Advanced hyphenation of chromatography and mass spectrometry to characterise fuels and engine deposits to inform future emission mitigation.

The aim of this project is to employ a wide range of hyphenated chromatography and mass spectrometry techniques to characterise gasoline fuels, the deposits and precursor molecules that have a detrimental effect on performance of the gasoline direct injection engine (GDI).

Emissions from internal combustion engines (ICE) continue to have a major impact about climate change and health issues worldwide. The decarbonization and electrification of such powertrains continues apace but many estimates that in 2040, internal combustion (IC) will still be the most widely used engine technology in light passenger vehicles, and will feature heavily in off-road, heavy-duty and marine applications. It is imperative that long-term, efficient, operation of IC engine components are ensured, hence there continues to be research driven focus on improving all aspects of the IC engine.

Data from this research will deliver new knowledge that will be used to inform mitigation strategies, leading to reduce emissions and improved fuel economy.

By working with Innospec, the student will have access to additional instrumentation not available at Southampton, will spend time with the industrial partner as defined during the project, and will assess the transferability of their findings with the research teams at Innospec.