PhD Projects
Assess your employee in a game
Supervisors
About the project
We are looking to recruit a PhD candidate in Chemical Engineering Education, for position ESR14 Assess Your Employee in a Game. The Marie-Sklodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network funds the project. The Network is part of the Horizon 2020 Programme of the European Commission.
CHARMING is the European Training Network for Chemical Engineering Immersive Learning. It has pooled the interdisciplinary and intersectoral expertise of leading universities and companies. They operate in the fields of chemical technology, instructive psychology and immersive technologies. They are located in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, UK, Denmark and France.
The 15 CHARMING ESRs will receive state-of-the-art science/technology training. They will also benefit from a unique soft-skills training programme. This will kick-start their careers as highly employable professionals in many fields, including:
- the chemicals industry
- the games/VR/AR sector
- e-learning
- digital human resource management
- teaching and scientific organisations
- public bodies
Further information is available on CHARMING’s website.
BREWPIPE: continuous fermentation of beer
Supervisor
About the project
Beer production is a commercially important, large-scale process. But there are very few continuous plants. Many designs of continuous fermentor have been tried, but none have been particularly successful.
We have basic proof-of-concept that an oscillatory flow reactor can produce beer of acceptable quality. This project will explore the parameter space of the process. It will develop an understanding of the key parameters. This will permit optimisation of the process, and, ultimately, make it a viable commercial technology.
A subsidiary aim of the project is to begin to investigate intensification of the brewing process as a whole.
Biofuel from algae: catalytic cracking
Supervisors
About the project
One of the most significant bottlenecks in the production of biodiesel from algae is the drying before reaction. This often needs more energy than that given out during combustion of the biofuel. Thus, it is a significant problem for the economics of the process. It also undermines one of its main reasons, which is the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The energy is almost certainly largely from fossil fuels.
Catalytic cracking can overcome this problem. Tt is more water-tolerant than chemical conversion to biodiesel.
This project will develop catalysts for this process and optimise the process conditions.
Biofuel from algae: reactive extraction
Supervisors
About the project
One of the most significant bottlenecks in the production of biodiesel from algae is the drying before reaction. This often needs more energy than that given out during combustion of the biofuel. Thus, it is a significant problem for the economics of the process. It also undermines one of its main reasons, which is the reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide. The energy is almost certainly largely from fossil fuels.
Almost all the water has to be removed before reaction to biodiesel. Water causes a side-reaction producing soap. This reduces yield and makes downstream purification of the biodiesel phase difficult.
Reactive extraction combines extraction of the oil from the algal biomass and the reaction of that oil to biodiesel into one step. It does this by contacting the biomass directly with methanol and catalyst. We have carried out previous studies on various oilseeds. These prove that the process is much more water-tolerant than the conventional biodiesel reaction. The aim of this project is to investigate the feasibility of using reactive extraction to convert wet algal biomass by this method.
Due to previous and ongoing work in this area, all facilities are in place to extend this technique to algae.
CO2 capture from industrial processes with an intensified fluidised bed using novel hydrotalcite solid sorbents
Supervisors
About the project
We are exploring the integration of novel hydrotalcite solid sorbents with intensified fluidised bed units,. This has applications for CO2 capture in industrial processes.
Industrial processes account for 25% of total EU CO2 emissions. Moreover, they are already operating at or close to the theoretical limits of efficiency. Thus, CO2 capture and storage is the only technology that can deliver the required emission reductions based on EU 2050 targets. But current capture technologies based on amine-based absorption have a significant energy penalty. One promising future technology is the use of solid adsorbents. These need 30-50% less energy than the MEA-based absorption process.
We will work in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University and Sheffield University. We will develop, test and optimise novel hydrotalcite sorbents for use in industrial carbon capture.
At Newcastle University, we will use 3D printing to enable rapid manufacture and testing of a series of different fluidised beds. This will allow us to screen various sorbents developed by our collaborators. We will use micro-fluidised beds for initial screening, before scale-up to pilot scale towards the end of the project.
There is also the possibility to study heat and mass transfer enhancement using intensified beds such as the Toroidal fluidised bed.
