Dr Josh Finneran

Background

Joshua Finneran joined Loughborough University in 2023 as Lecturer in Thermofluids in the Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering. Prior to this, he was a research associate at the University of Cambridge Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) and held a position at Clare College Cambridge as a research associate.  

Joshua completed his PhD in 2021 at Loughborough University, titled “Cryogenic fuelling of engines and fundamental droplet evaporation behaviour”. He was awarded an MEng (DIS) in Mechanical Engineering in 2017, also at Loughborough University, and graduated top of their class.   

Key awards

•  2022 – Best paper at UK Heat Transfer conference 2022 
• 2021 – PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Loughborough university 
• 2017 – MEng (DIS) in Mechanical Engineering, First Class Honours, Loughborough University 
• 2012-2017 – Highest performing student for all four years of undergraduate study  

Joshua’s research aims to address key problems including future low-carbon propulsion technologies, ventilation strategies to improve air quality and reduce energy consumption, and fundamentals of liquid droplet and spray evaporation by applying theoretical, numerical, and experimental techniques in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and heat transfer. 

Indoor airflows 

Airflows play an important role in the transport of potentially harmful substances that are detrimental to indoor air quality, and can significantly affect human health (e.g. transport of virus particles or pollution). Joshua’s research in this area focuses on understanding the fundamental heat and mass transfer processes that occur in rooms, such as ventilation flows, and buoyancy driven natural convection flows. The objective is to improve indoor air quality and improve energy efficiency of buildings. 

Droplets and sprays 

Droplets play an important role in a in a range of applications including atmospheric flows and understanding our climate, fuel sprays and combustion, and virus transmission via respiratory droplets.  The focus of Joshua’s research in this area is advancing our fundamental understanding of the physical processes involved droplet transport and evaporation and applying this knowledge to improve droplet evaporation models. These insights have broad applicability to many applications. 

Grants and contracts

2022 - Rapid Assistance in Modelling the Pandemic (RAMP) Outreach Innovation Awards (£5k). Grant to communicate aspects of infectious disease modelling. 

Current teaching responsibilities

• WSA800 – Thermodynamics and fluid mechanics 
• WSB802 – Fluid mechanics 2 
• WSC500 – Individual project 

Current administrative responsibilities

• Visiting tutor for industrial placements students. 
• Personal tutor for Mechanical Engineering students. 
• Tour and Laboratory Demonstrator for University Open Days.