Flame stabilisation and structure in axially staged combustion. We aim to improve fundamental understanding of flame stabilisation and structure in conditions relevant to axially staged combustion employed in gas turbines, in which an initial ultra-lean premixed stage is followed by a short residence time stage at higher equivalence ratios. This concept enables high turbine entry temperatures and thus high efficiency while limiting emissions of nitrogen oxides, and, importantly, enables improved ....Flame stabilisation and structure in axially staged combustion. We aim to improve fundamental understanding of flame stabilisation and structure in conditions relevant to axially staged combustion employed in gas turbines, in which an initial ultra-lean premixed stage is followed by a short residence time stage at higher equivalence ratios. This concept enables high turbine entry temperatures and thus high efficiency while limiting emissions of nitrogen oxides, and, importantly, enables improved operational flexibility in turndown and in burning fuels with different reactivities, such as hydrogen. This project will apply large-scale direct numerical simulations to advance fundamental understanding of this unusual combustion mode, and develop practical models able to predict its behaviour.Read moreRead less
Wall turbulence control: beyond the canonical smooth wall case. This project aims to fill a critical knowledge gap in the area of wall turbulence by investigating how a rough wall turbulent boundary layer responds to changes, such as wall suction and blowing. The economic and environmental costs caused by the roughening of surfaces on moving vehicles is staggering in the transport industry (roads, rails, air and sea) and ultimately for Australia. This project will generate new knowledge to ascer ....Wall turbulence control: beyond the canonical smooth wall case. This project aims to fill a critical knowledge gap in the area of wall turbulence by investigating how a rough wall turbulent boundary layer responds to changes, such as wall suction and blowing. The economic and environmental costs caused by the roughening of surfaces on moving vehicles is staggering in the transport industry (roads, rails, air and sea) and ultimately for Australia. This project will generate new knowledge to ascertain whether or not turbulent flows over rough surfaces can be controlled or managed to achieve outcomes such as reducing the drag of a roughened bluff body, for example a ship whose hull is roughened by fouling. The project expects to improve understanding of wall turbulence control, and will lead to significant benefits such as improved control technologies and better prediction and description of wall turbulence.Read moreRead less
The cost of roughness: predicting the drag penalty of fouled ship hulls. Roughness on ship hulls is a prevalent global problem, causing up to 80% increases in resistance compared to ideal smooth surfaces. Targeting a key capability gap, this project aims to build practical tools for predicting the performance penalty in shipping due to hull roughness, requiring only hull observations as an input. Observations made with a custom-built underwater surface scanner will be combined with world-first l ....The cost of roughness: predicting the drag penalty of fouled ship hulls. Roughness on ship hulls is a prevalent global problem, causing up to 80% increases in resistance compared to ideal smooth surfaces. Targeting a key capability gap, this project aims to build practical tools for predicting the performance penalty in shipping due to hull roughness, requiring only hull observations as an input. Observations made with a custom-built underwater surface scanner will be combined with world-first laser-based flow measurements on the hull of an operating ship, and backed-up by complimentary laboratory experiments. This project will deliver an advanced fundamental understanding of hull roughness and enable more informed decisions for ship operators and regulatory bodies, leading to increased shipping efficiency.Read moreRead less
The effect of non-homogeneous roughness on full-scale drag predictions. Partnering with AkzoNobel, one of the world’s leading suppliers of anti-fouling marine coatings, this project will deliver new tools for predicting the drag penalty on ships fouled by the settlement of marine organisms on the hull. All available predictions assume a homogeneous distribution of roughness. Yet we know biofouling is always patchy, hence prediction methods need an upgrade. Making a compelling business case to sh ....The effect of non-homogeneous roughness on full-scale drag predictions. Partnering with AkzoNobel, one of the world’s leading suppliers of anti-fouling marine coatings, this project will deliver new tools for predicting the drag penalty on ships fouled by the settlement of marine organisms on the hull. All available predictions assume a homogeneous distribution of roughness. Yet we know biofouling is always patchy, hence prediction methods need an upgrade. Making a compelling business case to ship operators is contingent on such predictions, where the cost of anti-fouling solutions is weighed against that of continued operation with a rough hull. The novel tools developed here will therefore lead to increased ship efficiency by empowering ship operators to optimise hull cleaning and repainting schedules.
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Understanding combustion in gasoline compression ignition conditions. This project aims to provide the first fundamental-level understanding of the processes of ignition, combustion, and pollutant formation relevant to a new, highly efficient combustion mode known as gasoline compression ignition (GCI). This project aims to provide information using a unique combination of direct numerical simulations, advanced transported probability density function modelling and a suite of laser measurements ....Understanding combustion in gasoline compression ignition conditions. This project aims to provide the first fundamental-level understanding of the processes of ignition, combustion, and pollutant formation relevant to a new, highly efficient combustion mode known as gasoline compression ignition (GCI). This project aims to provide information using a unique combination of direct numerical simulations, advanced transported probability density function modelling and a suite of laser measurements in a high-pressure combustion chamber. GCI engines have significant potential to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions harmful to health and the environment. The outcomes from this project will lead to accelerated development of the GCI engine, and more optimal GCI solutions to be found.Read moreRead less
Dissecting non-equilibrium effects in wall turbulence. This project aims to progress understanding of wall-bounded turbulent flows under non-equilibrium conditions. The focus is on turbulent flows over rough surfaces where the bulk flow decelerates along the streamwise length of the surface. Such flows are regularly encountered in important practical applications, such as over the trailing edge of an airplane wing or inside a flow diffuser, which are ubiquitous in industry. Novel experiments and ....Dissecting non-equilibrium effects in wall turbulence. This project aims to progress understanding of wall-bounded turbulent flows under non-equilibrium conditions. The focus is on turbulent flows over rough surfaces where the bulk flow decelerates along the streamwise length of the surface. Such flows are regularly encountered in important practical applications, such as over the trailing edge of an airplane wing or inside a flow diffuser, which are ubiquitous in industry. Novel experiments and numerical simulations will provide the definitive data needed in order to uncover the scaling laws of these flows, thus enabling their reliable prediction.Read moreRead less