied Thermal Engineering, International Journal of Refrigeration, Applied Energy, and Energy and Buildings.
Research Interests
Ultra-low-charge heat pump using A2L and A3 refrigerants
Heat pump water heater (HPWH) using A2L and A3 refrigerants
Heat exchanger design optimization for residential and industry applications
Thermal energy storage integration for heating and cooling
Grid-responsive dual-fuel controls with reinforcement learning and MPC
Refrigerant charge fault detection and diagnostics
Honors & Awards
ASHRAE YEA Developing Leader Award
Best Presentation Award, Center for Environmental Energy Engineering Consortium, University of Maryland
