PhD Studentship: Scalar Dispersion in Turbulent Flows for Air Pollution Applications

Project Title: Scalar Dispersion in Turbulent Flows for Air Pollution Applications

The project:

Air pollution is the biggest environmental risk to public health. The WHO estimates 7 million premature deaths worldwide due to air pollution annually, and in the UK, it is costing the economy £20bn with over 25,000 deaths annually. An improved understanding on scalar dispersion and turbulent mixing has far-reaching impact and can contribute to building ventilation designs, public health policies, city planning, legislation, etc. Apart from air pollution, turbulent mixing has a wide range of other engineering applications which include sediment transport in rivers, oil spill containment, urban heat island effect, film cooling of turbine blades, etc.

This is an experimental study that will focus on developing and utilising state-of-the-art experimental techniques to study the flow physics of turbulence and mass transport. More specifically, the student will make use of advanced optical-based diagnostics such as particle-image velocimetry and in-house particle tracer tracking techniques to measure the flow properties. This will offer valuable insights into the scalar fluxes and turbulent diffusivity of air pollutants in atmospheric and indoor flow applications. The outcome of the research is expected to benefit the wind engineering industry, government agencies such as PHE and city councils, as well as the wider academic community.

The student will work in the Hele-Shaw Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel.  The facility is well-equipped with state-of-the-art features and measurement suites which enables a range of research activities from applied aeroacoustics to wind engineering research. The student will integrate into the Fluid and Aerodynamics Research Group and work alongside Marie-Curie initiatives on urban air flow. The student will have the opportunity to interact with industrial and academic partners, disseminate key results in leading journals and national/international conferences.

How to apply:

Please make an online application for this project at http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. Please select <Aerospace Engineering> on the Programme Choice page. You will be prompted to enter details of the studentship in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form.

Candidate requirements:

Details and further information can be found at https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/2023/eng/phd-aerospace-engineering/.  

Experience with programming languages e.g Python, C++ and CAD design software e.g Solidworks is desirable.

Applicants must meet the University’s English language entry requirements.

Funding:

For 3.5 yrs at the UKRI minimum stipend level will also cover tuition fees at the UK student rate. Funding is subject to confirmation of eligibility and award.

Contacts:

For questions about the research topic please contact Dr Desmond Lim.

For questions about eligibility and the application process please contact came-pgr-admissions@bristol.ac.uk

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