Dr Bo Tian

I am a Lecturer in Engineering at the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences of the University of Leicester. I obtained my PhD in Engineering in 2017 from the University of Cambridge under the supervision of Prof. Simone Hochgreb. I acquired my MSc in Power Machinery (2012) and BSc in Mechanical Engineering (2009) both from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China. Prior to joining the University of Leicester in 2022, I worked in the Reacting Flows research group at Cambridge as a post-doc research associate between 2016-19 and held the position of Lecturer in Motorsport at the University of Derby between 2019-21. I am an academic member of The Aerosol Society, Optical Society of American (OSA), The Combustion Institute (IC) and China Mechanical Engineering Society (CMES).

My work covers several areas of research:

1. Sustainable biofuels, including biodiesels (methyl esters) and bio aviation fuels (biojet).
2. Laser-based diagnostic techniques in fluids, including PIV, LII, laser extinction and LDA.
3. Soot formation and emission from combustion.
4. Novel nano material synthesis in flame environments.

My research successfully identified the key factors that determine the sooting propensity of real biodiesel and bio aviation fuels. I have developed several innovative high-sensitivity, real-time laser-based techniques for soot detection in flames, such as Continuous-Wave Laser Cavity Extinction (CW-LCE) and 2-Dimensional 2-Color Time-Resolved Laser Induced Incandescence (2D2C-TiRe-LII). Prior to joining the University of Leicester in 2022, I had led or participated in seven research projects funded by various funding bodies and published papers in peer-reviewed journals. I work closely with collaborators in the UK and internationally and with partners spanning academia and industry, such as Imperial College London, Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Swedish Biofuel AB. I am a reviewer for more than 10 academic journals.

Selected publications

1. C T Chong, B Tian*(corresponding author), J-H Ng, L Fan, M-V Tran, S Hochgreb, ‘Measurements of Soot and Response Optimisation of Laminar Pool and Prevaporised Jet Flames for Various Oxygenated Biofuels’. Combustion and Flame, Combustion and Flame, Volume 245, 2022, ISSN 0010-2180, https://doi.org/10.1016 / j.combustflame.2022.112328. (Impact Factor = 5.767).
   
   
2. B Tian*, C Zhang, Y Gao, C T Chong, S Hochgreb, ‘2D 2-colour Time-Resolved Laser-Induced Incandescence Sizing of Ultra-fine Soot Particles in a Methane Diffusion Flame’. Proceedings of The Combustion Institute, 39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2022.08.128  (Impact Factor = 6.535).
   
   
3. B Tian*, L Fan, C T Chong, Z Gao, J-H Ng, S Ni, L Zhu, S Hochgreb, ‘Soot volume fraction and size measurements over laminar pool flames and pre-vaporised diffusion flames of biofuels, methyl esters and blends with diesel’. Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science, 110794, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2022.110794. (Impact Factor = 3.370).
   
   
4. C Zhang, B Tian*(corresponding author), C T Chong, B Ding, L Fan, X Chang, S Hochgreb, ‘Experimental study of thiophene and ferrocene in synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes in rich premixed hydrogen/air flames’. Combustion and Flame, Volume 238, 2022, 111939, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. combus tflame. 2021.111939  (Impact Factor = 5.767).
   
   
5. B Tian*, C T Chong*, A Liu, L Fan, S Ni, A Hull, A Hull, S Rigopoulos, K Luo, S Hochgreb. 'Measurement and simulation of sooting characteristics by an ATJ-SKA biojet fuel and blends with Jet A-1 fuel in laminar non-premixed flames', Combustion and Flame, Volume 233, November 2021, 111582, https://doi.org/10.1016 /j.combustflame.2021.111582.  (Impact Factor = 5.767).
   
   
6. C T Chong, B Tian*(corresponding author), J-H Ng, L Fan, S Ni, K Wong, S Hochgreb. ‘Quantification of Carbon Particulates Produced under Open Liquid Pool and Prevaporised Flame Conditions: Waste Cooking Oil Biodiesel and Diesel Blends’. Fuel, Volume, 270, 2020,117649, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fuel.2020.117469.  (Impact Factor=8.035).
   
   
7. B Tian*, A Liu, C T Chong, L Fan, S Ni, J-H Ng, S Rigopoulos, K H Luo, S Hochgreb. ‘Experimental and numerical study on soot formation in laminar diffusion flames of biodiesels and methyl esters’. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 38(1), 2021, 1335-1344, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2020.06.074.  (Impact Factor = 6.535).
   
   
8. C Zhang, B Tian, C T Chong, B Ding, L Fan, X Chang, S Hochgreb. ‘Synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes in rich hydrogen/air flames’. Materials Chemistry and Physics, 2020, 123479, https://doi.org /10.1016 /j.matchemphys.2020.123479.  (Impact Factor = 4.778).
   
   
9. B Tian*, C T. Chong, L Fan, J-H Ng, C Zhang, S. Hochgreb.  ‘Soot volume fraction measurements over laminar pool flames of biofuels, diesel and blends’.  Proceedings of The Combustion Institute, 37 (1),  877-884  (2019).  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2018.05.094. (Impact Factor = 6.535).
   
   
10. B Tian*, Y Gao, C Zhang, and S Hochgreb. ‘Soot measurement in diluted methane diffusion flames by multi-pass extinction and laser-induced incandescence. Combustion and Flame, 192, 224-237 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2018.01.037 (Impact Factor = 5.767).
    
    
11. B Tian*, C Zhang, Y Gao, and S Hochgreb. ‘Planar 2-color time-resolved laser-induced incandescence measurements of soot in a diffusion flame’. Aerosol Science and Technology 51 (12), 1345-1353 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1080/02786826.2017.1366644. (Impact Factor = 4.809).
    
    
12. B Tian*, Y Gao, S Balusamy, and S Hochgreb. ‘High Spatial Resolution Laser Cavity Extinction and Laser Induced Incandescence in Low Soot Producing Flames’. Applied Physics B: Lasers and Optics, 120, 469–487 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-015-6156-3. (Impact Factor = 2.171).

Full publication list please refer to my Google Scholar page.

I welcome PhD proposals on topics that fall within my research interests including the following areas.

1. New sustainable and clean energy sources, especially with regards to combustion and energy conversion from biomass.
2. Laser-based diagnostic techniques in fluids for measuring dynamics and combustion.
3. Flame synthesis of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes (CNT) and metal oxidise nanoparticles.

For applicants requiring a scholarship to fund their studies, I would be happy to support your application.

• EG1101 Mechanical Engineering (DLI)
• EG3112 Energy System and Heat Transfer (DLI)

I am happy to answer enquires about the life cycle assessment (LCA) of sustainable energy sources, clean production, environmental protection and pollutant reduction. I have provided consultation services to help Derbyshire County Council adopt cleaner energy sources for their public transportation vehicles and evaluate the environmental impact of using hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) to replace traditional petroleum fuels in transportation.

Selected conference talks:

1. B Tian*, C Zhang, Y Gao, C T Chong, S Hochgreb. ‘2D 2-colour Time-Resolved Laser Induced Incandescence Sizing of Ultra-fine Soot Particles in a Methane Diffusion Flame’. The Symposium of Combustion Institute, 2022, Vancouver, Canada.
   
   
2. B Tian*, A Liu, C T Chong, L Fan, S. Ni, J-H Ng, S. Rigopoulos, K H Luo, A Hull, A Hull, S Hochgreb. ‘Experimental and Numerical Study on Soot Formation in The Non-premixed Flames of Biodiesels and Bio-Jet Fuels’. 9th International LII workshop, 2022, Glasgow, UK.
   
   
3. B Tian*, A Liu, C T Chong, L Fan, S Ni, J-H Ng, S Rigopoulos, K H Luo, S Hochgreb. ‘Experimental and numerical study on soot formation in laminar diffusion flames of biodiesels and methyl esters’. The Symposium of Combustion Institute, 2021, Adelaide, Australia.
   
   
4. B Tian*, C T Chong, L Fan, J-H Ng, S Ni, S Hochgreb, " Soot particle measurements over a series of laminar pool flames and diffusion flames of biofuels and methyl esters," Cambridge Particle Meeing, 2019, Cambridge, UK.
   
   
5. B Tian*, C T. Chong, L Fan, J-H Ng, C Zhang, S. Hochgreb. "Soot volume fraction measurements over laminar pool flames of biofuels, diesel and blends". The Symposium of Combustion Institute, 2019, Dublin, Ireland.
   
   
6. B Tian*, and S Hochgreb, " Laser-based diagnostics techniques for particles in flames," Global Young Researcher Forum, 2018, Shanghai, China.
   
   
7. B Tian*, and S Hochgreb, " Laser diagnostics of soot and other condensed phase particles in flames," Shanghai Jiao Tong University Combustion Seminar, 2017, Shanghai, China.
   
   
8. B Tian*, C Zhang, and S Hochgreb, " Planar 2-colour time-resolved LII measurement of soot in a diffusion flame," 7th International LII workshop, 2016, Tahoe City, USA.
   
   
9. B Tian*, Y Gao, S Balusamy, and S Hochgreb, " High Spatial Resolution Laser Cavity Extinction Measurements of Soot Volume Fraction In Low Soot Producing Flames," Cambridge Particle Meeting, 2013, Cambridge, UK.
   
   
10. B Tian*, S Balusamy, and S Hochgreb, " High Spatial Resolution Laser Cavity Extinction Measurements of Soot Volume Fraction In Low Soot Producing Flames," British and Scandinavian-Nordic Section Combustion Meeting, 2013, Cambridge, UK.

PhD in Engineering - University of Cambridge

MSc in Power Machinery - Shanghai Jiao Tong University

BSc in Mechanical Engineering - Shanghai Jiao Tong University