Dr Jun Li

Reader

Chemical and Process Engineering

Contact

Personal statement

Dr Jun Li is a Reader in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. Dr Li serves as the Deputy Theme Lead (Bioenergy) at ETP Scotland since 2020 and is Strathclyde Lead for the UK Supergen Bioenergy Impact Hub (2023-2027). Dr Li received his PhD degree from KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden in 2014 and worked as a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow until 2015. He is also on the Editorial Boards of the International Journal of Green Energy and Frontiers in Thermal Engineering.

Dr Li leads a bioenergy research group focusing on innovation pathways to decarbonize energy and chemical systems. His work emphasises the cost-effective valorisation of biomass and waste to produce low-carbon energy and fuels, contributing to the transition towards a net-zero circular economy. His research interests span the fundamentals of reacting and conversion processes, advanced CFD modelling for engineering prediction and design, and plant-wise process simulations for techno-economic and environmental assessments, currently with particular interests in green hydrogen production from biomass and clean bioenergy solutions including biofuel synthesis.

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Teaching

Currently taught modules:

  • CP533/CP969: Clean Combustion Technologies 
  • CP102: 
    Chemical Engineering: Fundamentals, Techniques and Tools

Previously taught modules:

  • CP206: Chemical Engineering Practice 1
  • CP414: Particle Technology & Advanced Reactors 

 

 

 

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Research Interests

Dr Li's research interests include the fundamental investigation and understanding of problems associated with the complex interactions of thermo-fluids dynamics, thermochemical processes, and heat & mass thansfer in thermal/chemical processes, predominantly focusing on:

  • Clean bioenergy technologies, such as clean combustion, gasification, pyrolysis, and wet waste-to-energy conversion. 
  • The production and utilisation of renewable hydrogen/hydrogen-rich syngas for decarbonising industry systems. 
  • The development and application of advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling for multiphase reacting fluids.
  • The development and demonstration of innovative, affordable, reliable, and sustainable energy systems.
  • Techno-economic and environmental assessment of energy and chemical systems.

Accepting PhD student applications in the following topics:

  • Biomass electrolysis for hydrogen production
  • Supercritical CO2-enhanced hydrothermal gasification 
  • Advanced biofuel synthesis and upgrading

Current PDRA:

  • Dr Lewis McDonnald (Project: Biomass electrolysis for green hydrogen production )
  • Shuya Jia (Project: biosynthesis green hydrogen demonstration)
  • Robert Sait-Stewart (Project: BioMECC Hydrogen production from landfill gas)

Current PhD students:

  • Chigozie Akanno
  • Nicola Voiculescu
  • Asuquo Jackson Asuquo 
  • Robert Sait-Stewart 
  • Haitian Chen 
  • Ali Rabeeah 
  • Fahad Alajmi

Formal PhD students:

  • Dr Morgen Mukamwi (PhD thesis: Development of a sulphur-tolerant carbon-based catalyst for steam reforming syngas hydrocarbons to maximise hydrogen production in biomass gasification)
  • Dr Jixiang Zhang (PhD thesis: Beyond Green Planet: A Comprehensive and Systematic Second-Generation Biomass Supply Chain Optimisation)
  • Dr Teresa Marti Rossello (PhD thesis: Development of robust modelling methods for a quick evaluation of biomass pyrolysis performance and its transient behaviour at a particle level)
  • Dr Wenhan Cao (PhD thesis: Experimental and modelling study on the release of potassium during biomass combustion)  

Formal Research Associate:

  • Dr Robert Price (2022-2024)
  • Dr Jakub Mularski (2020-2022) 
  • Dr Muhammad Uzair (2022-2023)
  • Teresa Marti Rossello (2019)
  • Robert Sait-Stewart (2022)

Professional Activities

Hydrogen Production Via Mediated Electrolysis of Biomass from Distillery Whisky Waste Streams
Contributor
8/10/2023
31st European Biomass Conference & Exhibition
Participant
5/6/2023
External Examiner of PhD Viva at University of Kent
Examiner
9/5/2023
Contribution to ETP review of draft Scottish Energy Strategy
Contributor
20/4/2023
External Examiner of PhD Viva at University of Glasgow
Examiner
10/3/2023
International Journal of Green Energy (Journal)
Editorial board member
2022

More professional activities

Projects

ThermalLance3
Lue, Leo (Principal Investigator) Li, Jun (Co-investigator)
22-Nov-2024 - 21-Nov-2026
Industrial CASE Account - University of Strathclyde 2024 | Jahangir, Reehab
Markl, Daniel (Principal Investigator) Li, Jun (Co-investigator) Jahangir, Reehab (Research Co-investigator)
01-Oct-2024 - 01-Oct-2028
Supergen Bioenergy Impact Focused Hub
Li, Jun (Principal Investigator)
01-Nov-2023 - 31-Oct-2027
Biosynthesis green hydrogen demonstration
Li, Jun (Principal Investigator)
01-Nov-2023 - 30-Apr-2025
Green Hydrogen Integration at Sullom Voe (EETF Hydrogen Innovation Scheme)
Sillars, Fiona (Principal Investigator) Li, Jun (Co-investigator) Marrocco, Tiziana (Co-investigator) Race, Julia (Co-investigator) Roy, Sudipta (Co-investigator)
03-Jul-2023 - 31-Mar-2024
DTP 2224 University of Strathclyde | Paterson, Thomas
Lue, Leo (Principal Investigator) Li, Jun (Co-investigator) Paterson, Thomas (Research Co-investigator)
01-Oct-2022 - 01-Apr-2026

More projects

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Contact

Dr Jun Li
Reader
Chemical and Process Engineering

Email: jun.li@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 548 2393