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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
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Use one form per project
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Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie
as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
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In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed
PI name & contact details:
School:
Has project been agreed with head
(or nominee) of proposed registration school?
Research Centre / group affiliation:
Dr Rory Monaghan
Energy Systems Engineering n/a
Research group / centre website:
PI website / link to CV:
Member of:
Combustion Chemistry Centre (C
3
)
Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Energy (IRUSE) http://c3.nuigalway.ie/ http://www.nuigalway.ie/iruse/ http://c3.nuigalway.ie/staff/rory_monaghan.html
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=10194626&trk=tab_pro
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
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Advanced numerical techniques (CFD & reduced-order modelling) for thermo-fluid energy applications
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Analysis & modelling of sustainable energy pathways & technology options
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Multiphysics Computational and Experimental Study of Biomass Combustion in Fluidised Beds
Co-firing of biomass with coal, as well as burning 100% biomass fuels, in power plants is seen by the power generation sector as an attractive decarbonisation technique because existing plant and transmission infrastructure can be used, and because it does not have the same intermittency problems as other renewables such as wind or solar energy. Fluidised bed combustion (FBC) units are widely seen as the most suitable technology for biomass co-firing due to their ability to handle a variety of fuels. There is however a number of problems associated with co-firing in FBCs, and principal among these is increased rates of corrosion of boiler tubes. Mineral matter, or ash, present in biomass is vastly different in quantity and composition compared to that found in coal or peat.
Under FBC conditions this leads to the formation of alkali halide salts, which condense on and attack heat transfer surfaces through a process of active oxidation. This leads to increased rates of tube corrosion and increased plant downtime.
This project proposes to study the corrosion process holistically through a multiphysics computational and experimental campaign. In collaboration with industrial partners, samples of boiler tube materials will be exposed to FBC-relevant temperatures, loads and a range of ash compositions. Degradation of tube structure and mechanical properties will be studied. These

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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras experimental findings will be used to develop and validate numerical thermo-mechanical material models that build on existing research in NUIG on high-temperature creep and fatigue and include treatment of corrosion by active oxidation. These models will in turn be combined with CFD models that incorporate ash deposition, to develop a truly multiphysics understanding of the entire process.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
 Work with the Combustion Chemistry Centre, one of the world’s leading combustion research groups
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Work as part of the Ryan Institute for environment, marine & energy research, one of the largest interdisciplinary groups in this field in Europe
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Very strong and active research links to the power generation industry, e.g. ESB International, Bord na
Móna, EDF
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Work will be performed in NUI Galway’s Engineering Building, the largest engineering education facility in Ireland
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences)
Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
Minerals, Minerals Technology
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
X

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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders arrangements):
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): Y
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): N
Suitable for either/Don’t know: N