‎‎ ‎ Axel Coussement

Head of Department, Director of CREST, Counsellor to the rectorate 

E-mail: axel.coussement@ulb.be
Phone number: 02.650.2673
Location: Solbosch campus, building U, entrance A, 5th floor


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Career Summary:
Axel Coussement obtained his PhD in Engineering Science from the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) in 2012, in joint supervision with École Centrale Paris, where his research focused on direct numerical simulation and reduced-order modelling of combustion in perfect and real gases. Following his PhD, he held several post-doctoral fellowships in Belgium, France, and Germany, funded by FNRS and ESA/CNES, working on hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engines, combustion instabilities in rocket engines, and advanced modelling of alternative fuels. During this period, Axel Coussement also completed an MBA at the Solvay Brussels School, specializing in marketing and strategic management.
In 2016, Axel Coussement was appointed Professor in the Aero-Thermo-Mechanics Department at ULB, where he now leads both experimental and numerical research in combustion, hydrogen systems, and the energy transition. His current research focuses on data-driven and grey-box modelling of energy systems, electrification of high-temperature industrial processes, and the development of integrated experimental platforms combining engines, turbines, power-to-X systems, and hydrogen infrastructure.
Before his academic career, he gained industrial R&D experience as a research engineer at IFP Énergies Nouvelles (France), where he worked on advanced control of diesel engines in HCCI mode, and later at the EM2C laboratory, contributing to combustion modelling activities.
Axel Coussement currently leads several major research and innovation initiatives, including the Hydrogen & Heat Lab and multiple funded projects on hydrogen, industrial electrification, and data-driven energy systems. He is also the academic coordinator of the ARES SUNRISE cooperation project in Cuba, and principal investigator of national projects such as MITIGATE, HECO2, and Win4Ex.
Beyond research, he launched the STEM outreach programme “No Green Washing, Just Science” and has been deeply involved in the strategic redevelopment of ULB’s engineering facilities, notably through the design and coordination of the renovation of the L building for the EPB project. Since 2024, he has served as Head of the ATM Department and Advisor to the Rector for infrastructures and educational valorisation.


Main Research Interests:
        •        Combustion of alternative fuels (H₂, NH₃, RCCI, flameless combustion)
        •        Hydrogen engines, turbines and power-to-X systems
        •        Data-driven and grey-box modelling / digital twins of energy systems
        •        Electrification of high-temperature industrial processes (plasma, electric furnaces)
        •        Decarbonisation of heat at building, district and industrial scale (heat networks, flexibility)


Involvement in Projects and Grants:

As PI:

• SUNRISE - ARES:Cuban–Belgian project on renewable energy transition and decentralised energy systems.
• H3 – Hydrogen & Heat Lab – FEDER Brussels: Integrated hydrogen, heat and energy storage research infrastructure at pilot scale.
• Power-to-X & Mobility Platform – RePowerEU / Plan de Relance:  Pilot-scale hydrogen, e-fuels and mobility test platform at ULB.
• No Green Washing, Just Science – Innoviris STEM: Board game to teach energy transition in secondary schools.
• MITIGATE – Win4Doc: Home energy management system using predictive control and storage optimisation.
• Win4Excellence: Grey-box models and digital twins for hydrogen gas turbines.
• TransHysion – FTJ: Hydrogen combustion research for furnaces, gas turbines and fuel cells.
• TrynitHY – FEDER: Hydrogen combustion technologies for hard-to-abate industrial processes.
• H2GridTwin – FTE: Digital twin of hydrogen energy storage and distribution network.
• H2HeatNet – Innoviris: Hydrogen-based CHP integrated into district heating optimisation models.
• HECO2 Axe 1 – Pôle MecaTech: Machine-learning electrification strategy for high-temperature industrial furnaces.
• PHOEBUS – - Pôle MecaTech: Energy recovery from synthetic fuels produced from solid waste.
• ENERBIO-RW – FEDER: Advanced combustion of Walloon biomasses for heat and power systems.
• FER 2021 – FER ULB: Oxy-combustion of hydrogen flames for low-emission burners.

As participant : 

• DESIRE – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: Renewable synthetic fuels for decarbonising energy-intensive industries across Europe consortium.  
• BEST – FTE: Belgian energy system modelling; role of electro/synthetic carriers for security.  
• NESTED – ArcelorMittal: Benzole effects on NOx formation in coke-oven heating flues study.  
• CleanGas – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions: Experimental and numerical modelling for clean natural-gas combustion technologies development.