About the Project

The global transition to net-zero demands radically new approaches to power generation. High-power, compact engines fuelled by ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol have the potential to deliver clean, reliable electricity for remote communities, off-grid infrastructure, and resilient backup systems. Unlocking this potential, however, requires a step-change in engine design, control, and efficiency.

This PhD project will explore a new generation of ultra-high-efficiency free-piston engines (FPEs) equipped with fully flexible valve control. Unlike conventional engines constrained by crankshafts and fixed valve events, free-piston architectures offer unprecedented thermodynamic freedom. When combined with adaptive valve actuation, they enable real-time optimisation of combustion, efficiency, and emissions across multiple low-carbon fuels.

The research will focus on developing and applying advanced control strategies that exploit this freedom. The student will investigate innovative operating modes including variable bounce chambers, two-stroke and four-stroke operation, and dynamically optimised combustion phasing to push engine efficiency beyond current state-of-the-art limits while minimising pollutant formation.

The project will begin with high-fidelity numerical modelling of the complete engine system, using state-of-the-art simulation tools to evaluate performance across hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol operation. Key metrics such as thermal efficiency, combustion stability, load response, and emissions will be analysed under a wide range of valve, fuelling, and control strategies. These models will directly inform experimental work, creating a tightly coupled simulation–experiment feedback loop.

A defining feature of the PhD is hands-on experimental validation. The student will work closely with a UK-based engine technology start-up developing free-piston systems for net-zero power generation. This collaboration provides a rare opportunity to test novel control strategies on a real prototype engine, bridging fundamental research and industrial deployment. The student will design and implement control algorithms for valve timing, fuelling, and energy recovery, aiming for demonstrable gains in efficiency, emissions, and operational flexibility.

This project is ideally suited to a highly motivated student interested in advanced thermodynamics, combustion, control systems, and clean energy technologies. It offers training in cutting-edge simulation, experimental engine research, and industry-aligned innovation—equipping the successful candidate with skills highly valued in both academia and the clean-energy sector.