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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.
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.
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.
Commercialisation: Through government grants, institutional and private investors, a medical devices company (Vascular Flow Technologies) was founded.
Products: Spiral Laminar Flow™ Vascular Grafts for use in bypass for peripheral arterial disease and vascular access for haemodialysis.
Market / Sales: Spiral Laminar Flow™ Grafts are sold in 18 countries, with over 3000 grafts implanted (<1% estimated market size) and sales in excess of £1million.
Patient Outcomes: Published and presented clinical series show the grafts have increased survival rates leading to reduced re-interventions and reduced amputations.
Work and tool temperature are major issues in abrasive machining. Cooling fluids, usually oil based, are used to control these temperatures. This research aimed to achieve much more effective use of coolant. The established industrial practice was to use very high volumes of oil, under very high pressures. This is an expensive and environmentally unfriendly approach. This research improved coolant flow quality by improving nozzle design and established the underlying physics to improve penetration of coolant into the cutting zone. It then went on to show that it was not only possible, but sometimes it may actually be beneficial, to dramatically reduce coolant flow volume by a factor of up to 20,000. Before industry would adopt these ideas it was necessary to have firm scientific evidence of their validity. This research by the General Engineering Research Institute (GERI) provided that foundation and has led to successful adoption by industry, which has in turn led to both economic and environmental impact. This case study will evidence industrial take-up via specific examples and shows that GERI's research in this area has had a global impact on the training of industrial engineers employing the grinding process.
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.
This impact is the improvement of aircraft engine efficiency by the application of profiled endwalls to turbine blades. The technology was researched by Durham University and exploited by Rolls-Royce by deploying the technology on airframes. Engines with profiled endwalls include the Trent 900 (A380 airframe), Trent 1000 (787 Airframe) and Trent XWB (A350 airframe). This (as of April 2013) totals around 2000 aircraft engine orders with profiled endwall technology applied. A saving of 1750 litres of fuel per flight from Zurich to Singapore was estimated when profiled endwalls are applied. This gives a 4400 kg reduction in carbon dioxide emissions for such a journey with a fuel cost saving of over $1100. In addition to the environmental benefit and the obvious cash savings for airlines an economic benefit for UK industry has arisen as Rolls-Royce is able to sell engines with a reduced fuel burn as well.
Research at GCU led to a novel method for backfilling pipeline tunnels providing the ability to fill tunnels three times more quickly than the traditional method resulting in a cost saving of £1.5M on a single project. This approach is now best practice at Murphy Pipelines Ltd (MPL) and features in current tenders to a value of £30M. The change in fill material lowered the carbon footprint by 5000 tonnes in a CEEQUAL award winning project, in addition, the removable fill material allows the recycling and re-use of tunnels, adding to the assets of the company and reducing costs.
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].
Coal fired power stations will be a major element of global power generation for the foreseeable future. Measurement, and hence control, of pulverised fuel flow is a vital technology for the efficient and green operation of coal fired power stations. Balancing fuel delivery and combustion stoichiometry increases boiler efficiency and reduces emissions. Research in this area carried out at Teesside University was adopted by ABB Ltd and led to the commercial development of new powder flow measurement systems (PfMaster technology) installed in power stations around the world. Quantifiable economic benefits of the installations to date amount to >£3.4 M with concomitant environmental benefits of significant reduction in CO2 and NOxemissions and solid waste disposal burdens.