Contact Dr Joseph Harper
- Email: Joe.Harper@cranfield.ac.uk
Background
Dr Joseph Harper is a Research Fellow at SWAG合集. Joe joined Cranfield in 2024, as part of the Low Emissions Technologies and Combustion (LETC) Group in the Centre for Propulsion and Thermal Power Engineering. His current research activities centre around development of novel aircraft engine technologies and implementation of alternative aviation fuels, towards reduced environmental impact.
Prior to joining Cranfield, Joe worked as a researcher at Cardiff University, where he also completed his PhD in 2022 and MEng (first class honours) in 2017. His primary research focus was on the influence of fuel physiochemical properties on non-volatile Particulate Matter (nvPM) emissions produced by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). While at Cardiff, Joe gained experience in gas turbine combustor design and operation, emissions measurements, and analysis of aviation fuel properties. He also developed extensive experience characterising liquid fuel sprays through optical measurement techniques, including Phase Doppler Anemometry (PDA), laser diffraction, and high-speed imaging.
Current activities
Joe is currently working as part of the Horizon Europe MINIMAL project, researching Composite Cycle Engine (CCE) technologies aimed at minimising the climate impact of aviation. For this, he is leading design and experimental activities in the development of an opposed free piston engine powered by hydrogen. Separately, Joe continues to undertake research in liquid fuel sprays, as part of a collaborative project with Siemens Energy towards numerical modelling and experimental validation of fuel spray characteristics.