Hydrogen Fuel Technologies for Power and Propulsion
A fully funded PhD studentship in the Department of Mechanical Engineering
Key information
Lead supervisor: Dr Midhat Talibi
Application deadline: ongoing
Project start date: 01 October 2025
Project duration: 4 years
Studentship funding: Home tuition fees (currently £6,215/year) and maintenance stipend (currently £21,237/year) for 3.5 years
PhD project description
Background: Energy policies are increasingly focused on decarbonising the propulsion and power sectors, driven by growing awareness of the detrimental environmental and health impacts of fossil fuel pollutants, particularly in urban areas. Hydrogen offers significant potential as a next-generation, zero-carbon energy carrier, with hydrogen gas turbines capable of meeting the power and weight demands of both land-based power generation and aero-propulsion. However, realising the full potential of hydrogen combustion in gas turbines faces significant scientific challenges, such as flame instability and flashback, which need to be addressed through robust research.
Aim: This studentship is associated with a UKRI-funded research project focused on developing innovative fuel technologies aimed at derisking hydrogen utilisation in energy systems. The research will employ advanced diagnostic tools and methods, under industrially relevant pressure and temperature conditions, to optimise hydrogen injection and air mixing strategies, identify operating conditions that produce desirable lean hydrogen flames with minimized emissions, and enhance combustion stability. This work will address key knowledge gaps in fundamental hydrogen combustion and establish operating regimes for high-efficiency, near-zero emission operation in practical hydrogen combustion systems.
The selected candidate will be embedded within a team of specialist researchers at UCL Mechanical Engineering and will regularly liaise with other academic and industrial partners associated with this project. The position will also offer opportunities to engage in teaching assistant activities, and work with researchers and engineers in the Energy and Environment group. As a PhD student at UCL, the candidate will benefit from training in high-impact research and high-performance computing, and access to state-of-the-art experimental laboratories. Furthermore, the candidate will be encouraged to publish work in leading journals and present findings in national/international conferences.
Person specification
- Applicants must have a UK Master’s degree, or a minimum of a first-class or upper second-class Bachelor’s degree in engineering, chemistry, physics or related discipline, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.
- Applicants must have an interest in hydrogen/alternative energy vectors, thermofluids, experimental characterisation, and data analysis.
- Excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills are essential.
- Background in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, design (CAD) and MATLAB is desirable.
- Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English in accordance with UCL English requirements (TOEFL>92 or IELTS>6.5).
Eligibility
Please note that the available funding supports tuition fees at the Home/UK rate (currently £6,215 per year). Students who are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate are welcome to apply (e.g. UK students or EEA or Swiss nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” within the UK in accordance with the EU Settlement Scheme). Please refer to our website for further information about Home tuition fee eligibility.
International students who are eligible to pay tuition fees at the Overseas rate (currently £33,000 per year) are also welcome to apply, however the tuition fees covered by the studentship will be limited to the Home/UK level. International students will be required to find additional funding for the remaining Overseas tuition fees.
Applicants whose first language is not English are required to meet UCL's English language entry requirements.
Please refer to this webpage for full eligibility criteria: Mechanical Engineering MPhil/PhD
How to apply
Eligible applicants should first contact Dr Midhat Talibi (m.talibi@ucl.ac.uk). Please enclose the following documents:
- A one-page statement outlining suitability for the project
- A two-page CV (including contact details of two referees).
The supervisory team will arrange interviews for short-listed candidates. After interview, the successful candidate will be given instructions to submit a formal PhD application via the UCL website.
