CFD modelling of safety-critical LH2 phenomena to support safety strategies development

Summary

Practical and predictive models for heat and mass transfer in liquid hydrogen (LH2) storage tanks and infrastructure are often missing in spite of long-term LH2 use in industry. Significant knowledge gaps include such LH2 incident scenarios as loss of containment, fire and explosion in LH2 storage, transfer, transport, venting and release incidents.

Addressing these gaps is essential to ensure the development of safe, efficient and sustainable LH2 infrastructure in Northern Ireland, in the UK and worldwide. Available models are often limited to a particular installation design, lack thorough validation against important for practitioners’ scales, process parameters, materials properties, etc. These are serious disadvantages of current models that should be addressed.

The project will be executed at the Hydrogen Safety Engineering and Research Centre (HySAFER) of Ulster University, which is one of the world leading organisations in area of hydrogen safety research, teaching and knowledge transfer.

The proposed PhD study is expected to use Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) as a research method and run alongside ongoing externally funded projects at HySAFER. The research is expected to generate new knowledge to better understand LH2 behaviour in realistic incident scenarios.

Based on the obtained results the project will aim to formulate safety strategies to underpin development of efficient and publicly acceptable LH2 storage and distribution infrastructure.

The PhD researcher will benefit from access to HySAFER expertise in hydrogen safety area, communication with a team of CFD experts, use of in-house computer cluster and funded by EPSRC High Performance Computing (HPC) NI Kelvin-2 facility, exposure to collaboration within externally funded projects.

The successful candidate is expected to have a solid foundation in such disciplines as mathematics, physics, chemistry, fluid dynamics, heat and mass transfer, or combustion. Research will be conducted using cutting-edge multi-phase CFD technique. Experience in numerical simulations, particularly using ANSYS Fluent, or in theoretical analysis is welcome.

Results will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Research proposal of no more than 2000 words detailing aims, objectives, milestones and methodology of the project

Equal Opportunities

The University is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applicants from all sections of the community, particularly from those with disabilities.

Appointment will be made on merit.

Funding and eligibility

This project is funded by:

• Department for the Economy (DfE)
• Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarship (VCRS)

PhD scholarships are available for this project to all applicants worldwide, regardless of residency or domicile, and will cover:

• Tuition fees.
• A maintenance allowance of approximately £22,000 (exact rate is to be confirmed) per annum for three years, subject to satisfactory academic performance.
• A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of approximately £900 per annum.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year, or part-time equivalent, funded from any source, including self-financing students, are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Students in full-time employment are not eligible for an award.

Part-time PhD scholarships may be available at a 0.5 pro rata rate of the full-time scholarship, which would require a six-year registration period.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies.

The University will award a successful candidate one of the following scholarships for the project, depending on the funding available at the time an admissions offer is made:

1. Department for the Economy (DfE) PhD Scholarships
2. Vice Chancellor’s Research Scholarships (VCRS)

Please note that the Terms and Conditions for scholarships are subject to change for 2027/28.