Flame quenching and Lean blow-off limits of new zero/low-carbon fuels towards delivering a green Aviation; a combined Modelling & Experimental study

Started

Energy Efficiency(Transport)
Hydrogen and Fuel Cells(Hydrogen, Hydrogen end uses (incl. combustion; excl. fuel cells))
Fossil Fuels: Oil Gas and Coal(Oil and Gas, Oil and gas combustion)
Renewable Energy Sources(Bio-Energy, Other bio-energy)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Applied Mathematics)
ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical, Aeronautical and Manufacturing Engineering)

Not Cross-cutting

Dr R Yuan
Mechanical Engineering
University of Sheffield

Standard

EPSRC

01 December 2024

30 November 2027

36 months

£630,420

Mechanical engineering

Yorkshire & Humberside

NC : Engineering

Dr R Yuan, Mechanical Engineering, University of Sheffield

Project Contact, Shell Global Solutions UK
Project Contact, University of Sydney, Australia
Project Contact, University of Edinburgh
Project Contact, Lakes College West Cumbria

Alternative sustainable fuels, such as hydrogen, ammonia, bio/synthetic fuels produced from sustainable pathways, have been highlighted in recent policy whitepapers as a route to address the problems in decarbonising the aviation sector and to help deliver net-zero. The recent Jet Zero Strategy has highlighted the investment to accelerate the production and infrastructure of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and R&D priorities in delivering Zero-emission flight. For the likes of ammonia, hydrogen and other synthetic or low carbon aviation fuels, that behave very differently to conventional kerosene-type fuels, this will entail the development of new engine technologies tailored to the new fuels, either pure component or blended. While the fundamental combustion behaviour in terms of chemical kinetic reaction mechanism may be understood for many of these fuels in isolation, at elevated pressure this is less certain, and major challenges remain concerning flame stability. FLAME project focuses on net-zero propulsion, evaluating the fuels' impact on gas turbine performance and operability. Novel optical diagnostics and models will be developed that will enable the understanding of flame quenching and the lean blow-off (LBO) limits of new bio/synthetic-derived zero/low-carbon fuels, enhancing their application in gas turbine combustors.

09/07/25