- Institution: Loughborough University
- Primary supervisor: Dr Lu Tian
- Secondary supervisor: Professor Adrian Spencer
- PhD student Josh Wheldon
- Conducted in collaboration with Caterpillar
Project summary
This research addresses a critical challenge: understanding and mitigating hydrogen pre-ignition risks caused by lubricating oils under demanding engine conditions.
Hydrogen is a clean, zero-carbon fuel, but its high reactivity makes it susceptible to pre-ignition. The presence of lubricating oil droplets can exacerbate this risk by evaporating, altering chemical pathways, and producing nanoscale soot particles that may trigger early ignition. These phenomena can compromise engine safety, performance, and durability.
The project will investigate how different oil formulations and engine parameters influence ignition behaviour. Advanced tools such as chemical kinetic modelling and multi-dimensional CFD simulations will be employed, alongside close collaboration with experimental research teams.
Research will be based at the Caterpillar Innovation & Research Centre at Loughborough University, with practical experience at Caterpillar’s Peterborough site, working with a global team advancing hydrogen technology for off-highway applications.
Meet the researcher
Hi, I’m Josh. I graduated in 2025 with a master’s in chemical engineering at Loughborough University, with an added focus on biological processes and the circular economy.
As the world shifts towards sustainability goals, repurposing gas-powered internal combustion engines (ICEs) with hydrogen-powered ICEs offers a relatively simple shift compared to fuel cells.
My research will focus on the role of lubricant oils in inducing pre-ignition events within hydrogen-powered combustion engines using a chemical reactions kinetics model and computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
Building a net zero ecosystem is like a massive jigsaw, and my piece in partnership with Caterpillar applies the process modelling of my degree to a real industry problem.