PhD Studentship - Steam Oxidation and Protection of Heat Exchangers in Advanced Power Systems.£15,600 p.a. plus fees*

School of Applied Sciences

Cranfield University

Supported by EPSRC and industrial sponsorship, a studentship of up to £15,600 p.a. plus fees* is available

This PhD studentship is aimed at supporting the development of higher efficiency power generation systems that use steam to generate electricity. The successful student will evaluate the rates of reaction of the latest heat exchanger materials (as well as more conventional materials) with steam in the projected operating temperature ranges of new power systems. Exposure tests will be carried out in laboratory scale furnaces and a high pressure steam loop test facility. The performance of the materials will be determined using advanced analytical facilities including: optical microscopy/image analysis, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray analysis, x-ray diffraction, etc. It is anticipated that the student will become involved in developing models for the lives of the heat exchanger materials based on their steam oxidation performance, as well as evaluating the potential for protective coating systems to be used to extend these lives.

This PhD project forms one part of the EPSRC SUPERGEN initiative that is focused on ‘Powering The Future’. Cranfield University was one of four UK university research groups that were selected to take part in the SUPERGEN consortium on ‘Conventional Power Plant Lifetime Extension’ that started in July 2004 and is supported by a group of industrial companies including Alstom Power, Siemens, Doosan Babcock, Rolls Royce, E.ON and RWE npower. The consortium has recently had its funding renewed for a further four year programme of work that will start in July 2008 and will be focused towards ‘Lifing of High Efficiency, Low CO2 Emission Power Plant’. Cranfield’s activities within this consortium are related to the high temperature oxidation, corrosion and protection of components, including heat exchangers and gas turbines.

The student will work within the growing multi-disciplinary teams of Cranfield University’s ‘Energy Technology Centre’ and ‘Surface Engineering Centre’. The Energy Technology Centre is active in researching materials selection and performance, gas cleaning processes and the use of solid fuels (including renewable and waste fuels) in advanced power processes. The Surface Engineering Centre is active in developing and evaluating new protective coatings for specific components in a wide range of industrial processes. These groups work together evaluating high temperature oxidation, corrosion and component life models.