Manchester heads jet engine project

The FLITES initiative (Fibre-Laser Imaging of Gas Turbine Exhaust Species) aims to establish a world leading capability to map several exhaust species from aeroplanes using tomographic imaging. Together with academic and commercial partners, including the Universities of Southampton and Strathclyde, Rolls-Royce, Shell, Covesion, Fianium and OptoSci, Manchester academics will lead the four year study focussing on carbon dioxide emissions and how they can be lowered. The Manchester researchers, based in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, aim to produce the first ever images of the distribution of chemical species in aero-engine exhaust plumes. According to Professor Hugh McCann, who is leading the project, they will use novel fibre lasers developed at the University of Southampton and new electronic architectures for spectroscopic measurement from the University of Strathclyde. The team has already been awarded £1.8million by the EPSRC, with the companies mentioned above also providing more than £500,000 in support. Professor McCann said: "There has never been any research using turbine emissions data to determine the condition and behaviour of internal engine components, especially the combustor. "FLITES will open a new door to penetrate the complex phenomena that dictate the performance and limitations of advanced aero engines, and will help to really pin down the performance benefits of novel biofuels."