Professor Hu Li (Prof Li)

Profile

Professor Hu Li is a chartered energy engineer and leading a team in emissions and sustainable fuels research in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering. His research covers real world driving emissions, combustion and emissions of alternative and low carbon fuels from engines and vehicles including road, rail, marine and air transportation. He has supervised 25 PhDs to completion and has more than 150 peer reviewed journal and international conference publications. He is a member of:

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Vehicle and Engine Emissions Committee; and Fuels and Lubricant Committee;

• Coal, Biomass & Alternative Fuels (CBAF) Committee of ASME IGTI (American Society of Mechanical Engineers International Gas Turbine Institute)

• Energy Institute Individual Case Procedure (ICP).

He serves as the UK National Expert for the International Energy Agency’s Advanced Motor Fuels Technology Collaboration Programme (AMF TCP), Task 67 - Exhaust After-Treatment Systems (2024–2027).

Funded projects in recent years:

• Co-optimisation of deNOx catalytic converters and fuels. STFC. £615k
• Demonstration of a base metal Low-temperature catalytic converter for deNOx (LowCat Demo). STFC. £385k
• Evaluation and optimisation of industrial prototype deNOx (LowCat) catalytic converter (LowCat Optim). STFC IAA. £54k
• Tailored production and utilisation of sustainable low cost lignocellulosic advanced biofuel blends as diesel and petrol substitutes:SusLABB. EPSRC. £1.37m

• A holistic hydrogen approach to heavy duty transport (H2H). Ofgem. £95k

• Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project: Biosensor for aviation fuels. Innovate UK. £280k

• Evaluation of Sustainable disposal options for seized cannabis plants. West Yorkshire Police. £130k
• Batch gasification of distillery waste biomass for renewable distillery fuel. BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy). £361k (Part of £2.7m consortium project)
• Powering HGVs on England’s Future Electric Roads – Safety and Maintenance Assessment of Electrical Power Supply Systems. Highways England. £87k
• An environmental and economic assessment of using hydrogen in a combined heavy duty/off-road vehicle fleet in the UK. Barry Slavin Fund. £45k
• Creating Resilient Sustainable Microgrids through Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems. EPSRC. £1.5m
• Investigating impact of E10 gasoline and its compositions on real Driving emissions from in-service gasoline and hybrid vehicles. Royal Society. £12k
• Glass Futures / BEIS Industrial Fuel Switching Phase 3. BEIS. £49k

Responsibilities

• Deputy Director of Postgraduate Studies

Research interests

• Combustion and Emissions
• Real World Driving Emissions
• Renewable and Low Carbon Fuels
• Exhaust Aftertreatment
• Hydrogen as a Fuel for Transport
• Lif Cycle Ananlysis of Electric and Hydrogen Vehicles
• Industrial Air Pollutant Monitoring
• Carbon Audit and Energy Management
• Engine Lubricants

Co-investigator (Co-I)

• Powering HGVs on England’s Future Electric Roads
• Tailored Production and Utilisation of Sustainable Low Cost Lignocellulosic Advanced Biofuel Blends as Diesel and Petrol Substitutes: SusLABB

Qualifications

• PhD

Professional memberships

• Combustion Insititute
• Energy Institute
• Society of Automotive Engineers
• Fellow of Higher Education Academy

Student education

Prof Li lectures at all levels including from year one of undergruadate courses to master's levels in aviation engineering science, aircraft engines, carbon and energy management, energy vectors and networks, biofuels for transport etc.

Research groups and institutes

• Clean Combustion
• Sustainable Low Carbon Futures