On February 6, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah launched its inaugural Distinguished Seminar Series, inviting leading experts to share cutting-edge research and advancements in the field. Dr. Brian McPherson, USTAR Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, hosted the esteemed Dr. Tianfu Xu, a distinguished researcher in CO2 sequestration and geothermal energy development.

Dr. Xu, a professor at Jilin University in China and a 16-year veteran of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, delivered a lecture titled “Multiphase Reactive Transport Modeling to Address Issues of Subsurface Fluid Flow Systems: Application to CO2 Geological Storage.” His talk provided valuable insights into his pioneering work on modeling multiphase non-isothermal fluid flow and chemical transport, especially in the context of CO2 geological sequestration and geothermal energy.

Dr. Xu is also the chief developer of the widely-used TOUGHREACT simulator, a tool crucial for applications such as CO2 sequestration, geothermal energy development, nuclear waste disposal, and environmental remediation.

“Professor Xu is a legend in the carbon sequestration arena,” said McPherson. “The TOUGHREACT simulator developed by Tianfu is the analysis engine of hundreds of papers in the past two decades .”

The Distinguished Seminar Series offers an exciting opportunity for students, faculty, and industry professionals to engage with leading experts and stay informed on the latest advancements in civil and environmental engineering. Stay tuned for more upcoming seminars that will continue to foster academic and industry collaboration.