There are three PhD projects available in this area:
- Experimental project: Development of micro-beds for rapid sorbent screening
- This will include the study of wall effects and bed scale-up towards pilot scale
- Experimental project: Development of intensified fluidised beds for the carbon capture process
- This will include toroidal and centrifugal fluidised beds
- Computational project with some experimental validation: Development of CFD-DEM (or similar) models
- These models will aid the design and optimisation of intensified fluidised beds for the carbon capture process
Unfortunately, we do not have funding to offer PhD studentships in this area. But the work will contribute towards an ongoing EPSRC project. This has a large materials and equipment budget.
CO2 conversion to fuels and value-added chemicals by the integration of non-thermal plasma catalysis and process intensification
Supervisors
About the project
Carbon dioxide is one of the principal greenhouse gases responsible for climate change. Human activities are responsible for the CO2 increase in the atmosphere. These activities include:
- combustion of fossil fuels for energy and transportation
- some industrial processes
- land use change
The rise in CO2 causes an increase in the global mean temperature. CO2 emission also forms extensive waste of a natural carbon source. The conversion of CO2 to fuels and other high value useful products has been the subject of intensive study over the past decades. The intrinsic inert nature of CO2 makes it difficult to use as a feedstock. CO2 decomposition may not occur when the reaction temperature is lower than 3350K. We have shown this using thermodynamic analysis.
CO2 conversion to fuels and value-added chemicals uses thermal or catalytic methods. Non-thermal (or non-equilibrium) plasma technology provides an attractive alternative to these conventional routes. It is able to convert CO2 to fuels and value-added chemicals at atmospheric pressure and low temperatures.
Integrating plasma, solid catalysts and process intensification may generate a synergistic effect. This can:
- increase CO2 conversion
- improve the product selectivity to minimise unwanted by-products
- enhance the energy efficiency of CO2 conversion in a sustainable way.
We will investigate CO2 conversion to fuels and value-added chemicals in an energy efficient and sustainable way. We will do this by the integration of non-thermal plasma catalysis and process intensification.
Continuous oscillatory baffled photobioreactors
Supervisors
About the project
Most biodiesel uses transesterification of vegetable oil or animal fat/oil as the production method. Most of the vegetable oil comes from rapeseeds, sunflower seeds or soya beans. At present, up to 20% of diesel sold on the forecourt of garages is biodiesel, depending on which country or area you live in. If all diesel sold in the world was 20% biodiesel, it would not be possible to find enough land on which to grow the necessary oilseed crops. The problem is that, in a field, only 10% of the plant’s mass is oil. The rest is waste vegetable matter. It may be possible to gasify the waste vegetable matter and produce bio-ethanol, but the energy density of the crop remains low.
Some species of algae also produce vegetable oils as an energy storage mechanism. One species even produces a C34 straight chain hydrocarbon. The oil content of the algae can be as much as 65% of the mass of the organism. Even if only 40% of the algae’s mass was oil, we could grow the entire world production of oil, which is 800 billion barrels, in a square 1600km × 1600km. This is approximately 2.5% of the available surface area. But algal production of oil is not used as a method of producing biodiesel. This is because of the cost of the very large bioreactors needed to grow the algae over 4-5 days.
Oscillatory Baffled Reactors (OBRs) are an intensified form of plug flow reactor. Their niche application is the performance of long reactions in continuous, plug flow mode. Bioreactions are a class of reaction that is inherently “long”, so they should be suitable for processing using an OBR.
The efficient growth of algae for biofuel is a large challenge that an OBR-based photobioreactor may be able to contribute to. Further to the OBR’s suitability for such long reactions, it also offers good exposure to light. This is due to its periodic regular mixing patterns and low and controllable shear. It also has a relatively low energy consumption compared to stirred tanks.
This project will design, build and evaluate an OBR-based photobioreactor for algae growth.
Development of catalysts for high temperature biodiesel production
Supervisor
About the project
We have already demonstrated that sulphated zirconia is an efficient high-temperature catalyst.
