Civil, Maritime & Environmental Engineering

Location:  Boldrewood Campus
Closing Date:  Sunday 31 July 2022
Reference:  1792422DA

Supervisory Team:    Dominic Hudson, Ed Richardson, Stephen Turnock

Modelling of liquid Hydrogen dispersion in the maritime environment

Project description

In response to the climate crisis and to tackle global warming through reducing emissions, we must decarbonise the world’s energy. It is highly likely that future energy sources and fuels will need to be transported around the globe. Even if such sources are renewably produced, the distribution of resources and energy consumption are not even and are unlikely to always coincide. Hydrogen is one potential future energy source. Hydrogen has a low volumetric energy density and is thus likely to require large ships for transport, probably with it in liquid form.

The properties of Hydrogen bring many engineering challenges associated with its safe and efficient transport onboard a ship, including loading and unloading procedures, that must be understood to enable design of safe and reliable systems. This project investigates safety of liquid hydrogen upon accidental release during marine operations. Due to its cryogenic state (-253 °C), liquid hydrogen can condense all gas components in air, and the cooling and condensation of air strongly affect turbulent mixing and dispersion of the hydrogen. The project will develop computational fluid dynamic modelling, accounting for turbulent heat and mass transfer associated with condensation of air, in order to support assessment of fire and explosion hazards as well as the impact of the cryogenic release on mechanical systems. It is likely that access to new experimental data will be made possible during the project, for comparison and validation purposes.

You will work closely with our industrial partner, Shell Shipping and Maritime, as well as other key stakeholders in the development of Liquid Hydrogen transportation and therefore this research has the potential to significantly influence the energy transition for global shipping as it moves towards zero-Carbon fuels. There are opportunities to spend time with Shell Shipping and Maritime as part of your PhD studies. The PhD will contribute to the research of the Centre for Maritime Futures at the University. 

Candidates require a strong background in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dominic Hudson, Maritime Engineering Group, Email: dominic@soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 2306.

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

Closing date: applications should be received no later than 31 July 2022 for standard admissions, but later applications may be considered depending on the funds remaining in place.

Funding: For UK students, Tuition Fees and a stipend of £18,00 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years. 

How To Apply

Applications should be made online. Select programme type (Research), 2022/23, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD  Engineering & Environment (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Dominic Hudson 

Applications should include: 

• Curriculum Vitae
• Two reference letters
• Degree Transcripts to date

Apply online: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/how-to-apply/postgraduate-applications.page

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk