Research
City University
Research Centre for Energy and the Environment (CEE)
The Research Centre for Energy and the Environment is focused upon research in basic and computational fluid dynamics, development of new experimental technologies and their application to internal combustion engines, compressors, alternative energy systems and combustion research towards the achievement of environmentally sustainable transportation systems and improved efficiency in fluid power systems.
The activities of the above groups include basic, computational and experimental research in areas such as: Flow, Mixture formation, Combustion and Emissions in Internal Combustion Engines, Fuel Injection Systems, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Transportation Fuels, Laser Diagnostics, Experimentation and Modelling of Multi-phase flows for Cavitation, Liquid Sprays, fundamental Droplet and Bubble Dynamics, Positive Displacement Machines, Small Turbo-machinery, Flywheel Energy Storage and Transmissions, Fundamentals of Combustion, Machine Design, PEM Fuel Cells, Bio-fluids, Low Speed Aerodynamics and Batteries for Hybrid Vehicles.
London South Bank University
Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings
CEREB, the Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings, is an exciting new facility at London South Bank University. Created in partnership with City and Kingston Universities, CEREB is a unique resource for the teaching, research and demonstration of low carbon energy technologies in the built environment. The three partners are leaders in training and research in the built environment and the Centre will be at the forefront of low carbon building design.
CEREB will provide a high quality teaching resource in sustainable energy technology and building design, construction and management. It will also offer facilities to conduct research and to demonstrate specific sustainable energy technologies including photovoltaics, solar thermal, ground source heat pumps and wind power. Developed as a specially designed walk through demonstration facility at roof level on LSBU's new Keyworth II building, CEREB will provide direct access to the building's installed mechanical engineering and renewable low carbon energy technologies.
These facilities will be available to students, researchers, academics, the construction industry and others. Output data from the technologies will also be available through web-based virtual learning environments to enable the Centre to benefit a wider audience through a CEREB web portal.
CEREB has been created with financial support from the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the London Development Agency. CEREB is scheduled to open in late 2009.
Queen Mary University London
Experimental and theoretical work at QMUL on condensation heat transfer has long been internationally recognised. Most recently, emphasis has been on condensation on and inside tubes and channels with extended surfaces. Theoretical and experimental investigations of condensation in micro-channels and condensation from the exhaust stream of a fuel cell-powered motor vehicle are also in progress. One exciting new topic is heat transfer in ‘nanofluids', fluids with enhanced conductivity in which are suspended nano-particles.
Combustion in engines, particularly diesels, and the influence of combustion conditions on particulate emissions is another focus. The combustion of biogas, biodiesel and dimethyl ether derived from biomass is being researched. Research for the U.S Army Research Labs on a novel engine concept, the nutating disc engine is being extended to embrace the combustion of hydrogen. Models for the emissions of pollutants are being developed using modern computational techniques to address the high-temperature chemistry leading to engine emissions, and with a capability for the prediction of particle agglomeration.
Gas turbine combustion is also a focus. Contributions to the solution of the significant problem of thermo-acoustics, which limits the adoption of lean-burn technology for industrial gas turbines have been advanced over the last five years.
The Department of Materials at Queen Mary University of London is the oldest Materials Department in the country and enjoys an international reputation for excellence for its research into environmental materials technology.
University of East London
Manufactured Aggregate Research Centre
The Manufactured Aggregates Research Centre (MARC) at the University of East London offers a national facility available to all for large-scale feasibility testing on aggregates designed and manufactured using a wide variety of waste materials. The technology available can transform wastes, which are difficult or extremely costly to manage, into useful, safe and valuable aggregates.
The centre's laboratory scale equipment and replication of a full-scale production plant enables full research and development to be undertaken, from initial research to pilot scale production prior to commercial development. The facility will produce aggregates within defined requirements in sufficient quantities for representative testing.
The MARC is also developing research around food based bio ash from biomass boiler systems, with the aim of developing lightweight construction materials using a combination of waste streams. Research projects include the use of various waste cooking oils as binders for the construction industry and evaluating thermal efficiencies of existing processes, durability and compressive strength of a series of waste based blends. Currently, the research is assessing the market opportunity for oil based masonry products, in collaboration with a major block manufacturer.
The Built Environment Research Group brings together like-minded researchers principally from the Civil Engineering and Surveying Fields within the School of Computing, Information Technology and Engineering. The group's strategy is to coordinate the growing research activities in the Built Environment area. It aims to encourage and facilitate built environment research through cohesive and carefully focused collaboration.
University of Greenwich
Natural Resources Institute (NRI)
NRI is an internationally recognised multi-disciplinary centre for research, consultancy and education for the management of natural and human resources.
The institutes mission is to provide distinctive, high quality and relevant research, consultancy, learning and advice in support of sustainable development, economic growth and poverty reduction.
NRI's main themes are: making agriculture work for the poor; food and trade; change and vulnerability; and capacity strengthening.
Centre for Contaminated Land Remediation
At the University of Greenwich, the Centre for Contaminated Land Remediation's main activities are research and consultancy in the assessment and monitoring of contaminants and their transportation in soil, rock and water, and the remediation of contaminated land. Expertise covers assessment of risk, site investigation techniques including analytical tools and GIS methods, regulatory framework for the clean-up of contaminated land and groundwater, on-site pollutant behaviour, current and developing research on pollutant behaviour, remediation techniques, establishing new landscapes and post remediation planning and water quality.
