Towards Net-Zero Emissions by 2050: From What (Fuels) to How (Burns)

The EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Fluid Dynamics is now recruiting to this fantastic PhD opportunity in partnership with SHELL Global Solutions (UK). 

The PhD project: Towards Net-Zero Emissions by 2050: From What (Fuels) to How (Burns) 

UK strategic plan for decarbonisation for the sector, i.e. the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, aims to achieve ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Two research questions will be answered: what will be the carbon free fuels for the future transport and energy sectors? How do these fuels perform in terms of the burning characteristics? Particular attentions are given to the turbulent combustion of hydrogen (and/or ammonia) that takes place in nearly all combustion-related applications, including gas turbines, boilers, furnaces, engines, explosions and fires. A thorough understanding of the basic phenomena of turbulent combustion is essential to develop advanced combustion technologies to achieve zero emissions and high energy efficiency. Premixed turbulent combustion attracts the most attention from experimentalists, modellers, and theoreticians, due to a complex turbulence-chemistry interaction. This strong interaction brings the greatest challenge to measure a turbulent burning velocity that is defined as the gas velocity into the flame front. Conventionally, the pressure rise method is capable to be used for deriving the laminar burning rate from a pressure trace inside a constant volume combustion vessel. However, this method brings more statistic uncertainties if strong turbulences get involved in the combustion process. Other methods, e.g. Schlieren photography, often assume an adiabatic density/temperature of burned gas and do not take into account the stretch effect.  Therefore, this project seeks to accurately characterize the premixed turbulent flame by measuring the burning velocity and the flame structure and kinetics analysis using laser analysis. 

How to apply: Complete online application form naming the PhD project on the form.

Application deadline: 31st March 2022.

Funding: Full standard studentship. 

Entry requirements: A degree equivalent to a UK first class honours, or a high upper second class, in an engineering, mathematics or science discipline.

Further information and queries: Please see https://fluid-dynamics.leeds.ac.uk/programme/ and contact us on [Email Address Removed]