Design of advanced biofuels through optimisation of fuel molecular structure
Lead Research Organisation:
University College London
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
Future advanced biofuels will require the integration of new chemical and biological processes and advanced combustion technologies. The heavy reliance worldwide on abundant fossil fuels over the last 50 years means that the development of new sustainable sources of fuels and associated technologies must follow a steep research and development curve over the next 20 to 30 years.
Fossils fuels have driven industrial growth for the past two hundred years, however, the security of supply and the continued sustainability of utilising such fuels is increasingly uncertain. The accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels is resulting in global climate change, and supplies of the most easily extracted sources of liquid fossil fuels are diminishing.
Currently utilized biofuels for internal combustion engines derived from vegetable crops reduce tailpipe emissions of fossil bound carbon, but there are increasing concerns that producing fuels from crops that compete with food production may not be a sustainable approach. Furthermore, current bio-fuels require a further processing step after crop harvesting before they are fit for purpose; for example, vegetable oils must be heated and reacted with an alcohol before they can be used as bio-diesel.
Advances in chemical engineering and molecular biology are opening new routes for the production of biofuels that do not compete with food crops, for example from waste biomass or photosynthetic micro-organisms (such as micro-algae). Proposed EU regulation will favour the use of these advanced biofuels and demand that they contribute 5 % of all liquid fuels for road transport in the EU by 2020.
In this Fellowship, I will investigate prototype fuels for spark ignition and diesel engines, identified in collaboration with researchers and industry working on the chemical and biological conversion processes for producing advanced biofuels. One such collaboration will continue with UCL's Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology who have developed methods of genetically engineering photo-synthetic micro-organisms to increase rates of fuels production, and also alter the fuel molecular make-up.
The structure in which individual atoms are arranged to create a fuel molecule impacts significantly on how the molecule performs as a fuel, and my investigations will determine which features of advanced biofuel molecular structure are most desirable. Identifying features which can be achieved through chemical and biological production methods will guide the development of these processes. This will guide further combustion experiments, resulting in the iterative design of advanced biofuels on a molecular level for sustainable production and use.
Fossils fuels have driven industrial growth for the past two hundred years, however, the security of supply and the continued sustainability of utilising such fuels is increasingly uncertain. The accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels is resulting in global climate change, and supplies of the most easily extracted sources of liquid fossil fuels are diminishing.
Currently utilized biofuels for internal combustion engines derived from vegetable crops reduce tailpipe emissions of fossil bound carbon, but there are increasing concerns that producing fuels from crops that compete with food production may not be a sustainable approach. Furthermore, current bio-fuels require a further processing step after crop harvesting before they are fit for purpose; for example, vegetable oils must be heated and reacted with an alcohol before they can be used as bio-diesel.
Advances in chemical engineering and molecular biology are opening new routes for the production of biofuels that do not compete with food crops, for example from waste biomass or photosynthetic micro-organisms (such as micro-algae). Proposed EU regulation will favour the use of these advanced biofuels and demand that they contribute 5 % of all liquid fuels for road transport in the EU by 2020.
In this Fellowship, I will investigate prototype fuels for spark ignition and diesel engines, identified in collaboration with researchers and industry working on the chemical and biological conversion processes for producing advanced biofuels. One such collaboration will continue with UCL's Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology who have developed methods of genetically engineering photo-synthetic micro-organisms to increase rates of fuels production, and also alter the fuel molecular make-up.
The structure in which individual atoms are arranged to create a fuel molecule impacts significantly on how the molecule performs as a fuel, and my investigations will determine which features of advanced biofuel molecular structure are most desirable. Identifying features which can be achieved through chemical and biological production methods will guide the development of these processes. This will guide further combustion experiments, resulting in the iterative design of advanced biofuels on a molecular level for sustainable production and use.
Planned Impact
The benefits of designing processes for production of advanced biofuels to include features of molecular structure that result in fuels that are cleaner in production and combustion than current fossil and bio-derived fuels are timely and with potentially world-wide impact. European and UK legislation will require that as of 2020 all liquid fuels for road vehicles will comprise of 5 % advanced biofuels, that do not compete with food production, so as to address both environmental and security of supply concerns.
