I am always looking for enthusiastic students to do research projects at Post-Doc and PhD level. Contact me if you are interested in one of the projects below!
2-Year Post-Doctoral Levehulme Trust position in Fluid Mechanics
Optimal mixing for confined heterogeneous reaction in NMR spectroscopy
Location: Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, UK
Subject areas: Fluid Mechanics/Chemical Engineering
Closing date: 18th September 2023
Job Reference: SAE-023162
Salary range: £36,024 - £39,347 p.a.
Apply HERE.
Description:
Applications are invited for a 2-year post-doctoral position focused on the development and application of a chemical reactor for the analysis of heterogeneous reactive mixtures by novel high-resolution NMR techniques. Funded by The Leverhulme Trust, through a grant on “NMR Method for in Situ Monitoring of Heterogeneous Reactions”, the appointment will be made as part of a broad project including 2 other researchers in NMR Spectroscopy and Organic Chemistry (Department of Chemistry).
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most useful technique for chemical reaction monitoring because it simultaneously provides kinetic and structural information for all reaction components. Currently, NMR spectral information is inaccessible for heterogeneous reactions due to limitations in the design of NMR instruments. Heterogeneous reactions, such as immiscible liquid-liquid reaction systems or mixtures of solid particles in liquids, are common to many industrial chemical processes: from polymer synthesis to drug synthesis and catalysis. This project is based on a proof-of-concept study conducted at the University of Manchester, which demonstrated for the first time how the limitations in the design of NMR instruments can be overcome. Through well-controlled mixing strategies, we obtained meaningful NMR data for heterogenous mixtures.
The Research Associate will work closely with Dr Julien R. Landel at the Department of Mathematics, who has strong expertise in experimental fluid mechanics and multiphase flows. The Research Associate will also work in collaboration with Prof. Jordi Bures and Dr Ralph Adams at the Department of Chemistry, who have been awarded co-funding for this project. The research will be carried out in the fluid mechanics laboratory facilities of the Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics (MCND) headed by Prof. Anne Juel. This project offers an excellent opportunity for a suitable candidate to build a broad skill set in fluid mechanics and chemical engineering, with applications in chemistry and NMR spectroscopy, and to contribute intellectually to other projects within the research group.
The interdisciplinary and collaborative project is suitable for an enthusiastic and creative candidate who has good knowledge in fluid mechanics, some laboratory experience and knows or is willing to learn modelling through numerical simulations.
Location: Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, UK
Subject areas: Fluid Mechanics/Chemical Engineering
Closing date: 18th September 2023
Job Reference: SAE-023162
Salary range: £36,024 - £39,347 p.a.
Apply HERE.
Description:
Applications are invited for a 2-year post-doctoral position focused on the development and application of a chemical reactor for the analysis of heterogeneous reactive mixtures by novel high-resolution NMR techniques. Funded by The Leverhulme Trust, through a grant on “NMR Method for in Situ Monitoring of Heterogeneous Reactions”, the appointment will be made as part of a broad project including 2 other researchers in NMR Spectroscopy and Organic Chemistry (Department of Chemistry).
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is the most useful technique for chemical reaction monitoring because it simultaneously provides kinetic and structural information for all reaction components. Currently, NMR spectral information is inaccessible for heterogeneous reactions due to limitations in the design of NMR instruments. Heterogeneous reactions, such as immiscible liquid-liquid reaction systems or mixtures of solid particles in liquids, are common to many industrial chemical processes: from polymer synthesis to drug synthesis and catalysis. This project is based on a proof-of-concept study conducted at the University of Manchester, which demonstrated for the first time how the limitations in the design of NMR instruments can be overcome. Through well-controlled mixing strategies, we obtained meaningful NMR data for heterogenous mixtures.
