Academician Su Wanhua Passes Away at 85

Professor Su Wanhua at Tianjin University, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, passed away in Tianjin on September 4, 2026, at the age of 85.

Professor Su Wanhua was born in Jiamusi, Heilongjiang Province, in 1941. He enrolled in Tianjin University's internal combustion engine program in 1960 and completed his graduate studies in 1968, after which he joined the Tianjin Power Machinery Factory. In 1977, he returned to Tianjin University and began teaching here. In 2011, he was elected as an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Throughout his career, Professor Su Wanhua dedicated himself to the study of diesel engine combustion and electronic control technologies, pioneering the field of combustion control in internal combustion engines in China. He led the development of the country's first electronically controlled ultra-high-pressure common-rail fuel system and the first intelligent engine control unit, advanced dual-fuel engine technologies, and proposed new theories on combustion. His work on next-generation combustion technologies helped drive the upgrade of China's diesel engines toward greater efficiency, cleaner operation, and intelligent control. Since 2011, he focused on ultra-high thermal efficiency research, identifying technical pathways toward achieving 60% thermal efficiency.

Professor Su Wanhua served as chief scientist and principal investigator on multiple large-scale research initiatives, heading more than ten major projects. He authored several monographs and received numerous honors, including Second-Class National Technological Invention Award and Second-Class National Science and Technology Progress Award. He was also recognized as a National Outstanding Science and Technology Worker and a Fellow of the Chinese Society for Internal Combustion Engines (CSICE). He held leadership roles such as Vice President of CSICE, member of the Discipline Appraisal Group of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and Editor-in-Chief of the Transactions of CSICE.

Over decades of teaching, Professor Su Wanhua mentored more than 100 postgraduate students, many of whom have become leading figures in their fields.