PhD Studentship - Saving Energy by an Optimised Design of Entrance Pipe Flow

The project combines state-of-the-art advanced mathematical tools and numerical simulations to better understand, predict and control pipeline flows for greener transportation and energy.

Working under the supervision of Dr Elena Marensi and Prof. Pierre Ricco, the successful candidate will join a vibrant and multidisciplinary team of researchers within the Thermofluids group in the department and the Sheffield Fluid Mechanics Group at Sheffield as well as benefiting from collaborations with world-leading experts in the field. The project aims at providing the PhD candidate with top-quality, challenging training at the forefront of research into theoretical and computational fluid mechanics.

Research Topic: The relevance of pipeline flows in fluids engineering is immense, involving, amongst many, the transport of liquid and gas fuels, irrigation and water-distribution systems. The flow in these systems is often turbulent and it is estimated that around 20% of the global electric power consumption is wasted by pumps due to turbulence. Delaying the onset of turbulence in these systems would therefore contribute to a more energy-efficient global transportation network, leading to huge economic savings and improved air quality. Current transition models however are often of limited use to engineering design of these systems because the inlet of the pipeline, which plays a key role in the development of disturbances further down the pipe, is ignored. In this project we want to focus on the entrance pipeline flow: in a joint theoretical/numerical effort, our aim is to develop a thorough understanding and predictive framework of the flow in this region that can be used to optimise its design and save energy in practical industrial scenarios.

You will gain significant experience in:

• Computational fluid mechanics using in-house softwares and high-performance computing
• Transition to turbulence, flow instabilities, and optimisation techniques
• Analysing data-sets and developing codes for data processing
• Working in a multidisciplinary inclusive environment
• Presenting research findings at national & international conferences and communicating with broad audiences

For informal queries, please contact Dr. Elena Marensi at e.marensi@sheffield.ac.uk.

About the Department: PhD programmes at Sheffield provide students with the opportunity to study within one of the UK’s leading Mechanical Engineering departments, internationally renowned for long-standing success in research which looks at some of today’s most challenging issues and develops new innovations to solve them. The expertise of our staff covers a wide range of specialist areas and our mission is to carry out research in fundamental science through to practical industrial applications.

ALSO, Sheffield is a great and affordable place to live! Check it out

Requirements: You should have (or about to receive) a degree in engineering, physics or applied mathematics (at least a UK 2:1 honours grade or its international equivalents). Strong mathematical background and good programming skills. Desirable: final year project in fluid mechanics.

This studentship includes a fee bursary to cover the UK (home) rate, and an annual tax-free maintenance stipend at the standard UK Research rate (£19,237 in 2024-25) for up to 3.5 years. Overseas applicants will need to secure additional funding to cover the difference in fees, or with their own funds which is approximately £22,884 per year.

To apply, please use our on-line PhD application form and contact m.i.boulis@sheffield.ac.uk if you have any questions.

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