HDR Luc-Sy TRAN

Luc-Sy TRAN will present his Research entitled "Towards understanding the combustion chemistry of biofuels" to validate his HDR, on December 12, 2025 at 10 AM, at CERLA, before the jury :

• Dr. Philippe DAGAUT, Directeur de Recherche CNRS, ICARE Orléans, France.
• Dr. Jérôme YON, Professeur de l’INSA de Rouen, France.
• Dr. Tiziano FARAVELLI, Professeur de l’Ecole Polytechnique de Milan, Italie.
• Dr. Katharina KOHSE-HÖINGHAUS, Professeure Emérite de l’Université de Bielefeld, Allemagne.
• Dr. Frédérique BATTIN-LECLERC, Directrice de Recherche CNRS, LRGP, Université de Lorraine, France.
• Dr. Laurent GASNOT, Professeur de l’Université de Lille, France.
• Dr. Pascale DESGROUX, Directrice de Recherche CNRS, PC2A, Université de Lille, France.

Abstract: My research has been focused on combustion processes with the purpose of solving two essential problems for the future, energy demand and environmental protection, both of which are strongly related since better combustion implies an energy gain and a limitation of pollution. I have pursued studies directed to understanding combustion chemistry and developing combustion kinetic models, especially for advanced biofuels, using complementary experimental and modelling approaches. I have participated to several projects, as a principal investigator or a participant. For example, I have been the coordinator of the I-SITE BIOFUEL-SOOT project, the scientific leader for a work-package “soot precursor kinetics” of the PEPR OXY3C project, strongly involved in the ANR OFELIE project, and I have actively participated to large regional projects (e.g. CPER ECRIN). Besides developing experimental systems at PC2A, I have participated to eight experimental campaigns in SOLEIL synchrotron for the detection of especially reactive species. I have actively participated to supervision of 4 PhD students, 4 master students, 3 BTS students, and 1 post-doc. Additionally, I currently serve on the journal Editorial Board for Progress in Reaction Kinetics and Mechanism, and an active member of different jury committees (e.g. thesis monitoring committees, PhD thesis defense, 2024 Bernard Lewis Fellowship Committee of Combustion Institute). I have published 49 peer-reviewed articles in international journals presenting reliable experimental data measured in different reactors and have proposed about 10 validated combustion mechanisms for oxygenated biofuels to the combustion community. Several important findings and contributions have been declared. For example, (i) an unconventional combustion chemistry behavior (a double negative temperature coefficient) was observed in the low-temperature oxidation of acyclic ether biofuels; (ii) the derived species with cis configuration from tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol combustion were found to be thermodynamically more stable than their corresponding trans configuration, differing from usual observations for hydrocarbons; (iii) world's first detailed experimental study on the detection and quantification of oxygenated polycyclic hydrocarbon aromatics (OPAHs) during the combustion of a new lignin-based biofuel was performed, where 90% of OPAHs were reported for the first time. These results offer valuable insights to advance our knowledge of combustion chemistry of oxygenated biofuels, including primary reactions of biofuels and pollutant formation routes.