Towards Net-Zero Emissions by 2050: From What (Fuels) to How (Burns) (SHELL)

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This project is in line with the UK strategic plan for decarbonisation for the sector, i.e. the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, with the aim to achieve 'net zero' greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Two research questions will be answered: what will be the carbon free fuels for the future transport and energy sectors? How do these fuels perform in terms of the burning characteristics? Particular attentions are given to the turbulent combustion of hydrogen (and/or ammonia) that takes place in nearly all combustion-related applications, including gas turbines, boilers, furnaces, engines, explosions and fires. A thorough understanding of the basic phenomena of turbulent combustion is essential to develop advanced combustion technologies to achieve zero emissions and high energy efficiency. Premixed turbulent combustion attracts the most attention from experimentalists, modellers, and theoreticians, due to a complex turbulence-chemistry interaction. This strong interaction brings the greatest challenge to measure a turbulent burning velocity that is defined as the gas velocity into the flame front. Conventionally, the pressure rise method is capable to be used for deriving the laminar burning rate from a pressure trace inside a constant volume combustion vessel. However, this method brings more statistic uncertainties if strong turbulences get involved in the combustion process. Other methods, e.g. Schlieren photography, often assume an adiabatic density/temperature of burned gas and do not take into account the stretch effect. Therefore, this project seeks to accurately characterize the premixed turbulent flame by measuring the burning velocity and the flame structure and kinetics analysis using laser analysis. The outcome of the research will be a unique technique of high speed photography of explosive flame propagation and combustion kinetics. This will greatly enhance the understanding of premixed turbulent flame, as well as characterize the turbulent burning velocity of newly developed carbon-free fuels and ensure their successful application in the context of the global energy transition. The student will become part of an established Combustion research group. Leeds hosts the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Fluid Dynamics, of which the student will be an associate member, benefiting from the additional training provided.