To thoroughly implement the major strategic decisions on carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, promote the shift in the role of CO₂ from an emission-reduction target to a working-fluid resource, and promptly present the latest research results and engineering practices in CO₂ working-fluid utilization and low-carbon energy systems in the power generation field, the Editorial Office of Thermal Power Generation, together with the Organizing Committee of the 2026 International Conference on Supercritical CO₂ Power Cycles and Multi-Energy Complementary Systems, has invited Professor Xu Jinliang of North China Electric Power University, Professor-level Senior Engineer Zhang Yifan of Xi’an Thermal Power Research Institute, Professor Wang Xuan of Tianjin University, Associate Professor Jiang Long of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Associate Researcher Jiao Fan of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Associate Professor Sun Enhui of North China Electric Power University to serve as Guest Editors and jointly plan the special issue “CO₂ Working-Fluid Utilization in Power Generation and Low-Carbon Energy Systems.” Once papers for this special issue are accepted after review, they will be published online first as soon as possible and are scheduled for formal publication in Issue 7, 2027. Experts and scholars at home and abroad are sincerely invited to write and submit papers actively, so as to jointly discuss and solve key scientific and technological challenges in the transformation of the power generation field under the goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.

I. Topics of Interest (including but not limited to) 

1. Fundamentals of thermophysical properties and flow and heat transfer of CO₂ as a working fluid; 

2. Aerodynamic fundamentals and design methods for CO₂ working-fluid turbomachinery; 

3. Integration and operation control of CO₂ working-fluid power generation systems; 

4. CO₂ working-fluid energy storage technologies and integration of multi-energy low-carbon systems; 

5. Engineering practice, techno-economic assessment, and policy mechanisms. 

II. Manuscript Requirements

1. The special issue only accepts previously unpublished technical papers and review articles; simultaneous submissions are not accepted. 

2. Submitted papers should have a clear thesis, prominent focus, and logical organization, and should fully demonstrate innovation, advancement, and practicality. 

3. Authors are responsible for the authenticity and objectivity of the paper content. Do not include confidential content. 

4. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the Manuscript Submission Template of Thermal Power Generation. Technical papers (including theoretical research, numerical simulation, experimental research, etc.) should generally be about 6,000 Chinese characters, and review articles (requiring a relatively comprehensive statement and relatively in-depth comments) should generally be about 10,000 Chinese characters. 

III. Submission Deadline 

January 15, 2027 

IV. Submission Method 

Please visit the Thermal Power Generation website at https://castjournals.cast.org.cn/joweb/rlfd, click “Author Submission Entrance,” complete registration, and submit online according to the prompts. When submitting, please select the special issue “CO₂ Working-Fluid Utilization in Power Generation and Low-Carbon Energy Systems” under “Planned Column.” 

Editorial Office of Thermal Power Generation 

September 15, 2026 

Guest Editor Profiles 

Xu Jinliang is a Professor at North China Electric Power University, Deputy Chief Engineer of the Flexible Coal-Fired Power Generation Team at Huairou Laboratory, Head of a Huang Danian-style Team, Director of a Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education, Responsible Expert in the coal-fired power generation field for the Ministry of Science and Technology, a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars, a Changjiang Scholar, Chief Scientist of a MOST 973 Program project and leader of a key special project, Council Member of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, and Deputy Director of the Multiphase Flow Branch of the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics. He is engaged in research on supercritical CO₂ power generation, renewable energy, and multiphase flow. He has published 400 papers, which have been cited more than 10,000 times, and has been an Elsevier highly cited author in the energy field for six consecutive years. As conference chair, he presided over the First International Conference on Micro Energy and the First International Conference on Supercritical CO₂ Power Generation, co-chaired the International Conference Series on Microfluidic Systems, the International Conference on Heat Transfer and Energy Utilization, and others, and delivered more than 40 plenary/keynote/invited lectures at international conferences. He received the 2012 Best Paper Reviewer Award in the international heat transfer field. He has won the First Prize for Natural Science of the Ministry of Education, the Outstanding Contribution Award of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering, and the China Industry-University-Research Cooperation Innovation Award. He has been granted 2 U.S. patents, and 2 patents have been commercialized to enterprises. 

