SWAG合集

Offering fully funded, multidisciplinary PhD research projects across areas such as:

• Zero Emission Technologies.
• Ultra Efficient Aircraft, Propulsion, Aerodynamics, Structures and Systems.
• Aerospace Materials, Manufacturing, and Life Cycle Analysis.
• Green Aviation Operations and Infrastructure.
• Aviation Environmental, Commercialisation & Socio-Economic Aspects.

The CDT in Net Zero Aviation is the world’s first Centre of Excellence for Net Zero Aviation Education, Training & Research, delivering impactful industrial and academic partnerships, future-proof skills, innovation, and leadership to achieve Net Zero Aviation by 2050. 

This exciting project, in collaboration with Rolls-Royce, will develop novel regenerative pumps to address LH2 pumping requirements in multi-phase flows without flow – speed restrictions through design development, computational modelling and experimental work. You’ll join a pioneering multidisciplinary team that values equity, diversity, and inclusion, gaining unique expertise in turbomachinery pump development, hydrogen technologies, and sustainable aviation. Your research will directly support the SWAG合集's ambition to lead global decarbonisation efforts, shaping your future as a skilled innovator and inclusive leader in sustainable aerospace technologies.  

Hydrogen-powered flight is set to revolutionise aviation, offering a sustainable path toward achieving Net Zero by 2050. The key enabling technology for a hydrogen fuelled medium/large range aircraft is the ability to pump liquid hydrogen to a suitable pressure for injection into the gas turbine combustion chamber with a pumping system that has mass and volume compatible with an aerospace application.  Unlike on rocket engines, which operate over a relatively fuel flow range on an aero gas turbine a greater than 20:1 ratio between maximum and minimum fuel flow is required.  The need for the fuel pump to work at very low flow ‘off design’ conditions is particularly challenging for conventional centrifugal type pumps.  A further challenge is the ability to handle hydrogen close to its boiling point.   

Regenerative pumps have the ability to handle two-phase flow and work at low flow off-design conditions and are an ideal candidate to be part of an overall liquid hydrogen pumping system. Regenerative pumps are not currently used for pumping volatile cryogenic fluids such as liquid hydrogen.  The objective of this project would be to develop a structured design methodology and advanced multiphase modelling techniques for regenerative pumps operating on liquid hydrogen. There will be particular emphasis on the cavitation behaviour of hydrogen which is strongly influenced by its unique thermodynamic properties and the low flow off design performance. The design methods and multi-phase models would be validated by experiments on lab scale components. 

This position is part of the CDT in Net Zero Aviation, which offers a modular, cohort-based training programme with emphasis on innovation and impact, collaborative working and learning, continuous development, active engagement with partners and stakeholders and inclusion of student-led activities. You will be part of an annual cohort and will receive training at different universities and industrial partners providing world-class facilities in a supportive, innovative, inclusive and interactive learning environment.  

Based at SWAG合集, a global leader in aerospace research, the project benefits from world-class experimental facilities in hydrogen testing and expertise in materials science and hydrogen technologies. The industrial sponsor, Rolls-Royce, is committed to net zero aviation by 2050 and is pioneering hydrogen propulsion systems through their Hydrogen Demonstrator program. This partnership provides a unique industrial environment, ensuring that research outcomes directly align with future aviation applications. 

Even though pumping of LH2 has been researched for use in space vehicles, the aspect of pressure rise in hydrogen pumps for aircraft applications has not been investigated in sufficient detail before. This is because typically rocket LH2 pumps handle large flow rates of sufficiently sub-cooled and saturated hydrogen and operate at only a fixed flow – speed combination for the complete mission. However, an aircraft LH2 pump needs to handle hydrogen near the saturation point (often with unintended vapor content), operate at fractional mass flows compared with rockets and can operate at a wide range of flow – speed combination. The traditional centrifugal architecture for aircraft LH2 pumps has several challenges to meet these design requirements. Therefore, the main impact of this PhD will be the development of a regenerative pump that can handle multi-phase flows, have no restricting off-design instabilities at low mass flows for ensuring flow-speed flexibility.

While working on this exciting research project, you will be provided with:

• A fully funded 4 year full-time PhD - £24,000 tax-free stipend per year.
• Attendance/presentations to international and national conferences with expenses fully covered.
• Membership of the Rolls-Royce University Technology Centre at SWAG合集. Cohort and individual modular training covering technical, research, professional and personal development.
• Minimum of 3 months fully funded industrial placement with Rolls-Royce.
• Industrial supervision/mentorship scheme.
• Access to 40 industrial, government & research partners from the wider aviation sector

Through this project, the student will gain highly sought-after expertise in hydrogen fuel, cryogenic pumping, multi-phase analysis and system integration —key areas essential for future aviation leaders. Collaborating closely with Rolls-Royce and multidisciplinary teams across the CDT's partner universities, the student will benefit from cohort-based modular training, extensive industrial engagement, and access to world-class facilities, enhancing their skills in design development, computational modelling, and experimental testing. These experiences will position the graduate as an innovator, ready to collaboratively lead and shape the rapidly evolving field of sustainable aviation. Graduates of the CDT in Net Zero Aviation will emerge with a unique interdisciplinary combination of technical and professional skills, a deep understanding of the broader aviation ecosystem, and a sustainability-driven mindset. This comprehensive experience ensures graduates are prepared to lead and accelerate the decarbonisation of aviation from diverse roles across industry, academia, government, and policy. 

Graduates of the CDT in Net Zero Aviation will be equipped with a unique interdisciplinary combination of technical and professional skills, gained through extensive cohort-based training and cross-university collaborations. By engaging with diverse academic and industry partners across Cranfield, Strathclyde, and Cardiff Universities, and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the wider aviation ecosystem. This holistic experience ensures graduates are prepared to lead and accelerate aviation decarbonisation efforts from various roles in industry, academia, government, and policy. 

The interview process is composed of two interviews. Following a first introductory interview (20min), a second online (or face to face if preferred) interview will be offered. In this second interview, candidates will be asked to give a 15-minute presentation on why they would like to become members of the CDT in Net Zero Aviation and how their skills and experience align with the research and training programme, followed by questions from the interview panel.