PhD Studentship in Engineering - University of Cambridge

PhD Studentship
Modelling of ThermoAcoustic Instabilities
University of Cambridge - Department of Engineering

Limit of tenure: 3 years

Lean premixed combustion are identified to be a potential candidate for environmentally friendly gas turbines. Because of the inherent instability issues in lean combustion, the use of partial premixing strategies is inevitable and is commonly used in industrial gas turbines to have smooth operating characteristics. The occurrence of combustion oscillations leading to thermoacoustic instabilities is also inevitable in large industrial gas turbine and these instabilities come into light at an advanced stage of new engine development programmes. Hence altering combustor design will be very expensive and these instabilities are usually controlled using sophisticated open or closed loop control strategies built based on experience. Thus, there is an attractive incentive to develop reliable methodologies and tools to predict combustion instabilities since there is a substantial economic gain in using reliable predictive tools in new engine development. This project is a first step towards this goal.

The main aim of the project is to simulate the thermoacoustic instabilities of lean premixed and partially premixed flames using the latest combustion models developed in the past few years at Cambridge University Engineering Department for turbulent premixed and partially premixed combustion. It is expected that one of the commercial CFD tools along with the CUED combustion submodels will be used to simulate turbulent combustion. These CFD results are to be analysed to obtain flame transfer functions which will be used in subsequent thermoacoustic simulations using loworder modelling methods. There is also a scope for developing a new modelling approach. These predictions are to be compared with published results on thermoacoustics and this project involves collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan.

The successful candidate will have a first class, at least 2:1 or equivalent, postgraduate degree in Mechanical/Aerospace/

engineering or any other relevant fields. A strong background in fluid dynamics, combustion, numerical methods and good analytical skills are desirable. Application from overseas student is welcome. Funding, covering all expenses, is available for three year doctoral study in thermoacoustic instability modelling and computations at Cambridge University Engineering Department. This studentship will commence from October 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter, but it should be before January 2011

Further details on this project may be obtained from Dr N. Swaminathan (ns341@cam.ac.uk). An application form for PhD study at Cambridge University can be obtained from the Board of Graduate Studies. On line applications must be submitted but 16 July 2010. Paper applications must be submitted by 31 July 2010. More information on the graduate studies at CUED is available here http://www.eng.cam.ac.uk/graduate/postgrad/ . If you submit your application online via BoGS website, send a copy in pdf format to Dr N. Swaminathan (ns341@cam.ac.uk) before 31stst July 2010

Quote Reference: NA06893, Closing Date: 31 July 2010

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