Zhang Yifan is a Professor-level Senior Engineer, Senior Expert at Xi’an Thermal Power Research Institute, Chief Scientist of a National Key R&D Program project, a Leading Talent in Science and Technology Innovation of Shaanxi Province, a recipient of the Category A Youth Project of the Shaanxi Provincial Natural Science Basic Research Program, a Xi’an High-level Talent (Category B), and an Outstanding Young Scientific and Technological Talent in Electric Power. He is a member of several professional committees of the Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering, the Chinese Society of Engineering Thermophysics, and other societies. He has presided over National Key R&D Program projects and 3 National Natural Science Foundation projects, and more than 10 provincial and ministerial-level sci-tech projects. He has long been engaged in research on supercritical CO₂ cycle power generation technology. As technical leader, he built the world’s first 5 MW supercritical CO₂ power generation test unit, achieving 0–100% Pe deep peak shaving and ±8% Pe/min rapid peak shaving. He led the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 50 MW coal-fired supercritical CO₂ power generation demonstration project in Shaanxi, which was successfully selected among the 5th batch of first-of-its-kind major technical equipment in the energy field by the National Energy Administration. He has published 33 SCI papers and been granted 102 invention patents. He has received the First Prize of the Shaanxi Technological Invention Award, the First Prize of the Electric Power Science and Technology Progress Award, the First Prize of the Electric Power Innovation Award, the Gold Medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, and others. He serves as a Young Editorial Board Member of Thermal Power Generation. 

Wang Xuan is a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, a doctoral supervisor, and a national-level young talent. His main research directions are CO₂ power cycles and organic Rankine cycles, including the design and development of core components such as turbine generators, system integration design and development, and intelligent simulation and control of systems. He has successively led two China–US international cooperation projects under the National Key R&D Program, National Natural Science Foundation General and Youth projects, and a major special project. He has published more than 50 SCI papers and holds more than 10 patents. He has received honors including the First Prize of the Tianjin Technological Invention Award, Top Ten Scientific and Technological Advances in Chinese Universities, Top Ten Scientific and Technological Innovations for Carbon Peaking and Carbon Neutrality in China, and the Tianjin University Leading Talent Cultivation Program. 

Jiang Long is an Associate Professor and doctoral supervisor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, a Young Chief Scientist of the National Key R&D Program, and a Huazhong Excellence Scholar (Young Scholar). He is mainly engaged in efficient and low-carbon conversion of carbon-based fuels, novel supercritical CO₂ power cycles, and intelligent flexible power generation. He has presided over 7 national and provincial/ministerial research projects, including a National Key R&D Program Young Scientist Project, National Natural Science Foundation General and Youth projects, and has undertaken 15 enterprise sci-tech projects. As first/corresponding author, he has published more than 50 high-level journal papers, which have been cited more than 6,000 times. He has been granted more than 30 national invention patents, drafted 3 industry standards, and chief-edited 2 textbooks. He has received 4 provincial/ministerial sci-tech awards, including the First Prize of the Hubei Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award and the Special Prize for Technological Invention of the China Energy Conservation Association. 

Jiao Fan is an Associate Researcher at the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is mainly engaged in research on solar thermochemical production of low-carbon fuels, and modeling and analysis of multi-energy complementary energy systems. He has presided over National Natural Science Foundation General and Youth (Category C) projects, sub-projects of the National Key R&D Program, and others, and has participated in major tasks such as National Natural Science Foundation Basic Science Center, Major Projects, and Distinguished Young Scholars projects. He has published more than 40 academic papers, been granted more than 10 invention patents, and obtained 2 software copyrights. He has received awards including the Special Commendation Gold Medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, the Gold Medal at the IFIA International Invention and Innovation Competition, the Young Scientist Innovation Award at the AsiaCity2050 International Conference, Best Paper and Highest Download Awards from international journals, and the “May Fourth Star” of the Institute of Engineering Thermophysics. He serves as a Young Editorial Board Member of international journals such as Transformative Energy and Carbon Neutrality, and as a reviewer for journals such as Applied Energy, Energy Conversion and Management, Journal of Energy Storage, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, and Fuel. 

Sun Enhui is an Associate Professor and doctoral supervisor. She currently serves as Party Branch Secretary of the Energy Storage Teaching and Research Office, Department of Power Engineering, North China Electric Power University; Head of the third batch of Hebei Province’s “Double Leaders” Teacher Party Branch Secretary Studio for Party Building; and an expert under Hebei Province’s “Yanzhao Talent A Card” program. Her main research directions are novel power generation and energy storage technologies. As first/corresponding author, she has published more than 50 academic papers and 1 monograph. She has been granted 10 invention patents. She has presided over 1 project and 1 sub-project of the National Key R&D Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology, 1 National Natural Science Foundation General Project, 1 National Natural Science Foundation Youth Project, and 1 Hebei Province Youth Top Talent Project, and was the principal author of the Baoding City New Energy Storage Development Plan. She received the 2025 First Prize for Natural Science of the Ministry of Education and the 2023 First Prize of the Electric Power Science and Technology Progress Award. She serves as a Young Editorial Board Member of Thermal Power Generation.