The reductions in vehicle exhaust pollutants, such as NOx and particulates matter, that will arise in the intelligent design of advanced biofuels will benefit the health of urban populations and the local environment. Both NOx and particulate matter can induce respiratory ailments (with soot from diesel exhaust recently identified as a carcinogen) and cause structural damage to buildings. Furthermore, control of NOx and particulate matter through fuel design may augment the use of devices such as diesel particulate filters that reduce engine efficiency and increase carbon dioxide emissions. This Fellowship will therefore deliver reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels, from both improvements in engine efficiency and displacement with non-fossil biofuels; the impacts of this are world-wide nature as such reductions are necessary to prevent further global climate change.
The results of the proposal will be entirely novel, as no such interdisciplinary study to optimize the design of advanced biofuels has been previously reported. The knowledge gained from this research will be at a fundamental level and it will be published in leading international journals and presented at leading international meetings. The results will thus form a seminal contribution to the UK's international research standing in the field of fuels and combustion. In the course of conducting this Fellowship I will gain many new skills in project management, industry collaboration and dissemination of results. Furthermore, the results obtained during this Fellowship will allow me to secure funding to further the research, beyond the scope of the fellowship, from research councils and collaboration with industry (eg. EPSRC, TSB, ERC, BP, Shell).
Within the UK, the economic beneficiaries of knowledge of advanced biofuel design will include major energy and fuel companies such as BP and Shell, and fuel additive companies such as Innospec. Vehicle manufactures with facilities in the UK, such as Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Nissan will benefit from the opportunity to ensure that future powertrain designs are compatible with the new generation of advanced biofuels. Meanwhile, high technology and agile small and medium size enterprises involved in renewable energy, such as Cella Energy Limited, will be able to incorporate the cutting edge understanding generated into their developing business plans.
Outside of the energy sector, biotech firms, such Algenuity, will benefit from improvements in the production of biofuels from micro-organisms. Business owners and operators in the UK agricultural sector will see an increase in value of products previously considered a waste stream (such as lignocellulosic biomass) as routes for biofuel production from these are developed.
The reductions in vehicle exhaust pollutants, such as NOx and particulates matter, that will arise in the intelligent design of advanced biofuels will benefit the health of urban populations and the local environment. Both NOx and particulate matter can induce respiratory ailments (with soot from diesel exhaust recently identified as a carcinogen) and cause structural damage to buildings. Furthermore, control of NOx and particulate matter through fuel design may augment the use of devices such as diesel particulate filters that reduce engine efficiency and increase carbon dioxide emissions. This Fellowship will therefore deliver reductions in emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels, from both improvements in engine efficiency and displacement with non-fossil biofuels; the impacts of this are world-wide nature as such reductions are necessary to prevent further global climate change.
The results of the proposal will be entirely novel, as no such interdisciplinary study to optimize the design of advanced biofuels has been previously reported. The knowledge gained from this research will be at a fundamental level and it will be published in leading international journals and presented at leading international meetings. The results will thus form a seminal contribution to the UK's international research standing in the field of fuels and combustion. In the course of conducting this Fellowship I will gain many new skills in project management, industry collaboration and dissemination of results. Furthermore, the results obtained during this Fellowship will allow me to secure funding to further the research, beyond the scope of the fellowship, from research councils and collaboration with industry (eg. EPSRC, TSB, ERC, BP, Shell).
Within the UK, the economic beneficiaries of knowledge of advanced biofuel design will include major energy and fuel companies such as BP and Shell, and fuel additive companies such as Innospec. Vehicle manufactures with facilities in the UK, such as Jaguar Land Rover, Ford and Nissan will benefit from the opportunity to ensure that future powertrain designs are compatible with the new generation of advanced biofuels. Meanwhile, high technology and agile small and medium size enterprises involved in renewable energy, such as Cella Energy Limited, will be able to incorporate the cutting edge understanding generated into their developing business plans.
Outside of the energy sector, biotech firms, such Algenuity, will benefit from improvements in the production of biofuels from micro-organisms. Business owners and operators in the UK agricultural sector will see an increase in value of products previously considered a waste stream (such as lignocellulosic biomass) as routes for biofuel production from these are developed.
