Modelling of liquid-fueled rotating detonation engines for gas-turbine applications

About the Project

Supervisory Team: Professor Ralf Deiterding

Using a rotating detonation engine (RDE) as gas turbine combustion chamber could increase engine efficiency dramatically. This project will implement two-phase flow and spray combustion modelling into our in-house dynamically adaptive RDE code to quantify the potential of RDE-based jet engines by massively parallel computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.

We are the only UK researchers investigating RDEs and our parallel and dynamically adaptive in-house software AMROC is among the most capable solvers for detonation simulation worldwide. While AMROC provides a viscous detonation solver with detailed non-equilibrium chemical kinetics in the gas phase, it currently cannot simulate the combustion of liquid fuels. In this project, we will therefore incorporate dilute spray combustion into AMROC.

Lagrangian tracking of dispersed droplets, evaporation models and reduced chemical kinetic mechanisms for hydro-carbons combustion will be added and tested, enhanced breakup modelling will be added later. After comprehensive verification and validation, the new spray combustion capability will be used in two- and three-dimensional simulations of RDEs running on liquid hydrocarbon fuels of increasing chemical complexity. Ultimately, prototype RDE combustion chamber simulations informed by operating conditions of realistic Rolls Royce jet engines running on kerosene-air will be simulated and the potential of pressure-gain combustion quantified.

Entry requirements

You must have a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in one of the following:

• engineering
• physics
• chemistry
• mathematics

Essential skills:

• experience in numerical modelling and simulation
• programming and development experience in C/C++ and/or Fortran

Desirable skills:

• Knowledge of two-phase flows and combustion modelling

Due to the dual-use nature of this work, students should not be citizens of any country on the UK Government’s list of countries subject to trade sanctions, arms embargoes and other trade restrictions.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees will be paid and you'll receive an enhanced stipend (living allowance) per year for up to 4 years.

This project is funded jointly by the EPSRC Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA) and Rolls Royce Plc.

How to apply

Apply now

You need to:

• choose programme type (Research), 2026/27, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences
• select Full time or Part time
• search for programme PhD Engineering & the Environment (7175)
• add name of the supervisor in section 2 of the application

Applications should include:

• your CV (resumé)
• 2 academic references
• degree transcripts and certificates to date
• English language qualification (if applicable)