Our research
Collaborating to redefine combustion for a Net-Zero future.
We are a Team of world-leading academics and postdoctoral researchers with complementary backgrounds in experimental and computational disciplines.
Between us, we have more than 100 years of combined expertise and we’re passionate about turning ideas into impact.
As an Applied Research Group, we collaborate with some of the world’s most renowned engineering companies to deliver innovative solutions that shape industry and tackle global challenges – including the decarbonisation of the aerospace industry.
Our research spans eight broad themes
We're exploring near-term goals – including emission reductions in conventional fuels – as well as the future use of biofuels, sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and hydrogen which will require a completely new propulsive infrastructure.
- Developing combustion systems that minimise pollutants such as NOx, CO and particulates
- Exploring advanced burner designs and optimised fuel-air mixing strategies
- Investigating hydrogen as a clean fuel alternative for aviation
- Addressing challenges like flame stability and flashback
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs)
- Studying combustion characteristics of biofuels and synthetic fuels
- Evaluating performance and emissions compared to conventional jet fuels
- Designing efficient cooling systems for high-temperature components
- Researching thermal management strategies for combustors
- Developing reliable ignition technologies for next-generation engines
- Focusing on high-altitude and lean-burn conditions
- Conducting aerodynamic studies and supporting design optimisation for combustion systems
- Examining complex internal flows with modern gas turbines
- Using advanced laser-based techniques to visualise combustion processes
- Measuring temperature, species concentration and flow dynamics in real-time
- Creating high-fidelity computational models for combustion and aerothermal systems
- Simulating fuel injection, flame propagation and pollutant formation