About Me

Hello. I am a third year Ph.D. student in the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, where I conducted research in the Advanced Power Systems and Control Laboratory under the supervision of Prof. Dongmei “Maggie” Chen. My Ph.D. research is founded by Halliburton and I finished two summer internships there. Before my Ph.D. career, I was a visiting researcher in the Renewable Energy & Turbulent Environment Group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

My research centers on the integration of advanced physics-based and machine learning techniques to address complex challenges in both academia and industry. I specialize in the modeling, estimation, and control of diverse systems, with applications ranging from drilling automation, vehicle engineering, to fluid mechanics. My work aims to bridge the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementations, driving innovation in different fields.

📚 Projects

Jump to:
🔔 Fault Diagnosis | ⛽️ Directional Drilling | 🥣 Optimization | 🌊 Turbulence | 🚗 Vehicles

1. 🔔 Fault Diagnosis System for Drilling

1.1 AI driven detection system

LSTM and Transformer for event detection; GANs for data augmentation.

1.2 Two Phase Flow Simulator

3 nonlinear PDEs with 4 closure equations to simulate the gas bubble propagation inside the wellbore.

1.3 Fast Real Time Detection System

A model-based event detection system using UKF to achieve real-time monitoring and fault detection capabilities in drilling operations.

Check out our paper Here, published by Geoenergy Science and Engineering.

2. ⛽️ Modeling, Estimation, and Control of Directional Drilling

2.1 Model Validations

Compared and generalized linear/nonlinear DDE models for borehole propagation using experimental data.

Check out our paper Here, which is the Best Student Paper Finalist at Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC 2023).

2.2 Model Improvements

Machine Learning approach

A data driven approach to approximate the complex nonlinear DDE model by using the Sparse Identification of Nonlinear Dynamics (SINDy) method.

Check out our paper Here, published by IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM 2024).

Physics-based method

An efficient model that is 80 times faster than the nonlinear DDE model while having high prediction accuracy (maximum error within 2 degrees).

Check out our paper Here, published by Geoenergy Science and Engineering.

2.3 Parameter Estimation

A Gradient Descent based method equipped with Line Search to estimate the unknown parameter during drilling.

Check out our paper Here, published by Geoenergy Science and Engineering.

2.4 Model Predictive Control

A Model Predictive Controller for directional drilling by using the nonlinear DDE model.

Check out our paper Here, presented at Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC 2024).

3. 🥣 Optimization Solver Package

RaghuRobi, named after one of my favorite instructors Dr. Bollapragada, is a software package for solving unconstrained optimization problems with methods such as Gradient Descent, Newton-CG, and BFGS.

4. 🌊 Flow Structure Interaction

Experimental investigation of turbulence dynamics and transport modulated by canopies.

5. 🚗 Vehicle Engineering

5.1 Fuel Cells

Optimization of graded catalyst layer to improve fuel cell performance.

Check out our paper Here, published by Energy and is the Highly Cited Paper in 2023, Web of Science.

5.2 Vehicle Thermal Management

Integrated thermal management of fuel cell vehicles.

Check out our Paper 1 and Paper 2, published by Energy and Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, respectively. The second paper is the Highly Cited Paper in 2022, 2023, and 2024, Web of Science.

5.3 Formula Student China

Three year experiences of Formula Student China competition. Designed and manufactured one internal combustion engine and one electric formula racers per year.

📑 Publications

My journal and conference publications are listed below. For a brief summary of each work, please refer to the Projects section on this page or click [Overview] in front of each publications.

Jump to: Journal | Conference

Journal

• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu J, Aguirre J, Song S, Sun Z, Bhaidasna K, Chen D, 2024. A UKF Enabled Model Based Event Detection System for Drilling Operation. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 2024, 213617.
• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu J, Demirer N, Pho V, Tian K, Zhang H, Bhaidasna K, Darbe R and Chen D, 2024. Advancing real-time drilling trajectory prediction with an efficient nonlinear DDE model and online parameter estimation. Geoenergy Science and Engineering, 238, p.212829.
• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu J, Keller A, Nazli D, Zhang H, Tian K, Bhaidasna K, Darbe R, Chen D. Experimentally Validated Nonlinear Delayed Differential Approach to Model Borehole Propagation for Directional Drilling. ASME Letters in Dynamic Systems and Control, ALDSC-23-1030. (Best Student Paper Finalist, MECC 2023)
• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu J., Zhang C, Wan Z, Chen X, Chan SH, Tu Z. Progress and perspectives of integrated thermal management systems in PEM fuel cell vehicles: A review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 2022;155:111908. (Highly Cited Paper in 2022, 2023 and 2024, Web of Science).
• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu J, Zhang C, Fan R, Bao H, Wang Y, Huang S, et al. Modelling and control of vehicle integrated thermal management system of PEM fuel cell vehicle. Energy, 2020;199:117495.
• [Overview] | [Download] | Fan R, Chang G, Xu Y, Xu J. Multi-objective optimization of graded catalyst layer to improve performance and current density uniformity of a PEMFC. Energy, 2023 Jan 1;262:125580. (Highly Cited Paper in 2023)
• [Overview] | [Download] | Ma R, Xu J., Li J, Yuan H, Zhang C. A multi-conditions speed predictor based on a DK clustering model. Journal of Chongqing University.

Conference

• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu J, Demirer N, Pho V, Tian K, Zhang, H, Bhaidasna, K, Darbe R and Chen D, 2024. Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Directional Drilling Applications. Modeling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC 2024).
• [Overview] | [Download] | Xu, J., Demirer, N, Pho, V, Tian K, Zhang H, Bhaidasna K, Darbe R, and Chen D, 2024. Data-Driven Modeling of Nonlinear Delay Differential Equations with Gap Effects Using SINDy. IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics (AIM 2024).

🏅 Honors and Awards

• Highly Cited Paper four times [Papers]
• 2023 Best Student Paper Finalist, Modelling, Estimation, and Control Conference (MECC).
• 2021 China National Scholarship (Top 0.2% in China).
• 2021 Graduate Academic Scholarship for 1st prize.
• 2020 Graduate Academic Scholarship for 1st prize.
• 2019 Graduate Academic Scholarship for 1st prize.
• 2019 Champion of Hydrogen group in Shell Eco-marathon ASIA.
• 2019 Undergraduate Academic Scholarship for 3rd prize.
• 2018 Undergraduate Academic Scholarship for 3rd prize.
• 2018 Formula Student Electric China for 2nd prize.

🧑‍🏫 Teaching

• [Syllabus] | ME 140L Mechatronics Lab. 2022 Fall, 2023 Spring