Organisations
- University College London (Fellow, Lead Research Organisation)
- University College London (Collaboration)
- PUBLIC HEALTH ENGLAND (Collaboration)
- The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society (Collaboration)
- Sultan Qaboos University (Collaboration)
- Advanced Propulsion Centre (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BRIGHTON (Collaboration)
- University of Cantabria (Collaboration)
- Japanese Patent Office (Collaboration)
- Inha Technical College (Collaboration)
- World Maritime University (Collaboration)
- PORT OF LONDON AUTHORITY (Collaboration)
Publications
Dandajeh H
(2018)
Influence of carbon number of C1-C7 hydrocarbons on PAH formation
in Fuel
Dandajeh H
(2022)
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and soot emissions in a diesel engine and from a tube reactor
in Journal of King Saud University - Engineering Sciences
Dandajeh H
(2019)
Influence of Combustion Characteristics and Fuel Composition on Exhaust PAHs in a Compression Ignition Engine
in Energies
Dandajeh H
(2022)
Effect of equalising ignition delay on combustion and soot emission characteristics of model fuel blends
in Journal of Central South University
Dandajeh HA
(2020)
Influence of unsaturation of hydrocarbons on the characteristics and carcinogenicity of soot particles.
in Journal of analytical and applied pyrolysis
Efthymiopoulos I
(2019)
Effect of Solvent Extraction Parameters on the Recovery of Oil From Spent Coffee Grounds for Biofuel Production.
in Waste and biomass valorization
Efthymiopoulos I
(2018)
Influence of solvent selection and extraction temperature on yield and composition of lipids extracted from spent coffee grounds
in Industrial Crops and Products
| Description | A number of important discoveries relating to the development of sustainable future fuels have been made in the course of my Fellowship. With regards to the production of liquid fuels from non-fossil sources, I have demonstrated through experimentation that compounds of molecular structure radically different to those of traditional hydrocarbon fossil fuels and current oxygenated biofuels are equally viable for the efficient release of chemical energy in both spark ignition and diesel engines. The significance of this is that where previously the production of alternative fuels has focused on processing sustainable feedstocks until they resemble, in both physical and chemical properties, traditional fossil fuels, my research has found that molecules previously considered chemical intermediates can be utilised as fuels with potentially much reduced downstream processing requirements. Making use of these fuels from sustainable feedstocks, for example lignocellulosic biomass, that require significantly reduced inputs of energy and resources relative to current biofuels is a means of drastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector. Furthermore, I repeatedly observed in the case of various combustion environments that minor changes to the fuel molecular structure of these new fuel types could be used to manipulate both the rates and way in which energy is released and the levels of exhaust emissions (including nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, both of which are of serious concern to human health) produced, for example through the strategic addition of oxygen to a molecule or changes to the way that existing oxygen is bonded. This finding illustrates that limited post-processing could be undertaken on these new fuel types to optimise their combustion characteristics for high efficiency energy release and minimised pollutant emissions and potentially result in fuels with improved properties relative to current fuels. In addition to discovering the potential of new traditional fuel types that utilise limited strategic post-processing to improve fuel characteristics, I have also found that extraction methods for recovering oils from food waste can be optimised through the use of different chemical solvents and temperature and pressure conditions to improve yields and the composition of the fuels obtained. The significance of these findings is in highlighting that processes throughout the chain of fuels production from sustainable feed-stocks can be designed to meet the requirement of reduced life-cycle impacts for clean-burning alternative fuels production through integrated understanding of these processes and the performance of the fuel in modern engines. |
| Exploitation Route | My findings can be taken forward both by academic researchers and industry to further the development and deployment sustainable fuels. The need to mature of clean energy technologies that address both the need to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and halt the negative impact on local air quality arising from combustion continues to stimulate research in leading global academic institutions. Chemical engineers and biologists involved in this research will benefit from my findings as they provide an indication of acceptable fuel properties for clean combustion, and so can guide the development of fuel production processes by these researchers as they expand and define the range of potentially useful fuels that such processes should aim to produce. Researchers in environmental science and toxicology can utilise my findings as to the effect of fuel composition on the production of exhaust emissions to investigate the effects of alternative fuels on public health and wider ecosystems. In industry, my findings can directly inform the commercialisation of new alternative fuels, based on their performance in modern internal combustion engines. Upstream these will impact on the selection of feed-stocks and fuel production processes, in the case of both major energy companies and small or medium enterprises engaged in waste valorisation, and downstream my findings can inform the suitable applications for these new fuel types so that the benefits of their utilisation in providing a clean sustainable energy resource are fully realised. |
| Sectors | Agriculture Food and Drink Chemicals Energy Environment Government Democracy and Justice Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Transport |
| Description | The approach utilised in this Fellowship of considering the design and development of renewable liquid fuels for IC engines through all of the lifecycle of fuel production and usage, and the results generated to date which illustrate the impact of often minor changes in fuel molecular structure on engine efficiency and the quantity of pollutants released in the engine exhaust, has allowed me to engage with both the general public and researchers on this subject. For example, the present media attention given to the detrimental effects of diesel engine exhaust on urban air quality is of frequent concern to individuals with whom I have engaged, and I have been able to highlight, and provide evidence for, an innovative approach (use of fuel design to improve air quality) that is not widely considered. Examples of this include entrepreneurs (with whom I have made contact through the London Engineering Exchange), and members of the automotive industry at events such as UnICEG, and R.I.P.I.C.E., an Advanced Propulsion Centre hosted event at the Royal Institute considering the future of IC engines, the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre industry members through the attendance and contribution to workshops, and community action groups focused on local improvement of air quality through my involvement in the London Engineering Exchange and Carbon Monoxide Gas safety trust. Further impact has been achieved through the activities of industry partners, for example SME bio-bean with whom I have worked on a jointly funded PhD project (under my principal supervision) investigating the sustainable production of biodiesel from waste coffee grounds, recently trialled the use of coffee ground biodiesel in London buses (in partnership with Shell Global Solutions) the industrial scale production of which was directly informed by results and findings from the PhD project. The extraction and utilisation of coffee oils for a variety of end use purposes is now receiving global attention, with the fundamental insight gained during this project frequently cited and providing underpinning understanding. The holistic consideration of oil extraction and fuel production from waste materials has subsequently expanded to those from waste date pits in collaboration with researchers based in Oman and has recently advanced from proof of concept experiments to commercialisation locally in the region. A significant development in the utilisation of outputs from the Fellowship since 2018 has been the increasing application of these across transport sectors. Where the initial context of this Fellowship focused on reducing the negative impacts of personal road transport on climate change and urban air quality, there has been growing legislative and public awareness of the need to reduce pollutant emissions from other sectors also. An area rapidly responding to this challenge is shipping and marine transport, and I have worked for the past two years with the Port of London Authority to measure and interpret the effects on air quality in London of vessels switching to the use of renewable fuels. Further cross sector impacts have arisen in the heavy duty road transport and haulage sector, with new engagement with BP in the development of sustainable fuels specific to this application (through the support of an EPSRC Industry CASE award) and funding from the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre to investigate fuels for new high efficiency thermal propulsion units. Further to the impacts described above, an increasingly important impact has been the investigation and relationship between low carbon fuel composition and effects on both air quality and human health. This has been realised through an ongoing collaboration with toxicologists at the UK Health Security Agency assessing pollutant material from the combustion of low carbon and renewable fuels in advanced in-vitro human models. The findings of this work have significant potential to influence the cross sector deployment of low carbon fuels and policy regulating usage and uptake. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Chemicals,Education,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Transport |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Expert Partner contributor to Institute of Mechanical Engineers response to the OLEV 2035 Consultation |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Impact | Participated as an expert partner with specialist knowledge in sustainable fuels for combustion, contributed to roundtable working discussions with IMechE and expert partners and development of report submitted to UK Government. |
| URL | https://www.imeche.org/news/news-article/institution-and-expert-partners'-response-to-the-olev-2035-... |
| Description | Hosting of Advanced Propulsion Centre Transport Energy Network - Cross sector roadmapping workshop (London) |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| URL | https://www.apcuk.co.uk/event/transport-energy-network-cross-sector-roadmapping-workshops-london/ |
| Description | Invited member of Public Health England Air Quality Review Advisory Group |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Participation in a guidance/advisory committee |
| Description | 2020 Industrial Case Studentships - The feasibility of a variety of future diesel fuels |
| Amount | £87,696 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2024 |
| Description | Global Engagement Funds Small Grants Call 2018 |
| Amount | £2,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Global Engagement Funds |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2018 |
| End | 07/2019 |
| Description | Hydrous ammonia fuels for zero-carbon shipping |
| Amount | £2,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2019 |
| End | 08/2020 |
| Description | Lecturer start-up funds |
| Amount | £30,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2017 |
| End | 02/2019 |
| Description | PhD studentship |
| Amount | £105,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Public Health England |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2018 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | PhD studentship |
| Amount | £84,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Start | 09/2016 |
| End | 10/2020 |
| Description | PhD studentship |
| Amount | £108,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Islamic Development Bank (IDB) |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | Saudi Arabia |
| Start | 02/2018 |
| End | 01/2021 |
| Description | Recovering valuable materials from waste |
| Amount | £98,715 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 102399 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2015 |
| End | 09/2017 |
| Description | Small public engagement grant for development of public show at 2016 Shell Eco-marathon |
| Amount | £1,500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 07/2016 |
