Turbomachinery for Future Energy Systems

The aim of the project is to work with Siemens Energy to investigate the design of turbomachinery components, such as axial-flow compressors, using 'advanced' working fluids.

Whilst air and water are very commonly used in power generation cycles, there is scope for cycles using supercritical CO2 or organic fluids to play a role in reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

For example, organic fluids can operate effectively in low grade heat recovery cycles, and may be able to replace traditional Rankine cycles in bottoming out gas turbines.

Advanced working fluids can display interesting behaviours (for example in boundary layers and in their shock characteristics) which could impact the optimum design of turbomachinery components.

Lower order modelling and experimental work has been undertaken in the literature - this research project looks to implement higher order modelling to advance understanding in this field.

A key feature of the project will be running DNS simulations - these are extremely high resolution CFD codes which resolve turbulent structures such that many modelling assumptions common in LES or other lower modelling approaches are not needed, making them more like a virtual experiment.

When combined with effective post-processing of the data, DNS simulations enable a highly accurate assessment of the flow to be derived. The work fits broadly into the ESPRC research areas of Fluid dynamics and aerodynamics, and Energy and decarbonisation.