We would like to take this work further. This project will follow up on some interesting observations. These concern selectivity and catalyst formulation. Our previous work is currently confidential, but you will find out the details when you start work here.
You will investigate the preparation of sulphated zirconia and other acid catalysts. You will also characterise them. will relate this to the conversion and selectivities we see when catalysing the biodiesel reaction at temperatures up to 300°C.
Enhancing gas-liquid and liquid-liquid mass transfer in spinning disc contactors
Supervisor
Further intensification of oscillatory baffled reactor (OBR) design
Supervisors
About the project
We will make design improvements to the “standard” OBR design.
In theory, OBRs can be more compact and efficient than they already are by a large redesign.
We can tailor OBR baffle design to fit particular systems. We have basic proof-of-concept for significant improvements in baffle design liquid-liquid systems. This is at small scale. We would like to develop this further.
We will tailor OBRs to specific rheologies by considering the baffle design.
This project involves taking forward the conventional design. We will develop new designs for specific applications.
Heterogeneous catalysts for biodiesel production
Supervisors
About the project
A novel catalyst for the biodiesel reaction could improve the economics of biodiesel production. Such a solid basic catalyst would be viable and low temperature. It would simplify biodiesel production. This is because it removes the need for a constant supply of the current homogeneous supply, which is not regenerated. It would reduce the load on downstream operations. In so doing, it would also reduce the environmental impact of the process, by reducing waste.
This project follows on from two completed PhD projects: Claire McLeod and Din Wan Yussof. It will investigate catalysts on tailored substrates for heterogeneous catalysis of biodiesel.
We will develop our own catalysts. We will also evaluate catalysts from a reactor engineering point of view. This will feed back to our partners at Cardiff University, who will modify and develop microstructured catalysts.
Improvements in chemical reactors using heat pipe technology
Supervisors
About the project
Chemical reactors perform much better if we can maintain the conditions throughout the reactor bed or the catalyst. Specific temperatures, heat fluxes, and so on all have an impact on reactor performance.
This is not possible in most reactor configurations. To maintain conditions, we must use fully-intensified units such as spinning disc reactors. But there is a heat transfer technology that can be effective in overcoming limitations of conventional reactors - the heat pipe.
The heat pipe is a two-phase heat transfer device operating on an evaporation/condensation cycle. It performs as a 'super thermal conductor'. It can be designed for operation at any reactor temperature. It can:
- isothermalise reactions
- remove or add heat at a specified rate
- effectively recover heat
- act as a catalyst support vessel
- perform beneficially in higee environments
This PhD project will involve studies on heat pipe behaviour. We will identify heat pipe characteristics that are compatible with a number of reactor/reaction types. We will test an appropriate heat pipe/reactor combination. We will carry out modelling of the unit, with a view to developing a tool for heat pipe location in reactors.
Intensification of fermentation and enzymatic processes
Supervisors
- Prof Adam Harvey
- Prof David Reay
- Dr Kamelia Boodhoo
About the project
Heat transfer is always an important part of reactor design. Heat pipes are an extremely rapid and efficient, but passive, method of transferring heat, but are seldom used in reactors.
Tight control of heat transfer can have a large effect on product yield and quality in a wide range of industrial processes. In this project, we will design, build and evaluate a range of heat pipe-containing reactors. These will be for applications where heat transfer is critical. This includes highly exothermic reactions and various bioreactions.
Prof David Reay, one of the supervisors of this work, is an acknowledged world expert on heat pipe design and applications.
Intensification of reactions/reactors using heat pipes
Supervisors
- Prof Adam Harvey
- Prof David Reay
- Dr Kamelia Boodhoo
About the project
Heat transfer is always an important part of reactor design. Heat pipes are an extremely rapid and efficient, but passive, method of transferring heat, but are seldom used in reactors.
Tight control of heat transfer can have a large effect on product yield and quality in a wide range of industrial processes. In this project, we will design, build and evaluate a range of heat pipe-containing reactors. These will be for applications where heat transfer is critical. This includes highly exothermic reactions and various bioreactions.
Prof David Reay, one of the supervisors of this work, is an acknowledged world expert on heat pipe design and applications.