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For formal application/guidance, please visit: http://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/apply/
For available funding opportunities, please visit: http://www.mace.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funding/
For President's Doctoral Award, please visit: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funding/presidents-doctoral-scholar-award/
For Dean's Doctoral Award, please visit: https://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/funding/opportunities/display/?id=00000447
List of Available PhD Projects at ManchesterCFD Group
[PETROCHEMICAL] CFD Simulation of Fluidised Bed Reactors
Abstract: The Fluidized-Bed Reactors (FBRs) are commonly used in the petrochemical sector. FBR has the ability to process large volumes of fluid. Fluidization occurs when small solid particles are suspended in an upward- flowing stream of fluid. The fluid velocity is sufficient to suspend the particles, but it is not large enough to carry them out of the vessel. The material “fluidized” is almost always a solid and the “fluidizing medium” is either a liquid or gas. The characteristics and behaviour of a fluidized bed are strongly dependent on both the solid and liquid or gas properties. Nearly all the significant commercial applications of fluidized-bed technology concern gas-solid systems. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) is a great tool to simulate the two-phase flow in the core of FBRs, however, most of the current CFD techniques struggle to accurately simulate the flow and heat transfer in such problems. Therefore, the aim of this project is to investigate the feasibility of CFD in modelling the gas-solid system in a typical FBR. The project will initially model a simplified and idealised reactor and later on in the study, a realistic full-scale design will be considered. The project is expected to result in important findings in the application of CFD in an important petrochemical system.
Requirements: Essential: Strong background in numerical fluid mechanics and/or heat transfer. Desirable: Experience in Computational Fluid Dynamics or chemical engineering sector.
[ENERGY] Optimisation of Domestic Heat Pump Systems in Urban Areas
Abstract: In this PhD project, the aim is to perform a number of parametric studies on different heat pump system architectures to analyse and subsequently optimise the system operation characteristics and energy performance. This will be based on local weather temperature range during a year and required level of temperature for the new buildings, particularly tailored to the UK cities and urban areas. Ultimately this project will provide a platform that could be used by suppliers and customers to employ the most efficient type and scale of heat pump systems based on their requirement.
Requirements: Essential: Strong background in numerical fluid mechanics and/or heat transfer. Desirable: Experience in Computational Fluid Dynamics or energy sector.
[BIOMEDICAL] Haemodynamic Performance of Spiral Grafts Using Eulerian and Lagrangian Frameworks
Abstract: The identification of the natural blood motion as a swirling flow in the whole arterial system has resulted in new promising lines of research of cardiovascular devices. This PhD project is focused on the design of a novel spiral-inducing prosthetic graft, the performance of which is based on the induction of the swirling flow by means of a helical ridge in the internal wall of the graft. Traditional haemodynamics tends to consider the blood as a continuous fluid, neglecting the physiological rheology of the blood. However, particle transport models, with support of the traditional approaches using Eulerian methods, allow the computational characterisation of particles motion and particle-wall interaction modelling that, together with experimental analyses, can potentially lead to bridge the gap between the pathology of vascular diseases and fluid dynamic metrics and the potential that particle tracking could provide to directly study regions of depositions without the need of intermediary hypothesis. The proposed PhD project therefore will investigate the above methods for biomedical applications including the bypass graft and will compare the Eulerian and Lagrangian haemodynamic metrics for different cardiovascular applications.
Skills Required: Essential: Strong background in Fluid Mechanics. Desirable: Background in Biomedical Engineering or Experimental Fluid Mechanics.
[BIOMEDICAL] Development of a Novel Hybrid Image Processing Technique for Patient-Specific Coronary Arteries
Abstract: Endothelial erosion is responsible for nearly 31% of heart attacks and represents a massively understudied contributor to the 200,000 heart attacks that occur each year in the UK. It occurs when the inner lining of the artery (endothelium) detaches, triggering a blood clot that stops sufficient blood supplying the heart, causing a heart attack. Endothelial cell behaviour is fundamentally controlled by the blood flow pattern to which they are exposed, however, the flow environment that erosions occur in has not yet been determined. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a near infrared imaging technique that allows clinicians to view the artery from the inside and look deep into the artery wall. OCT allows endothelial erosion to be distinguished from plaque rupture and give high definition reconstruction of the luminal surface. In this project, we will combine OCT with angiography using a novel/semi-automated algorithm, which allows a very accurate 3D reconstruction of the artery to be created. In this project the student will be using state-of-the-art Computational Fluid Dynamics simulation codes and computational facilities to simulate the blood flow for patient-specific coronary arteries using the hybrid OCT/angiography images.
Skills Required: Essential: Strong background in Fluid Mechanics. Desirable: Background in Biomedical Engineering or Experimental Fluid Mechanics.
Internship Opportunity at one of our industrial collaborators, Storengy UK.
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