We’re delighted that two of Dr Bo Li’s colleagues – Dr Mi Tian (University of Exeter) and Dr Yutaku Kita (King’s College London) – have accepted his invitation to deliver a double-bill research seminar on this date; please see below for full details of the presentations, we’d love to see you there.
Speaker 1: Dr Mi Tian, University of Exeter
Title: Solid-State Hydrogen Storage
Abstract: Hydrogen is seen as a promising clean energy carrier, but storing it safely and efficiently remains a significant challenge because hydrogen has a very low density. Mi Tian’s research tackles this problem by developing advanced solid-state hydrogen storage materials that can hold more hydrogen and release it faster. In this talk, Mi will discuss four main research areas: sustainably creating metal–organic frameworks and metal hydrides to boost hydrogen storage, using neutron scattering to gain new insights into hydrogen’s behaviour, and applying intelligent manufacturing methods to produce porous composites for better onboard hydrogen storage. These innovations aim to make hydrogen storage more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly.
Biography: Mi Tian completed her undergraduate studies in Chemical Engineering at Beijing University of Technology, followed by an MSc in Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia (UEA). She then pursued a PhD at UEA, focusing on hydrogen storage. After her doctoral work, she joined the University of Bath in 2015 as a Postdoctoral Research Associate, where she continued to explore hydrogen-related technologies. In 2020, She moved to the University of Exeter as a Lecturer, and she currently serves as an Associate Professor.
Her research centres on hydrogen energy, particularly porous materials for gas storage and separation—including CO₂ capture—and metal hydride systems for solid-state storage. She also uses advanced characterization techniques to better understand gas storage and separation processes. In addition, she investigates the broader hydrogen supply chain as a separate research area. Her contributions have earned her recognition among the Top 50 Women in Engineering, and in 2023, she became one of the 21 EPSRC Women in Engineering Ambassadors, further highlighting her impact in this field.
Speaker 2: Dr Yutaku Kita, Kings College London.
Title: Predicting spray quenching: progress and challenges
Abstract: Spray cooling offers an exceptional cooling performance due to the continuous impact of cold droplets and evaporation. This technique has been used in steel industry and emergency cooling for nuclear power plants, while other potential applications include thermal management for electronics, lasers and motors. However, some challenges remain — due to the complex nature of spray cooling, the prediction of heat transfer characteristics remains highly challenging. More specifically, the onset of quench i.e. the transition of boiling regimes (from film boiling to nucleate boiling) has been a long-standing question. In this talk, Yutaku will present some of his team’s work on spray cooling and droplet impingement to better understand the mechanism of quenching and will attempt to pose remaining problems to further investigate.
Bio: Dr Yutaku Kita is a Lecturer of the Department of Engineering, King’s College London. Yutaku obtained his PhD at Kyushu University in 2018 and held an Assistant Professor position at the same university until December 2022, before joining King’s. Yutaku is passionate in experiments using optical techniques for phase change heat transfer such as boiling, evaporation and condensation. He is a recipient of the 2022 Asian Union of Thermal Science and Engineering (AUTSE) Young Scientist Award, presented at the 17th International Heat Transfer Conference (IHTC-17) in Cape Town, where he gave a plenary lecture.