About the project
To tackle the climate crisis and global warming we must decarbonise the world’s energy by reducing emissions. It's likely that future energy sources and fuels will need to be transported around the globe. Even if these sources are renewably produced, the distribution of resources and energy consumption are not even and unlikely to always coincide. Hydrogen is one potential future energy source. Hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density so is likely to need large ships to transport it, probably in its liquid form.
To safely, reliably and efficiently load, transport and unload hydrogen by ship many engineering challenges must be considered.
We want to investigate the safety of liquid hydrogen in the event that it is accidentally released during marine operations. Liquid hydrogen can condense all gas components in air. The cooling and condensation of air strongly affect turbulent mixing and dispersion of the hydrogen.
The project will develop computational fluid dynamic modelling, accounting for turbulent heat and mass transfer associated with condensation of air, in order to support assessment of fire and explosion hazards as well as the impact of the cryogenic release on mechanical systems. It is likely that new experimental data will be made available during the project for comparison and validation purposes.
You'll work closely with our industrial partner Shell Shipping and Maritime and other stakeholders in the development of liquid hydrogen transportation. This research has the potential to influence the energy transition for global shipping as it moves towards zero carbon fuels. You'll have opportunities to spend time with Shell Shipping and Maritime as part of your PhD studies. The PhD will contribute to the research of the Centre for Maritime Futures at the University.
You'll need a strong background in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.
