Experimental PhD Studentship on Novel Combustion System for Reduced CO2 Emissions

Experimental PhD Studentship on Novel Combustion System for Reduced CO2 Emissions from Spark- Ignition Engines with Sustainable Fuels.

A fully funded PhD studentship is currently available at UCL in the Department of MechanicalEngineering for research study leading to the degree of PhD. The project is sponsored by BP and MAHLE Powertrain and it will use advanced experimental methods to study in-cylinder fuel spray and combustion phenomena with a novel turbulent jet ignition system using various types of sustainable fuels. The Department of Mechanical Engineering at UCL has an established international reputation in the field of internal combustion engine research with state-of-the-art engine research labs and fuel systems test facilities, including advanced laserbased optical diagnostics and exhaust emissions equipment. MAHLE Powertrain has a long history of developing high-performance engines and BP is at the forefront of fuel technology.

Candidates must have a 1st or 2:1 (or equivalent) degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related discipline and must be enthusiastic and well-motivated to carry out postgraduate research. Strong interest and previous exposure to engine-related research and experimental techniques will be an advantage. The studentship will meet University fees at UK/EU rate and provide a stipend of about £15,000 per year (tax free). Prospective candidates need to submit a formal application for admission that can be downloaded from here and it is also possible to apply on-line. The studentship is open only to UK or EU nationals, so please do not apply unless you meet this criterion. For specific enquiries regarding admission procedures you may contact Dr. William Suen, Graduate Tutor Research in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. For informal enquiries regarding the project, you may contact Dr. Pavlos Aleiferis. The starting date will be fixed according to student availability but it is expected that the successful applicant will start in November 2011 or soon thereafter. Closing date for applications October 1, 2011.

PhD in Robust Upscaling of Smouldering Processes at University of Strathclyde

A PhD studentship is available in Robust Upscaling of Smouldering Processes, with a specific focus on linking results from in situ smouldering remediation (Self-sustaining Treatment for Active Remediation or STAR) experiments in the laboratory (0.003 m^3) to field scale (3 m^3 to 300 m^3 and larger) activities. We are most interested in engineers, physicists, chemists and applied mathematicians with experience or at least a strong interest in combustion and fire sciences. This studentship is offered in partnership between the University of Strathclyde, the University of Edinburgh and the company SiREM.

Supervisor: Dr. Christine Switzer
Co-supervisors: Prof. Jose Torero, Dr. Guillermo Rein and Dr. Gavin Grant

The development of in situ smouldering combustion as a remediation technology (STAR) has emphasized small scale experimentation as a vehicle to understand the different processes involved and to optimize the relevant variables such as ignition protocol and flow rates. These tests have served as the basis under which larger scale tests have been conducted. Larger scale tests have been performed with overall success but with different levels of trial and error that has proven not only costly but having some negative effect in the overall performance. The optimized utilization of STAR in real sites needs to have a clear protocol that will help define the conditions that will best allow scaling-up of laboratory data.

Preliminary assessment of the viability of a site will always be done on the basis of small scale experiments. Definition of the details of the large scale implementation requires the inevitable scaling-up of the information obtained. This can be done via modelling but this requires a detailed understanding of the different phenomena involved. This understanding is currently not complete. An excellent source of information that can allow better understanding of the parameters differentiating small from large scale experiments is the thorough a posteriori assessment of the different large scale tests that have been conducted. While some assessment has been done, it has been mostly qualitative and it has never been directly correlated to small scale behaviour.

The proposal for this studentship is based on the need to develop the scale-up understanding from existing (and future) large scale experiments. The analysis of temperature/emissions/igniter/flow data together with the structure of excavation data will allow better understanding of the large scale tests. This information can be fed into existing (analytic and numerical) models to develop up-scaling tools. Furthermore, this information has to be linked to the wide database of small scale experimental data to try to establish an ideal protocol to use bench scale experimentation for the purpose of assessing site viability.

There is one studentship associated with this advertisement and this student will be based at the University of Strathclyde, UK. The studentship is open to individuals within the EEA only and provides a stipend of £13,590 per year. For further information, please contact Dr. Christine Switzer [mailto:christine.switzer@strath.ac.uk]