主要研究热能工程，计算流体力学及其在气固、气液等复杂系统中的应用，具体包括：
1. 粉煤燃烧与气化；煤炭转化过程中污染物的控制；
2. 煤粉燃烧锅炉、气流床煤气化炉、气液固三相流化床等过程的数值模拟.

[1] Xinwen Zhou, Caixia Chen, Fuchen Wang, Multi-Dimensional Modeling of Non-catalytic Partial Oxidation of Natural Gas in a High Pressure Reformer, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2010(in press). Published online: [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2009.12.063].
[2] Caixia Chen and Liang-Shih Fan, Discrete Simulation of Gas-Liquid Bubble Columns and Gas-Liquid-Solid Fluidized Beds, AIChE Journal, Vol.50, pp.288-301, 2004.
[3] Caixia Chen, M. Horio and T. Kojima, Use of Numerical Modeling in the Design and Scale-up of Entraned Flow Coal Gasifiers, Fuel, Vol.80, pp.1513-1523, 2001
[4] Caixia Chen, M. Horio and T. Kojima, Numerical Simulation of Entrained Flow Coal Gasifiers. Part I: Modeling of Coal Gasification in an Entrained Flow Gasifier, Chemical Engineering Science, Vol.55, pp.3861-3874, 2000.