MRes Gas Turbine Aerodynamics + PhD in Optimising Fuel Injector Performance (rich burn) combined with Novel Injector Designs
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering
Abstract
this would involve addressing one or more fundamental issues associated with fuel injector performance such as what drives particulate (i.e. smoke) numbers and size and, hence, what is an optimised flow field to minimise the production of harmful particulates (e.g. rapid mixing or uniformity of fuel/air etc.). This could involve the application of a number of existing experimental diagnostic techniques (e.g. soot measurements, spray diagnostics) and/or be complemented by high resolution CFD activities. Based on this understanding the project could also consider the best method of introducing fuel into the airstream, how to generate beneficial flow field features (e.g. to promote rapid fuel/air mixing if beneficial etc.) to obtain the desired performance improvements. This could also be extended to include the development of some novel injector design concepts.
Planned Impact
1. UK economy
The primary aim of the CDT in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics is to train the next generation of academic and industrial leaders to ensure that the UK retains and improves its global position in both the gas turbine industry and gas turbine research. At present the UK gas turbine industry is second only in size to that of the US. The UK gas turbine research community is currently world leading, attracting substantial funding from outside the UK. The Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge, in terms of international awards, is the world's leading turbomachinery laboratory. The Osney laboratory in Oxford pioneered many of the most important technologies used in gas turbine heat transfer and cooling and Loughborough pioneered research in combustor aerodynamics and aerothermal processes impact design.
By establishing the MRes as the international gold standard in gas turbine training and education, foreign industries will find the UK a more attractive place to train its future industrial leaders.
The closely integrated industrial and academic community which the CDT facilitates will be ideal for feeding blue skies technologies from academia back into the industry. This proved very successful in the Cambridge-MIT Silent Aircraft project. A similar model will be used in the CDT to promote high impact long term research.
The step improvement in the industrial impact of research, outlined in the objectives, is intended to make the UK the most effective country in the world for companies to fund research in this field.
2. CDT students
The integrated multidisciplinary nature of the MRes education has no parallel anywhere in the world. Its composition is specifically designed to give the students a broad and integrated view of the gas turbine industry as well as training for the following PhD research.. This has three specific aims: to give the students an understanding of the way in which components integrate within a gas turbine; to give the students an understanding of the importance of multidisciplinary design; to give the students a broad understanding of the different sectors of the gas turbine and turbomachinery industry. This will include gas turbines for aerospace, marine, large scale power generation, small scale power generation, pumping and turbomachinery for domestic use.
The small projects will give the cohort practical, in-depth experience in the three main components of a gas turbine and in gas turbine integration. Each project will involve a design challenge aimed at bringing the cohort together to solve problems. This will also provide them with experience of industrial design as well as research challenges.
The students will receive training, mentoring and practical experience in developing research projects through industrial collaboration. It is important that the next generation of research and industry leaders gain experience in developing research projects that can achieve both academic excellence and industrial impact.
3. The wider research community
The CDT plans to reach out to the broader research community. These will involve collaborations with the external aerodynamics community, working on shared design challenges such as engine airframe integration. It will also involve collaboration with other universities working on gas turbine research. Examples include Surrey University on gas turbine secondary air systems, Imperial College on fluid structure interaction and Southampton University on gas turbine noise.
With the formation of the Aerospace Technology Institute, (ATI) this is an ideal time for the UK gas turbine community to engage on a national level in developing the UK's research and graduate education strategy. The CDT will play an active role in working with the ATI.
The increased number of gas turbine PhD students will raise the standard of applicants to post doctoral and academic positions across the UK aerodynamics community.
The primary aim of the CDT in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics is to train the next generation of academic and industrial leaders to ensure that the UK retains and improves its global position in both the gas turbine industry and gas turbine research. At present the UK gas turbine industry is second only in size to that of the US. The UK gas turbine research community is currently world leading, attracting substantial funding from outside the UK. The Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge, in terms of international awards, is the world's leading turbomachinery laboratory. The Osney laboratory in Oxford pioneered many of the most important technologies used in gas turbine heat transfer and cooling and Loughborough pioneered research in combustor aerodynamics and aerothermal processes impact design.
By establishing the MRes as the international gold standard in gas turbine training and education, foreign industries will find the UK a more attractive place to train its future industrial leaders.
The closely integrated industrial and academic community which the CDT facilitates will be ideal for feeding blue skies technologies from academia back into the industry. This proved very successful in the Cambridge-MIT Silent Aircraft project. A similar model will be used in the CDT to promote high impact long term research.
The step improvement in the industrial impact of research, outlined in the objectives, is intended to make the UK the most effective country in the world for companies to fund research in this field.
2. CDT students
The integrated multidisciplinary nature of the MRes education has no parallel anywhere in the world. Its composition is specifically designed to give the students a broad and integrated view of the gas turbine industry as well as training for the following PhD research.. This has three specific aims: to give the students an understanding of the way in which components integrate within a gas turbine; to give the students an understanding of the importance of multidisciplinary design; to give the students a broad understanding of the different sectors of the gas turbine and turbomachinery industry. This will include gas turbines for aerospace, marine, large scale power generation, small scale power generation, pumping and turbomachinery for domestic use.
The small projects will give the cohort practical, in-depth experience in the three main components of a gas turbine and in gas turbine integration. Each project will involve a design challenge aimed at bringing the cohort together to solve problems. This will also provide them with experience of industrial design as well as research challenges.
The students will receive training, mentoring and practical experience in developing research projects through industrial collaboration. It is important that the next generation of research and industry leaders gain experience in developing research projects that can achieve both academic excellence and industrial impact.
3. The wider research community
The CDT plans to reach out to the broader research community. These will involve collaborations with the external aerodynamics community, working on shared design challenges such as engine airframe integration. It will also involve collaboration with other universities working on gas turbine research. Examples include Surrey University on gas turbine secondary air systems, Imperial College on fluid structure interaction and Southampton University on gas turbine noise.
With the formation of the Aerospace Technology Institute, (ATI) this is an ideal time for the UK gas turbine community to engage on a national level in developing the UK's research and graduate education strategy. The CDT will play an active role in working with the ATI.
The increased number of gas turbine PhD students will raise the standard of applicants to post doctoral and academic positions across the UK aerodynamics community.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Graham Pullan (Primary Supervisor) | |
| David Salvador Jasin (Student) |