A senior mechanical engineering researcher from University College London (UCL) has been awarded 1.5 million pound to develop hydrogen combustion technologies for power generation and aero-propulsion applications.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) awarded Dr. Midhat Talibi the funding through its Future Leaders Fellowship to help tackle the ambitious project which is helping resolve a worldwide problem – the global energy crisis.

The Future Leaders Fellowships supports early career researchers and innovators with outstanding potential, enabling each fellow to tackle ambitious and challenging research and innovation.

Gas turbine

The Hope-project is focused on developing hydrogen combustion technologies for power generation and aero-propulsion applications. This research has the potential to be far-reaching and will provide significant advances in the development of commercial hydrogen gas turbines, enabling the UK to lead in low-carbon gas turbine innovation.

Going forward, the UKRI Fellowship will allow Talibi to create an advisory board comprising of academic and industrial mentors, and technology heads of the project partners – Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery and Reaction Engines – to facilitate two-way knowledge exchange.

Further public outreach is also planned to raise awareness of the societal challenges related to energy and the environment, and to highlight the role low-carbon disruptive technologies can play in mitigating these challenges.

Ultimately, there is huge potential for Talibi’s research to find applications in other industries, such as domestic and commercial heating. As a result, the development of hydrogen combustion technology could have immense benefits on a national and global level.