Chen was born in
Hangzhou,
Zhejiang, on December 3, 1926. In 1948, he was admitted to Tangshan Jiaotong University (now
Southwest Jiaotong University), where he majored in the Mining Department. After graduating in September 1952, he joined the faculty of Beijing Institute of Mining and Technology. In December of that same year, he was sent to study at
Moscow Institute of Mining at the expense of the Chinese government. He returned to China in December 1960 and continued to teach at Beijing Institute of Mining and Technology. In June 1975, he was transferred to
Sichuan Institute of Mining and Technology as deputy director of its Department of Mining Machinery, and held that office until 1980. In September 1980, he moved to
China University of Mining and Technology as department head of Coal Comprehensive Utilization System. In January 1987, he became director of the university's Mineral Processing Engineering Research Center. He died of illness in
Xuzhou,
Jiangsu, on May 26, 2021, aged 94. ==Honours and awards==