The Research Associate will work closely with Dr Julien R. Landel at the Department of Mathematics, who has strong expertise in experimental fluid mechanics and multiphase flows. The Research Associate will also work in collaboration with Prof. Jordi Bures and Dr Ralph Adams at the Department of Chemistry, who have been awarded co-funding for this project. The research will be carried out in the fluid mechanics laboratory facilities of the Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics (MCND) headed by Prof. Anne Juel. This project offers an excellent opportunity for a suitable candidate to build a broad skill set in fluid mechanics and chemical engineering, with applications in chemistry and NMR spectroscopy, and to contribute intellectually to other projects within the research group.
The interdisciplinary and collaborative project is suitable for an enthusiastic and creative candidate who has good knowledge in fluid mechanics, some laboratory experience and knows or is willing to learn modelling through numerical simulations.
Funded PhD projects in Fluid Mechanics
Modelling convective mass transfer for cleaning and decontamination problems
Location: Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, UK
Subject areas: Fluid Mechanics, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics
Anticipated start date: position open until filled
Description:
Cleaning and decontamination processes can rely on different mechanisms to remove a patch of alien substance attached to a substrate. A shear flow covering the substrate can remove the substance through mechanical forces, potentially combined with chemical surfactant agent decreasing the adhesion of the substance onto the surface. However, this project is concerned with a second type of mechanism which is based on the dissolution of the substance into the cleaning fluid flow covering the substance.
This second type of cleaning process establishes a convective mass transfer between the alien phase and the cleaning phase. Several applications rely on this process, particularly when the dispersion of the substance is unwanted, such as in the decontamination process of toxic chemical spills. In our daily life, the cleaning mechanism more and more favoured in dishwashers relies also on a convective mass transfer as it has been shown empirically to reduce energy and water consumption. This project will focus on the case of a film flow covering a single droplet containing several substances. Many fundamental questions are still unresolved in this multiphase convective mass transfer problem. In particular, we will study how advection processes inside the drop can influence the convective mass transfer. Effect of solubility and surface tension on the overall mass transfer can also be analysed. The project will explore these questions using a combination of experimentation, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis.
The project is suitable for an enthusiastic and creative candidate who has good knowledge in fluid mechanics and some experience in experimentation and numerical simulations.
Funding note:
Funding is available and would provide fees and maintenance at RCUK level for home/EU students, or a fees-only bursary for overseas students. Competitive bursaries are also available for overseas students to fully cover both fees and maintenance at RCUK level.
To apply: click HERE
Location: Manchester Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Department of Mathematics, University of Manchester, UK
Subject areas: Fluid Mechanics, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics
Anticipated start date: position open until filled
Description:
Cleaning and decontamination processes can rely on different mechanisms to remove a patch of alien substance attached to a substrate. A shear flow covering the substrate can remove the substance through mechanical forces, potentially combined with chemical surfactant agent decreasing the adhesion of the substance onto the surface. However, this project is concerned with a second type of mechanism which is based on the dissolution of the substance into the cleaning fluid flow covering the substance.
This second type of cleaning process establishes a convective mass transfer between the alien phase and the cleaning phase. Several applications rely on this process, particularly when the dispersion of the substance is unwanted, such as in the decontamination process of toxic chemical spills. In our daily life, the cleaning mechanism more and more favoured in dishwashers relies also on a convective mass transfer as it has been shown empirically to reduce energy and water consumption. This project will focus on the case of a film flow covering a single droplet containing several substances. Many fundamental questions are still unresolved in this multiphase convective mass transfer problem. In particular, we will study how advection processes inside the drop can influence the convective mass transfer. Effect of solubility and surface tension on the overall mass transfer can also be analysed. The project will explore these questions using a combination of experimentation, numerical simulations and theoretical analysis.
The project is suitable for an enthusiastic and creative candidate who has good knowledge in fluid mechanics and some experience in experimentation and numerical simulations.
Funding note:
Funding is available and would provide fees and maintenance at RCUK level for home/EU students, or a fees-only bursary for overseas students. Competitive bursaries are also available for overseas students to fully cover both fees and maintenance at RCUK level.
To apply: click HERE
