Chao Hu

Chao Hu, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Iowa State University
2026 Black Engineering Bldg.
Ames, IA 50011
Email: chaohu@iastate.edu
[ Curriculum Vitae ]
[ Google Scholar Citations ]
[ LinkedIn Profile ]


Education
  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 2011
  • B.E., Engineering Physics, Tsinghua University, China, 2007
Research Interests
  • Engineering Design under Uncertainty
  • Design of Energy Storage Systems
  • Reliability Analysis and Risk Management
  • Prognostics and Health Management (PHM)

Dr. Hu’s research expertise is in the areas of engineering design under uncertainty and post-design failure prognostics and has applications within lithium-ion batteries (energy storage), rotating machinery, and large-scale structural systems. His research is focused on using probabilistic and statistical methods to enhance the reliability, resiliency, and sustainability of complex engineered systems. He has actively applied this research expertise to a range of applications while maintaining a core emphasis on design and prognostics. The two core application areas of his research are design under uncertainty of mechanical systems and predictive health management of lithium-ion rechargeable batteries and rotating machinery. The primary outcomes of Dr. Hu’s research are new methods and tools that lead to better decisions in early-stage system design and post-design health management and improve reliability, resiliency, and sustainability.

Awards
  • ASME Reviewers of the Year Award by Journal of Mechanical Design in 2019
  • Best Track Paper Award at the IISE Annual Conference in 2019
  • ASME Design Automation Young Investigator Award in 2018
  • Highly Cited Research Paper by Applied Energy in 2015
  • Star of Excellence Individual Award from Medtronic, Inc. in 2014
  • Ford Motor Company – Best Paper Award in the ASME Design Automation Conference (DAC) in 2013
  • Best Paper Award at the IEEE International Conference on Prognostics and Health Management (PHM) in 2012
  • Nominee for Eni Award 2013: Renewable Energy (“Nobel Prize of Energy Research”) in 2012
  • Two Top 10 Best Papers awards at the ASME Design Automation Conferences in 2011 and 2012
  • C. Raymond Knight Scholarship Award from the University of Maryland in 2010