Dr Jian Song PhD

School of Chemical Engineering
Assistant Professor

Contact details

Email: j.song.2@bham.ac.uk

Address: School of Chemical Engineering
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Dr Jian Song is Assistant Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham. His research focuses on clean and sustainable energy technologies, which covers thermal fluids, processes, devices and systems, with an emphasis on multi-scale integrated design and optimisation of energy conversion and storage options, aiming at enhancing energy utilisation efficiency across conventional and renewable resources, and contributing to energy harvesting and sustainability.

Qualifications

PhD in Power Engineering and Engineering Thermophysics, Tsinghua University, 2018
BEng in Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2013
BSc in Economics and Management, Tsinghua University, 2013

Biography

Dr Jian Song is Assistant Professor at the School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham, Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Imperial College London, and Managing Editor of Applied Thermal Engineering.

Dr Jian Song has been acting as the Deputy Group Leader of Clean Energy Processes (CEP) Laboratory at Imperial prior to joining Birmingham in May 2023. Dr Jian Song received his PhD Degree from Tsinghua University in 2018 and has been awarded Zijing Scholar Fellowship, Outstanding PhD Thesis by Chinese Society for Internal Combustion Engines (CSICE), and Wu Zhonghua Outstanding Postgraduate Award. Dr Jian Song visited the Whittle Laboratory at University of Cambridge in 2016 and participated the internship in Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in 2015.

Dr Jian Song’s research focuses on clean and sustainable energy technologies, which covers thermal fluids, processes, devices and systems, with an emphasis on multi-scale integrated design and optimisation of energy conversion and storage options, aiming at enhancing energy utilisation efficiency across conventional and renewable resources, and contributing to energy harvesting and sustainability.

Postgraduate supervision

Dr Jian Song is interested in supervising doctoral research students in the following areas:

Thermo-mechanical energy conversion and storage
Thermal energy (heat and cold) storage
Renewable energy technologies
Industrial decarbonisation

Please feel free to contact Dr Jian Song for more details if you are interested in studying any of these topics.

Research

Multi-scale integrated design and optimisation

Novel thermal fluids
High-performance energy devices/components
Effective integration and operation

Clean energy technologies

Waste-heat recovery
Hybrid renewable energy systems
Whole-system analysis

Other activities

Managing Editor of Applied Thermal Engineering
Member of Climate Growth Leadership Network

Publications

Recent publications

Book

Lin, X, Song, J & Zhong, W 2026, Integrated Energy Systems with a Carnot Battery: A Pathway to Low-Carbon Energy Systems. CRC Focus, 1st edn, CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003630821

Article

Zhao, Y, Huang, S, Song, J, Markides, CN & Huang, Z 2026, 'A carbon-dioxide-based polygeneration system for long-term, large-scale and cross-regional renewable energy applications', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 237, 116988. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2026.116988

Yao, E, Song, J, Zhong, L, Zhao, C, Hu, Y, Liu, T, Li, R, Wang, H & Xi, G 2026, 'Advanced exergy and exergoeconomic analyses of a novel low-temperature industrial waste driven combined power and hydrogen system', Energy, vol. 344, 140043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2026.140043

Wang, M, Lai, F, Song, J & Zhou, J 2026, 'Capacity optimisation and economic assessment of sun-tracking PV-PEM water electrolysis hydrogen production systems based on genetic algorithm', Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, vol. 92, 105245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seta.2026.105245

Xu, J, Song, J, Huang, G, Mersch, M, Wang, K & Markides, CN 2026, 'Comprehensive comparative assessments of optimal distributed solar-energy systems for combined heat and power', Energy, vol. 344, 139724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2025.139724

Mersch, M, Tafone, A, Zhao, Y, Yang, L, Sapin, P, Song, J, Romagnoli, A & Markides, CN 2026, 'Consistent comparison and thermo-economic optimisation of grid-scale thermo-mechanical energy storage technologies', Journal of Energy Storage, vol. 152, no. Part A, 120580. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.120580

Huang, J, Zhao, Y, Song, J, Chen, J, Wang, K, Rao, Z & Markides, CN 2026, 'Dynamic performance and control of Carnot battery-based combined cooling, heating and power systems with cascaded latent thermal energy stores', Applied Energy, vol. 406, 127286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apenergy.2025.127286

Lin, X, Wang, X, Song, J, Chen, R, Shu, X, Sun, D, Li, J, Hu, Z & Wang, W 2026, 'Electrochemical performance evolution of carbon-cement supercapacitors under the synergistic regulation of conductive networks and pore structures', Journal of Energy Storage, vol. 152, no. Part C, 120826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2026.120826

Wang, M, Lai, F, Zhang, Y, Song, J & Zhou, J 2026, 'Experimental investigation on the semi-transparent photovoltaic-green roof system: Effects of key parameters, and a new semi-transparent photovoltaic temperature formula', Energy and Buildings, vol. 358, 117243. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2026.117243

Dang, W, Deng, W, Song, J & Song, K 2026, 'Heat transfer enhancement of circular-tube-fin heat exchangers: Optimal positioning and role of curved rectangular vortex generators', International Journal of Thermal Sciences, vol. 223, 110653. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2025.110653

Dang, W, Wan, Y, Song, J, Song, K & Ding, Y 2026, 'Heat transfer enhancement of finned-tube heat exchangers by novel fins with interrupted toroidal dimples and protrusions', Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 302, no. Part 1, 131624. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2026.131624

Li, W, Shi, J, Yang, T, Guan, S, Chen, J, Song, J, Hou, Z, Xie, Y, Feng, Y & Chen, X 2026, 'Loofah-inspired anisotropic flexible phase change composite for efficient thermal management of high-rate batteries', Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 320, 113681. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2026.113681

Feng, Y, Wang, X, Song, J, Liu, Z, Wu, Y, Tian, S, Sapin, P, Yu, H & Markides, CN 2026, 'Machine learning approach for the prediction and optimization of heat transfer performance of ZnO/TiO₂-R123 in ORC evaporator', International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 172, no. Part 2, 110391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2025.110391

Chapter

Mao, Y, Lin, X, Zhong, W & Song, J 2026, Conclusion and Future Outlook. in X Lin, J Song & W Zhong (eds), Integrated Energy Systems with a Carnot Battery: A Pathway to Low-Carbon Energy Systems. 1st edn, CRC Focus, CRC Press, pp. 124-128. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003630821-5

Lin, X, Song, J & Jin, X 2026, Introduction to Carnot Battery. in X Lin, J Song & W Zhong (eds), Integrated Energy Systems with a Carnot Battery: A Pathway to Low-Carbon Energy Systems. 1st edn, CRC Focus, CRC Press, pp. 1-21. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003630821-1

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