Development of novel model to predict the lifespan of metallic components for application in hydrogen-powered engines/generators (RDF25/EE/MCE/ZHANG)

Hydrogen is an important renewable fuel owing to its high energy content and no carbon dioxide emission [1], which can significantly contribute to the UK Governments ‘2050 net-zero target’, if it is widely utilised in engines/generators.

Nevertheless, the presence of hydrogen will cause a critical problem to metals or alloys known as hydrogen embrittlement (HE) [2], which exacerbates the degradation of mechanical properties of engine components and results in sudden fatal failure. Most previous studies on HE were focused stress-induced HE alone, and minor researches accounted for temperature in hydride-forming alloys only [3]. However, many metallic components of heat engines, e.g., cylinder liner or turbine blade, are non-hydride-forming alloys working in harsh environments where complex temperature-stress interactions occur simultaneously [4]. It indicates that existing HE mechanisms are not validated to engine components under their working conditions. Consequently, HE involving both thermal and mechanical behaviours needs to be understood and solved prior to wider commercial utilisation of hydrogen fuel in engines/generators.

This highly multi-disciplinary project, combining the areas of Energy, Solid Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, aims to develop a thermal-mechanical HE model coupled with statistical methods to predict lifespan of engine components. In this project, you (the PhD student) are expected to find how hydrogen is transported in non-hydride-forming alloys and explore a mechanism describing how HE happens to these alloys subjected to complex temperature field and stress field. You are free to use various methods to validate your HE mechanism, given relevant experimental facilities or data from literature. Consequently, you will be able to apply your HE mechanism in some engine components to find out how HE affects them. Furthermore, you are encouraged to design a statistical approach based on your modelling results to predict the time consumption of HE in these components.

You will need FE software Abaqus and programming for the hydrogen transportation and HE mechanism. Relevant facilities are available in lab for you to generate experimental data if required. By completing this project, you will have potential research outcomes with a world-class impact on the development of hydrogen energy. This research can contribute to solving safety and durability issues of engine/generator components caused by HE, which would be a game-changer for the development of hydrogen fuel vehicles and power plants to help meet the UK Governments ‘2050 net-zero target’.

In this project, the principal supervisor, Dr. Zhichao Zhang will guide you using his existing experience on hydrogen transportation in metals [4], extensive knowledge of engines and skills of using Abaqus. Prof. Martin Birkett will be the second supervisor to help you acquire knowledge on material properties including plasticity, microstructure and cracking etc. Dr. Farnoosh Farhad will be the third supervisor to provide insightful advice on Abaqus and experiments (such as SEM imaging and fractography etc.).

Academic Enquiries

This project is supervised by Dr. Zhichao Zhang. For informal academic queries, contact zhichao.zhang@northumbria.ac.uk . For enquiries relating to eligibility or application process, email pgr.admissions@northumbria.ac.uk

Eligibility Requirements:

•       Academic excellence i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities with preference for 1st class honours); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.

•       Appropriate IELTS score, if required.

•       Applicants cannot apply if they are already a PhD holder or if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.

•       Must be able to commit to campus-based full-time or part-time study.

To be classed as a Home student, candidates must:

•       Be a UK National (meeting residency requirements), or

•       have settled status, or

•       have pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements), or

•       have indefinite leave to remain or enter.

If a candidate does not meet the criteria above, they would be classed as an International student. 

Applicants will need to be fully enrolled in the UK before stipend payments can commence, and be aware of additional costs that may be incurred, as these are not covered by the studentship, such as the immigration health surcharge, visa costs and English Language requirements. More detail can be found under the Funding Notes about these costs on our RDF webpage.

International applicants (including EU) must have valid immigration permissions to live and study in UK if they wish to study on a part-time basis. Northumbria University does not sponsor part-time student visas.

Apply now at https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/  

In your application, include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words and also the advert reference (e.g. RDF25/…).

Application Deadline: 24 January 2025

Start date of course: 1 October 2025

Northumbria University is committed to creating an inclusive culture where we take pride in, and value, the diversity of our postgraduate research students. We encourage and welcome applications from all members of the community. The University holds a bronze Athena Swan award in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, we are a Disability Confident Leader, a member of the Race Equality Charter and are participating in the Stonewall Diversity Champion Programme. We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the Euraxess initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers.