MechE Colloquium: Engineering Net-Zero Transport: From Future Fuels to Carbon and Emissions Management
Event details
| Date | 13.10.2026 |
| Hour | 12:00 › 13:00 |
| Speaker | Prof. Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao, The Grantham Institute for Climate Change, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London |
| Location | Online |
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
| Event Language | English |
Abstract: Transport systems underpin modern society, yet remain among the most challenging sectors to decarbonise. Achieving net-zero transport requires coordinated action across energy carriers, carbon flows and mitigation of other pollutants. This talk presents a multiscale engineering framework for sustainable mobility, organised around three complementary pathways: fuel development (F), greenhouse-gas management (G) and mitigating harmful emissions beyond CO2 (H). First, using solar-driven CO2 conversion as an example, I will show how the precise transport of light, heat and fluids enables the coordinated design of materials, devices and systems, maximising solar-to-fuel conversion efficiency. Second, I will explore on-board carbon capture for road and maritime transport, together with distributed carbon-removal networks that use existing vehicles, ventilation systems and transport infrastructure. Third, I will discuss particulate matter generated by brake and tyre wear, illustrating how materials engineering can balance filtration efficiency, pressure drop and energy demand. Finally, the talk considers how techno-economic assessment and the interplay between technology, business and policy can move laboratory innovations towards industrial deployment.
Biography: Dr Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao (https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/elvis.cao) is currently an Assistant Professor at Imperial College London, holding joint appointments in Mechanical Engineering and the Grantham Institute. Cao leads the Laboratory for Integrated Green Harvesting & Transport, the LIGHT Lab, which seeks to engineer the physical systems for a sustainable future. Before joining Imperial, Cao was a Schmidt Science Fellow at MIT, where he pursued integrated carbon capture and utilisation under the guidance of Professor Ted Sargent. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, his MEng in Materials Engineering from McGill University, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Energy and Power Engineering and English Literature from Xi’an Jiaotong University. He has published more than 30 first- or corresponding-author papers in journals including Joule, Matter, Device and Advanced Materials. Cao was named one of MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 globally in 2024 and was previously recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy for North America. His other honours include the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s German Chancellor Fellowship, the Activate Fellowship, the MIT Climate & Energy Prize, the Global Young Investigator Award in Separation Science, and the Carbon Capture Future Star Award, among others.
Biography: Dr Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao (https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/elvis.cao) is currently an Assistant Professor at Imperial College London, holding joint appointments in Mechanical Engineering and the Grantham Institute. Cao leads the Laboratory for Integrated Green Harvesting & Transport, the LIGHT Lab, which seeks to engineer the physical systems for a sustainable future. Before joining Imperial, Cao was a Schmidt Science Fellow at MIT, where he pursued integrated carbon capture and utilisation under the guidance of Professor Ted Sargent. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, his MEng in Materials Engineering from McGill University, and dual bachelor’s degrees in Energy and Power Engineering and English Literature from Xi’an Jiaotong University. He has published more than 30 first- or corresponding-author papers in journals including Joule, Matter, Device and Advanced Materials. Cao was named one of MIT Technology Review’s 35 Innovators Under 35 globally in 2024 and was previously recognised in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy for North America. His other honours include the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s German Chancellor Fellowship, the Activate Fellowship, the MIT Climate & Energy Prize, the Global Young Investigator Award in Separation Science, and the Carbon Capture Future Star Award, among others.
Practical information
- General public
- Free