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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
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:
Dr Rory Monaghan
School:
Energy Systems Engineering
Has project been agreed with head
(or nominee) of proposed
registration school?
n/a
Research Centre / group
affiliation:
Member of:
Combustion Chemistry Centre (C3)
Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Energy (IRUSE)
Research group / centre
http://c3.nuigalway.ie/
website:
http://www.nuigalway.ie/iruse/
PI website / link to CV:
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):
 Advanced numerical techniques (CFD & reduced-order modelling) for thermo-fluid energy
applications
 Analysis & modelling of sustainable energy pathways & technology options
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Computational and Experimental Characterisation of Next Generation Fuels
The Combustion Chemistry Centre (C3) is one of the foremost combustion research groups in the
world. Research is focused in the following key areas: development of detailed chemical kinetic
mechanisms for a wide range of fuels, ab initio determination of kinetic parameters for new fuels,
experimental characterisation of fuels for mechanism validation, and emissions prediction for
realistic combustion systems. C3 is unique in the range of experimental equipment at its disposal;
two rapid compression machines (RCMs) and two shock tubes (STs) are used to validate the group’s
kinetic mechanisms. Understanding the thermofluidic characteristics of these pieces of equipment
over a wide range of operating conditions and fuel mixtures is central to the success of C3’s work.
This is especially true as we investigate combustion characteristics in non-traditional regimes, such
as next-generation biofuels, two-stage ignition, low-temperature, high-pressure and ultra-lean
combustion.
This research will build on existing detailed numerical models of the equipment and develop them
to include all phenomena of importance including mixing, turbulence, heat transfer, high-pressure
blow-by, and piston timing. All numerical work will be validated with experiments on the group’s
RCMs. The work will lead to the design of new RCM components, including but not limited to piston
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
heads, combustion chamber and flow visualisation techniques. This will prove highly valuable to C3’s
research output and industrial partners.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
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Work with the Combustion Chemistry Centre, one of the world’s leading combustion research groups
Work as part of the Ryan Institute for environment, marine & energy research, one of the largest
interdisciplinary groups in this field in Europe
Very strong and active research links to industry in this technology area, e.g. Rolls-Royce, Alstom
Power, Renault, Saudi Aramco, and to academia, e.g. Politecnico di Milano, Livermore National Lab,
Texas A&M University
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
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
X
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
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
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