The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton have created lasers that will enable a better knowledge about the process of combustion in jet engines, thereby minimizing emissions.
Generic photo of a plane
The ORC is currently advancing its operation on Fibre-Laser Imaging of gas Turbine Exhaust Species (FLITES), a research project worth £2.7M, which was sponsored by the University of Manchester’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, and is intended to improve the technology to decrease the emissions from the jet engine.
According to Professor Johan Nilsson, FLITES supports the analysis of aero engines wherein it studies the various chemical types and dust in the exhaust plume. This will help explain the mechanism of combustion in the engine thereby regulating it at a reduced price since the aviation industry intends to replace fossil fuels for bio-fuels. At present, the increased cost and inadequate data collection confines further assessments of new bio-fuels in aero-engines. FLITES employs tomographic imaging to identify several exhaust species from aeroplanes
An analysis for a period of four years is carried out by ORC, the University of Strathclyde, the University of Manchester, and partners like Rolls-Royce, Covesion, Shell, OptoSci and Fianium, to examine lower-cost engine monitoring and decreased carbon dioxide emissions and pollution. The research project focuses on research related to turbine and exhaust plume chemistry. This will support the development of low-net-carbon in aviation, based on biofuels, and require improved research in turbine engineering and combustion and fuel product formulation.