| Description | Sponsored PhD student |
| Amount | £105,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | PTDF Petroleum Technology Development Fund Nigeria |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | Nigeria |
| Start | 02/2016 |
| End | 01/2019 |
| Description | UCL Impact Studentship - Effects of renewable fuel combustion (including H2 and NH3) of exhaust after-treatment systems |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Johnson Matthey |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2021 |
| End | 05/2025 |
| Description | UK Health Security Agency PhD studentship- Air pollution lung health effects and the rising use of renewable fuels |
| Amount | £120,360 (GBP) |
| Organisation | UK Health Security Agency |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2022 |
| End | 04/2026 |
| Description | Development of Fuels Challenge Network database |
| Organisation | Advanced Propulsion Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Initial scoping discussion on fuels challenge network approach during summer 2017, attendance of APC hosting fuels challenge network scoping workshop, contributing specific expertise on future fuels combustion and emissions characteristics for completion of fuels database. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Project leadership by University of Brighton, developing industry contacts and perspectives, lead of Challenge Networks application. Financial support from the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre in developing the Fuels Challenge Network and funding the development of the fuels database. |
| Impact | The project has so far has resulted in multiple conference and seminar presentations outlining the approach being taken, including events at the Low Carbon Vehicle show, Royal Institute and Future Powertrains Conference.The project is multidisciplinary, including mechanical engineers, chemical and engineers and process engineers. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Development of Fuels Challenge Network database |
| Organisation | University of Brighton |
| Department | Advanced Engineering Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Initial scoping discussion on fuels challenge network approach during summer 2017, attendance of APC hosting fuels challenge network scoping workshop, contributing specific expertise on future fuels combustion and emissions characteristics for completion of fuels database. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Project leadership by University of Brighton, developing industry contacts and perspectives, lead of Challenge Networks application. Financial support from the UK Advanced Propulsion Centre in developing the Fuels Challenge Network and funding the development of the fuels database. |
| Impact | The project has so far has resulted in multiple conference and seminar presentations outlining the approach being taken, including events at the Low Carbon Vehicle show, Royal Institute and Future Powertrains Conference.The project is multidisciplinary, including mechanical engineers, chemical and engineers and process engineers. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Development of research proposal on metal fuels as hydrogen carriers |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Department | Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Expertise in design and planning of experimental work for assessing metal fuels |
| Collaborator Contribution | Project initiation and consideration of lifecycle assessment |
| Impact | Collaborative multi-disciplinary including mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Development of zero carbon fuels for shipping |
| Organisation | World Maritime University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Combustion experiments investigating the potential of aqueous ammonia fuels for marine diesel engines, and hosting of two visiting MSc students to assist in the engine experiments. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Modelling and simulation of combustion kinetics of aqueous ammonia combustion, interpretation of experimental results, provision of two visiting MSc students to attend UCL for a week. |
| Impact | Preliminary experimental assessment of aqueous ammonia, preparation of joint publication. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Emissions analysis of marine vessels in London |
| Organisation | Port of London Authority |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Initiated new collaboration in analysing exhaust emissions operating on conventional and alternative fuels in the river Thames. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to vessels for sampling of emissions, hosting of research project students. |
| Impact | Summer internship student, project is multi-disciplinary involving fuels and engines engineers and environmental scientists. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Hosting of visiting academic in specialising in internal combustion engine research |
| Organisation | Inha Technical College |
| Country | Korea, Republic of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Detailed discussions and planning of joint activities with visiting academic on mutually of interest exhaust after-treatment research, use of specialist experimental facilities and provision of desk space at UCL |
| Collaborator Contribution | Review and feedback on PhD student preliminary results, characterisation of research engine lean burn operating limits and design of experiments to be undertaken in collaboration with my research team, under my supervision, towards a joint publication. |
| Impact | Detailed design of joint experimental study to be completed in the coming months, expected publication of a jointly authored paper. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Hosting of visiting researcher in Engines and Fuels laboratories |
| Organisation | Japanese Patent Office |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Hosting of researcher from Japanese Patent Office, provision of specialist training and experience in undertaking Engines and Fuels research. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Shadowing and assistance in labs of existing PhD students, modification of existing spark ignition engine facilities for soot sampling. |
| Impact | Further development of specialised exhaust particulate sampling and analysis techniques. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Hosting of visiting researcher in Fuels and Engines Laboratories |
| Organisation | Japanese Patent Office |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Hosting and training visiting researcher from Japan Patent Office. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution to multiple ongoing research projects, specialist knowledge in intellectual property related to the automotive sector. |
| Impact | Preliminary study of fuel effects on size -fractionated soot bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Hosting of visiting researcher in Fuels and Engines Laboratories |
| Organisation | Japanese Patent Office |
| Country | Japan |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Hosting and training visiting researcher from Japan Patent Office. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution to multiple ongoing research projects, specialist knowledge in intellectual property related to the automotive sector. |
| Impact | Preliminary study of fuel effects on size -fractionated soot bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Hosting of visiting researcher in upstream fuels production and subsequent joint European funding application |
| Organisation | University of Cantabria |
| Department | Department of Chemistry and Process & Resource Engineering, ETSIIT |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosting at UCL Mechanical Engineering of visiting researcher to commence work on joint Horizon 2020 proposal on the production of advanced biofuels from waste materials. Provision of office space and access to specialist engines and fuels laboratories, introduction to wider research group and UCL European research office. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in upstream processing of waste materials for fuels production, leading of H2020 proposal preparation, introduction to further partners at European research institutions with complimentary skills. |
| Impact | Continuing preparation of multidisciplinary H2020 proposal containing elements of mechanical engineering, chemical engineering and process engineering. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Investigation of liquid fuels from waste date pit oils with Sultan Qaboos University |
| Organisation | Sultan Qaboos University |
| Department | Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Department (PCED) |
| Country | Oman |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Tests of low volumes of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) produced from oils extracted from waste date pits in a modern diesel engine to determine fuel combustion characteristics (ignition delay, heat release rates) end exhaust emission levels (CO, THC, NOx, PM) relative to biodiesels from rapeseed and soybean, and also reference fossil diesels. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provision of test fuels for engine testing produced from transesterification of oils extracted from waste date pits. |
| Impact | Joint publications covering both extraction of oils for biofuel production from waste date pits, and subsequent engine test of these fuels. The collaboration is multi-disciplinary involving chemical engineers and mechanical engineers. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Investigation of toxicity effects of liquid and solid accelerant composition with the CO Gas Safety Trust |
| Organisation | The Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Planning and recruitment of an MSc project student to investigate the relative toxicity of emissions from liquid and solid combustion accelerants used in domestic applications (eg. barbecues). The MSc project literature review has commenced with experiments to start from April onwards. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in identification of accelerants (and application of accelerants of concern), advice and guidance in design of experiments, ready-access to non-academic routes of dissemination. |
| Impact | Planning of experimental programme to test accelerant toxicity and recruitment of MSc student to undertake experiments. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Toxicity of particulate matter from biodiesel combustion with PHE |
| Organisation | Public Health England |
| Department | Centre for Radiation, Chemicals and Environmental Hazards (CRCE) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Production and collection of particulate samples from a modern diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel and a reference fossil diesel. Samples subsequent provided to Public Health England and retained with my laboratories for extraction of adsorbed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and quantitative GC-MS analysis and calculation of weighted carcinogenicity of particulate matter from biodiesel combustion. Detailed presentation and discussion of the results with PHE toxicologist and planning of further experiments for confirmation of results. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Analysis of the toxicity of the particulate matter samples from biodiesel and reference fossil diesel combustion through in-vitro exposure of cultured human airway cells to the particulate matter collected within my labs. Detailed analysis including DNA damage and presence of gene stress, presentation and discussion of these results within the partnership. |
| Impact | Novel preliminary results which will form the basis of a high impact publication following confirmation. Award of a 3 year PhD studentship to further the collaboration, funded through competition by Public Health England with contribution from UCL Mechanical Engineering. This project is multidisciplinary involving fuels and combustion engineers and toxicologists. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | "Impacts of renewable fuel composition on combustion in IC engines", Roma Tre University, Italy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited research talk at Roma Tre University. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Algal fuels outreach sessions with Cranford Community College and London Museum of Water and Steam |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A series of outreach sessions with a group of 11 year 9 pupils from Cranford Community College, Hounslow, held at the school, London Museum Water and Steam and at UCL Mechanical Engineering. The pupils undertook practical sessions, led by myself and teachers from Cranford Community College, in which they performed experiments investigating potential methods of harvesting micro-algae for biofuels production. The pupils, working in groups of two or three, then prepared presentations discussing their findings and presented these to myself and colleagues during a mini-symposium at UCL. The project was supported by £1,000 of competitive funding from UCL Public and Engagement and has subsequently been awarded 'The Alan Bosson Trophy' at the 2015 Spark! Partnership Awards. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014,2015 |
