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Since the 1970's the influence of aerodynamics on racing car design has risen substantially, and now in the modern era it is seen as one of the most important factors in producing a race-winning car. Research carried out in the Department of Aeronautics at Imperial College London, into flow control techniques and the development of cutting-edge numerical and experimental methods has allowed specific and significant improvements in the aerodynamic design of Formula One racing cars. This has led to reduced lap times and a more competitive racing environment. These advances have also contributed to improving handling, resulting in a safer racing environment. This research has provided the Formula One industry, which has an estimated annual turnover of $2 billion, with a means to employ engineers who have the key knowledge and insights that allow them to continue to innovate in a tightly controlled engineering environment. The Chief Designer or Chief Aerodynamicist in six out of the twelve 2012 F1 teams have carried out relevant research at Imperial College London.
Our flow modelling and process optimisation research has improved significantly the scientific understanding of key industrial coating, printing and droplet flow systems. We have implemented our research findings in software tools for staff training and process optimisation which have enabled: (i) the worldwide coating industry to improve the productivity and sustainability of their manufacturing processes; (ii) [text removed for publication]; (iii) a major automotive supply company to develop an award-winning droplet filtration system for diesel engines. [text removed for publication].
Research carried out in the School of Mathematics at the University of Bristol between 1998 and 2005 has been instrumental in the development of structures that arrest or deflect the rapid flow of snow that characterises avalanches in mountainous regions of the world. The research has been embodied in a series of guidance documents for engineers on the design of such structures and many defence dams and barriers have been built across Europe since 2008. The guidance is now adopted as standard practice in many of the countries that experience avalanches. Investment in avalanche defence projects based on the design principles set out in the guidance runs into tens of millions of pounds. The Bristol research is also used internationally in the training of engineers who specialise in avalanche protection schemes. Given the scale of the threat to life and property from these potent natural hazards, the impact of the research is considerable in terms of the societal and economic benefits derived from the reduction of the risk posed by snow avalanches.
Research carried out by Professors Hinch and Rallison at the University of Cambridge determined how ink jet printer fluids behave when emitted from the printer head. The research findings have been used by industry to optimise the design of the printer. Xaar, the world-leading independent supplier of industrial inkjet printheads which uses a drop-on-demand mode, has used the results of this research to improve the design and operation of its ink-jet printers to its own commercial benefit and to the benefit of the users of its printers.
Using advanced mathematics and numerical modelling we have demonstrated how fundamental understanding of laminar-turbulent transitions in fluid flows can save energy. From 2008 we helped the cleantech company, Maxsys Fuel Systems Ltd, to understand and improve their technology and demonstrate to customers how it can reduce fuel use by 5-8%. Customers including Ford Motor, Dow Chemical and Findus testify to the impact from financial savings and reduced carbon emissions obtained by installing Maxsys products on industrial burners used widely in many industrial sectors including automotive, bulk chemicals and food. In 2010, Selas Heat Technology Company bought the Maxsys brand to invest in this success.
Cranfield has improved modelling and simulation capability in the infrared and radio frequency regions of the electro-magnetic spectrum. This research has been exploited by Chemring in:
Cranfield's research has also contributed to a major new Chemring hardware product called the Centurion launcher, by informing the development of the software algorithms to control the launcher in operation.
Our research has been key to the development of investor confidence in an emerging UK tidal stream industry. We have contributed to the development and validation of commercial and open- source software for tidal stream system design and our expertise has been instrumental to the successful delivery of major objectives of two national industry-academia marine energy projects commissioned by the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). Taken together, these outcomes have reduced engineering risks that had been of concern to potential investors. Investor confidence in tidal energy has been increased, as highlighted by Alstom's £65m acquisition of a turbine developer following a key outcome of the ETI ReDAPT project.
This case study relates to research supported under contract by Statoil AS, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, and is focused on two major issues of significance to that industry, namely, the mathematical modelling and analysis of (a) hydraulic two-layer gas/liquid flow in pipe lines and (b) wax formation in the interior walls of pipe lines transporting heated oil. These projects arose out of contacts between senior research staff at the Statoil Research Centre and the Nonlinear Waves group in the School of Mathematics. The theoretical research undertaken was designed to complement the major experimental programmes developed at the Statoil Research Centre and was performed in collaboration with scientists there. The work has provided Statoil with a reliable theoretical framework to contextualise and enable comparison with experimental results and to inform the design of future experimental programmes. In the larger context, the research has played a key role in advancing the capability of Statoil to design and implement more economical, energy efficient, and environmentally safe strategies for gas/oil delivery via extended pipeline networks. Statoil have stated that the benefit of access to robust flow models in the North Sea context is rapidly approaching an economic value of many billions of Norwegian kroner.
University of Huddersfield research into the optimal design of flow-handling systems has been credited with "transforming" the development strategies and global market sales of an industrial partner. Weir Valves and Control Ltd has enjoyed a 75% saving in design lead time and a 1,800% increase in annual sales - from several thousand before its collaboration to millions in 2013 - through the structured integration of researchers' computational fluid dynamics expertise in its design process. The success of this collaboration, which has been described as an exemplar of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership, has also led to further research contracts.
Multiphase flow research at Imperial has developed bespoke software code, and provided unique data for validation of commercial codes used for oil-and-gas design. This research has enabled global oil companies (e.g. Chevron) to undertake successfully the design of deep-water production systems requiring multi-billion pound capital investments. This research has also allowed SPT Group (now owned by Schlumberger), one of the largest software (OLGA) providers to the oil industry, to maintain their position as market leaders.