Dr Jian Song PhD

Dr Jian Song

School of Chemical Engineering
Assistant Professor

Contact details

Email
j.song.2@bham.ac.uk
View my research portal
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

Article

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

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

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

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

Jiang, F, Wang, H, Pei, D, Zhang, T, Song, J, Jin, Y & Ling, X 2026, 'Metallurgical solid waste-derived skeleton enables shape-stabilized phase change materials with robust properties for high-temperature (≥600 °C) thermal energy storage', Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 300, 114272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solmat.2026.114272

Tao, M, Zhang, T, Song, J, Jin, Y, Jiang, F & Ling, X 2026, 'Optimized strategy for upgrading single-stage to cascaded latent heat thermal energy storage devices: Structural design and phase change temperature matching', Applied Thermal Engineering, vol. 287, 129464. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2025.129464

Jiang, J, Liu, L, Song, J, Hu, B, Bi, Y, Jiang, S, Dai, Y & Wang, R 2026, 'Solar-assisted high-temperature heat pumps to achieve off-grid zero-carbon heating in industrial parks', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 226, 116412. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116412

Lai, F, Wang, M, Zhang, T, Song, J & Zhou, J 2026, 'Techno-economic evaluation of solar-driven PEM water electrolysis systems for hydrogen production: Comparison and regional insights', Renewable Energy, vol. 264, 125558. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2026.125558

He, Y, Song, J, Brynolf, S & Grahn, M 2026, 'Unlocking decarbonisation in hard-to-abate sectors: A quantile-based comparative techno-economic analysis of e-fuel pathways', Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 351, 121035. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2026.121035

Conference article

Huang, Y, Ahmad, A, Zhang, T, Song, J & Ding, Y 2025, 'An air liquefaction system integrated with organic Rankine cycle for performance enhancement and energy saving', IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 1331, no. 1, 012001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/1331/1/012001

Review article

Wang, J, Chen, R, Huang, C, Guo, Z, Song, J, He, S, Zheng, Y, Deng, S, Chen, Y, Wang, Y, Cao, XE & Li, S 2026, 'Mapping innovations in direct air capture: A systematic patent review and literature comparison', Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 226, no. Part E, 116491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2025.116491

Li, W, Kadam, S, Song, J, Narayan, S, Markides, CN & Yu, Z 2026, 'Nanoscale surface morphology modifications for next-generation supercritical CO2 heat exchangers: Review and perspective', International Journal of Thermal Sciences, vol. 219, 110235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2025.110235

View all publications in research portal