| URL | http://sparklondon.org/about/media-and-events/partnershipawards2015/spark-partnership-awards-2015-th... |
| Description | Bright Club - Invited stand-up comedy on research |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | UCL Bright Club gives researchers from a range of disciplines an opportunity to talk about their work in a humorous manner in the form of a stand-up comedy set to a general audience at as part of an evening of stand-up comedy compered and headline by professional comedians. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://brightclub.wordpress.com/2016/07/12/bright-club-hope-26th-july-2016/ |
| Description | Children's University Graduation Taster Session |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | A taster lecture on fuel design for cleaner IC engines given to primary school children and their parents during a visit to UCL, and awarding of graduation certificates during subsequent ceremony. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016,2017 |
| Description | International baccalaureate research project with year 13 pupil from The King Fahad Academy, East Acton |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Assistance with a year 13 International baccalaureate chemistry project undertaking transesterification of vegetable oils to form biodiesel. I hosted a visit by the pupil to the UCL Mechanical Engineering engines labs to gain first hand experience of the testing of biofuels in a research institution, provided technical guidance and undertook engine tests of biodiesel samples prepared by the pupil. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015,2016 |
| Description | Invited lecture at Roma Tre University, Italy - "The molecular design of future sustainable fuels for IC engines" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited lecture of 1.5 hours duration to MSc level Mechanical Engineering students at academic staff at Roma Tre University, Italy, on the effects of fuel molecular composition on IC engines combustion and emissions characteristics. The invited lecture formed part of an ongoing collaboration with Roma Tre University, whom have to date sent two MSc students to undertake masters thesis projects at UCL under my supervision in the area of fuel effects on particulate emissions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited lecture at Tianjin University, China - "Design of future sustainable fuels" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | An hour long invited lecture on the design of future liquid fuels for internal combustion engines given to an audience of academics, and postgraduate and undergraduate students, and members of the Chinese automotive industry at Tianjin University China, which hosts the Chinese State Key Laboratory of Engines. The visit to Tianjin included several meetings with potential collaborators working in both routes of biofuel productions (molecular biologists) and analysis of combustion and emissions characteristics of future fuels in IC engines. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited presentation at 6th International Symposium of Jet Propulsion and Power Engineering at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics 'Effects of alkylbenzene methyl branch addition on compression ignition combustion and emissions' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation at 6th International Symposium of Jet Propulsion and Power Engineering at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics on the impacts of fuel design from lignocellulosic biomass on diesel combustion and emissions. Audience included a range of international academics with interests in combustion and thermal propulsion, further informal discussions on took places as a smaller select group of specially invited presenters during a private dinner following the conference. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Invited review panel member for Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) for establishment of priority programme. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Attended two-day in person review panel meeting in Aachen, Germany, and successfully identified proposals for funding within the Priority Programme - A contribution to the realization of the energy transition: Optimization of thermochemical energy conversion processes for the flexible utilization of hydrogen-based renewable fuels using additive manufacturing |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Invited talk - Engineering future sustainable fuels for reduced emissions of toxic pollutants from IC engines - University of Birmingham |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited research seminar to postgraduate students and academic staff at the University of Birmingham. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Invited talk - Future fuels for road transport: How can future fuels for IC engines contribute to sustainable road transport? - UnICEG |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Invited talk to academic and industry members of UnICEG (Universities Internal Combustion Engine Group) at a special meeting on technologies for the future of IC engines, hosted by University of Brighton, UK Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) spoke for internal combustion engine thermal efficiency. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| URL | https://www.brighton.ac.uk/advanced-engineering/events/index.aspx |
