PhD Studentship: Advanced Optical Diagnostics for Temperature Measurement in Gas Turbine Flames

This project aims to develop advanced optical methods for measurement within the combustion environment. The project will be conducted within the state-of-the-art NCCAT labs with a focus on delivering optical temperature measurements that are applicable to aerospace gas turbines. Successful temperature measurement would provide vital information about the state of the reaction zone to support injector design and CFD validation.

The research will directly support the design of hydrogen micro-mix injectors, which aim to manage thermal NOx emissions by reducing the scale of the injection sites. Controlling NOx emissions within hydrogen combustion is essential. Other conventional combustion pollutants are eliminated by means of the simple combustion chemistry, but high flame temperatures risks high levels of thermal NOx production. Measurement of the spatial distribution of temperature enables improved understanding of how the flame is sustained and pollutants produced and/or consumed.

Initial work will develop the temperature measurement technique using a simple calibration burner, providing idealised conditions for instrument development with verification against established data. The potential of the approach will be demonstrated through collaboration with post-doctoral researchers attached to funded research projects. The EPSRC funded project “H2 – absolute zero carbon propulsion systems project” provides an opportunity for testing using clean hydrogen flames at atmospheric pressure, whereas research through the Horizon Europe project HESTIA could enable testing at intermediate pressure/temperature conditions.

Flame temperature measurements are also important for developing detailed understanding of how liquid fuel injectors perform and generate emissions. Non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM) emissions have become particularly topical in recent years due to a focus on air quality in the vicinity of airports and are usually antagonistically related to NOx emissions. Improvements in NOx emissions are normally to the detriment of nvPM emissions, with the temperature distribution within the combustor an important factor in understanding how to improve fuel injector designs. After demonstrating and validating temperature measurement on gaseous flames, there is also opportunity to perform temperature measurements on liquid fuelled combustion systems. These include current in service rich-quench-lean designs through to emerging low TRL lean combustion designs.

If you would like to discuss this project further, please contact Dr Mark Brend.

Additional Funding Information

The studentship is for 3 years and provides a tax-free stipend of £18,662 per annum for the duration of the studentship plus university tuition fees.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. University fees and charges can be paid in advance and there are several methods of payment, including online payments and payment by instalment. Fees are reviewed annually and are likely to increase to take into account inflationary pressures.

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