Research group: Low carbon fuels and transportation

Selected projects

Hydrogen as a transportation fuel

Hydrogen is an ideal combustive fuel for zero emissions vehicles as the only by-product from the combustion is water. However, the conditions in an engine chamber that arise from hydrogen combustion are such that combustion is over excited and difficult to control compared to hydrocarbon-based alternatives. Control of hydrogen as a combustible fuel is complex in its nature due its low density and existing materials are not sufficiently stable to be used under realistic conditions over long-term combustive applications. New materials and methods of manufacture are being developed that will provide solutions that are suitable for long term use in engines using hydrogen-based fuelling solutions for internal combustion engines. 

Dual fuel

The part substitution of diesel with alternatives such as natural gas or propane in road, rail and marine heavy good vehicles reduces the operating costs, carbon footprint and exhaust emissions. The sole barrier to the widespread adoption of this technology is that the quantity of exhaust emissions exceeds that legally permitted under Euro VI. Solutions to the emissions problem have been developed, which include a catalytic converter prototype to remove hydrocarbons from the exhaust streams. 

Natural gas storage

New types of storage tanks for trucks fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) have been prepared. This project has arisen due to the revision of the ECE R110 regulations that now allow for the use of composite materials in the manufacture of LNG tanks. We are keen to be ahead of the curve in developing novel composite tanks using 3D printing with the aim of taking the project from the laboratory to the marketplace. 

Biomethane

This project focuses on the optimisation and design of anaerobic digestion systems, where high quality biomethane is achieved from land energy crops as well as marine biomass and other biowaste streams. In collaboration with a number of international partners from industry and academia, we are also working on using biomass and waste organic materials to produce the energy, fuels, and chemicals for which we are currently over-reliant on non-renewable resources. 

Biodiesel

Fuels prepared from renewable crops and waste cooking oil have lower net carbon footprints than conventional fossil-based sources, which makes them potential replacements for diesel in internal combustion engines. We have increased the production rate and yield of biodiesel from vegetable oils over heterogeneous catalysts prepared using naturally occurring/waste materials. Studies are also being done into the combustion characteristics and emissions features of biodiesel made from waste cooking oil to gain insights into the performances of biodiesel compared to conventional diesel fuel. Numerical analyses involving the use of CFD and chemical kinetic codes are employed to complement previous and ongoing experimental works.