Numerical Study of Hydrogen Combustion in Heavy Duty Engines

 Applications are invited for one full-time PhD Studentship within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering funded by Shell Global Solutions. The PhD studentship is for a period of up to 48 months (4 years) starting on 3 January 2025. The successful applicant will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £23,000 plus payment of their full time Home tuition fees.

Project Details

New energy technologies are vital in decarbonising heavy goods vehicles. Hydrogen is a carbon free fuel that helps with net-zero transition but hydrogen faces several challenges in the field of combustion due to its auto-ignition characteristics. This project aims at developing mechanisms to understand hydrogen combustion that will account explicitly for the chemical and residual gas effects under a wide range of pressures and temperatures. Software such as CHEMKIN, CONVERGE, FOAM and in-house developed MATLAB codes will be used in this research to understand Hydrogen combustion in Heavy Duty Engines.

Informal enquires may be addressed to Professor Lionel Christopher Ganippa or Professor Thanos Megaritis via email to lionel.ganippa@brunel.ac.uk and thanos.megaritis@brunel.ac.uk

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a minimum 2:1 or 1^st class degree in Mechanical or Aerospace or Chemical Engineering or Chemistry or any related discipline with an experience in programming and knowledge in Chemical Kinetics or Combustion. A Masters qualification is an advantage but not essential. Please, note that due to funding restrictions the aforementioned studentship is exclusively available to Home fee candidates.

To qualify as a Home student, applicants must meet one of the following criteria:

• Be a UK national (fulfilling residency requirements)
• Possess settled status
• Hold pre-settled status (meeting residency requirements)
• Have indefinite leave to remain or enter

How to apply

Please e-mail your application comprising of all the documents listed below in ONE PDF file to cedps-pgr-office@brunel.ac.uk

by Noon on Tuesday 26 November:

• Your up-to-date CV;
• A research statement of 500-1,000 words setting out your project ideas
• A one A4 page personal statement setting out why you are a suitable candidate (i.e.: your skills and experience);
• A copy of your degree certificate(s) and transcript (s);
• Names and contact details for two academic referees;
• Evidence of English language capability to IELTS 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all sections), if applicable

Interviews will take place after 28 November 2024.

Please, remember to put the project title in the subject of your email.