| Description | Invited talk - Optimising the molecular structure of future sustainable biofuels - Durham University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited research seminar at Durham University to academics and post graduate research students. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | Invited talk and practical demonstration to Hounslow U3A - "Designing Future Fuels" |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | I was invited by the Hounslow branch of U3A (Unviersity of the third age) to give a talk and practical demonstration around my work on the design of future liquid fuels, having met several members of the U3A at a previous UCL Public Engagement event at which I had participated in. The talk and demonstration stimulated several interested questions and discussion around renewable energy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Invited talk at Tsinghau Unviersity |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited visit to tour facilities and meet academics to discuss mutual research interests and possible collaboration at the State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy and Center for Combustion Energy at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. The visit included an invited technical presentation giving an overview of my research and an informal evening dinner with senior members of the Center for Combustion Energy. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Invited talk at UK-Russia Researcher links workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited research presentation, 'Future sustainable fuels: Exploiting waste streams and reducing toxicity of combustion emissions' at British Council funded UK-Russia Researcher links workshop, 19th November 2018 hosted by Northumbria University. The talk was well received, and in addition to subsequent discussion and potential participation in future events, has resulted in an invited journal paper submission. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| Description | Invited technical presentation and visit at Tianjin Unversity China, National Key Laboratory of Engines |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Invited presentation to Tianjin presentation on 'Effects of alkylbenzene methyl branch addition on compression ignition combustion and emissions'. This visit was a follow-up to a similar invited talk in 2015 to strengthen and continue contacts made during this visit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Panellist - Port of London Authority Webinar 'Greening Inland Shipping - One Year On' |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | As an invited panellist, I made a brief presentation on low carbon fuels for inland marine vessels and contributed to a subsequent question and answer session with the audience, which consisted primarily of vessel operators and owners. The audience showed interest in the use of alternative fuels for decarbonisation of the marine sector and were also keen to understand how the displacement of fossil fuels with renewable alternatives can also effect the emission of pollutants detrimental to air quality and human health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.pla.co.uk/Events/Webinars/Greening-Inland-Shipping-One-year-on |
| Description | Poster presentation at Public Health England Air Quality review meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Invited poster presentation, 'Designing fuels for reduced adverse impacts on air quality from vehicle exhaust emissions', at Public Health England 2018 Annual UK Review Meeting on Outdoor and Indoor Air Pollution Research in London on Wednesday 23 May. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |
| URL | https://www.phe-events.org.uk/hpa/frontend/reg/tOtherPage.csp?pageID=337425&ef_sel_menu=3294&eventID... |
| Description | Presentation and demonstration at STEM engagement for A - level students |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Increased student interest in engineering and specifically renewable energy production in school audience preparing for university applications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://thetrainingpartnership.org.uk/study-day/engineering-in-action-24-06-2019/ |
| Description | Presentation and demonstration at UCL Mechanical Engineering day 2015 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | At the annual UCL Mechanical Engineering day event (a stage show with contributions from both staff and students), I spoke and undertook a practical demonstration highlighting the potential of fuel design for reducing particulate emissions to an audience comprising of over 500 UCL Mechanical Engineering students and staff. This highlight my research work to the entire department, and I was approached after the show by both staff and students to discuss further. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| Description | Presentation at Special Interest Group in PM Filtration - Meeting 07 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Research presentation to academic and industry stakeholders - "In-cylinder particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons sampled during combustion of diesel fuels" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://sig-filtration.coventry.domains/ |
| Description | Research presentation at British Council funded Biodiesel workshop at London Southbank University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Engaged with a wide range of researchers with complimentary expertise in advanced biofuels production. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| URL | https://www.lsbu.ac.uk/whats-on/archived-events/workshop-on-sustainable-biodiesel-production-day-one |
| Description | SAE Powertrains Fuels and Lubricants 2017 Beijing technical presentation - |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Presentation of technical paper detailing experimental study of novels fuels from lignocellulosic biomass tested in a research engine at SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Powertrains, Fuels and Lubricants 2017 conference in Beijing, China, to an international audience of academics specialising in this area and global industry experts from fuels companies (for example Shell, Saudi Aramco) and vehicle manufacturers (for example Ford, General Motors, Toyota). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://saeevents.org/events/sae-2017-international-powertrain-fuels-lubricants-meeting |
| Description | Spark Festival London |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Gave 30 minute talks and practical demonstrations of the potential of sustainable future fuels to audiences of around 20, and also supported the UCL Formula Student and Shell Endurance Marathon teams, at the UCL Spark Festival, held over two days from 30 - 31 August 2016 at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London. The festival consisted of two days of engagement activities for families relating to research themes from UCL Engineering, and following my own particular contributions several interested audience members approached me to ask further questions and subsequently engaged with me via social media. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
| URL | https://www.ucl.ac.uk/spark-festival |