Rate My Professor Ricardo Sodre

Professor José Ricardo Sodré serves as Head of the Department of Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering within the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences at Aston University. He is also Reader in the Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute. With over 30 years of experience in sustainable energy and transport research, he earned his PhD in Formulation and Experimental Validation of a Computer Model for Spark Ignition Engine Exhaust Hydrocarbons from UMIST, Manchester, UK, in 1995; an MSc in Experimental Determination of Friction Factors in Annular Regions from Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) in 1992; and a BSc from Universidade Federal Fluminense in 1988. His career includes roles as Associate Professor and Automotive Engineering Team Leader at Birmingham City University from 2016 to 2018, Associate Professor and Director of Postgraduate Programmes in Mechanical Engineering at Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas) from 1997 to 2016, and Research Associate at PUC-Rio from 1996 to 1997.

Sodré's research specializations encompass sustainable energy and transport decarbonisation, pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, biofuels, energy efficiency, transport electrification, conversion efficiency of biofuels and alternative fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and hydrogen, waste heat recovery systems, and electric vehicles. He has supervised 11 PhD students and 27 MSc students to completion and led projects attracting over £8.5 million in research grants from industry partners including FIAT-Chrysler, IVECO, PETROBRAS, CEMIG, VALE, FORD, STIHL, and HORIBA. Key publications include 'Hydrous ethanol vs. gasoline-ethanol blend: Engine performance and emissions' (Fuel, 2010), 'Compression ratio effects on an ethanol/gasoline fuelled engine performance' (Applied Thermal Engineering, 2011), 'Impacts of replacement of engine powered vehicles by electric vehicles on energy consumption and CO2 emissions' (Transportation Research Part D, 2018), 'Driving behaviour and trip condition effects on the energy consumption of an electric vehicle under real-world driving' (Applied Energy, 2021), and 'Lifecycle assessment and environmental impacts of hybrid electric vehicles fuelled by bioethanol and biogas' (2025). He has participated in over 120 scientific events across more than 25 countries and published 77 journal articles, 15 book sections, and 125 conference papers.