The quality of combustion determines the emission performance of energy producing devices. But the combustion process depends strongly on the mixing of fuel and air. The mixing at scales relevant for the combustion is commonly called as micro-mixing. The reactant mixing rate in turbulent flames is governed by the fluid dynamics, the molecular diffusion, and the heat release. Also, these processes are strongly coupled to one another. The current mathematical models describing the mixing phenomenon are based on our understanding of simple situations like zero heat release. Recent laser diagnostic studies of turbulent flames show the important influences of heat release and density fluctuation on the mixing process. Recent theoretical analysis by the principal investigator and his co--worker corroborates this experimental observation. In this project, we aim to develop a deep understanding on the micro-mixing process in turbulent flames by conducting direct numerical simulations. The information on the micro--mixing processes obtained from the direct simulation will be compared to Sydney Flames. The deep knowledge gained thus will be translated into a mathematical model which can be easily incorporated into industrial CFD codes. The expected outcome of this project is validated model(s) which are rigorously based on the fundamental conservation equation for the micro-mixing in turbulent flames.

The future of energy supply depends on innovative breakthroughs regarding the design of cheap, sustainable, and efficient systems for the conversion and storage of renewable energy sources such as solar energy. The sunlight-driven production of hydrogen or other carbon-based fuels through reduction of water or CO2, with oxygen evolution as a by-product, appears to be a promising and appealing solution, which could be answered by the design of light-driven devices able to achieve light-to-chemical energy conversion. The design of such efficient photo-electrochemical systems remains to be achieved. In order to reach this ambitious goal, PhotoCAT will be undertaken by a consortium gathering teams with complementary expertise in the fields of molecular H2-evolving catalysts and surface chemistry (France CEA/LCBM), molecular CO2-reducing catalysts and homogeneous CO2-reducing photocatalysts (Tokyo Tech) and solid-state material chemistry (Kyoto Univ.). As a first step towards this end, PhotoCAT aims at designing new biomimetic materials for the engineering of photoelectrodes that will be finally implemented within a Photo-Electrochemical Cell (PEC) consisting of a photoanode for water oxidation (O2 evolution), feeding a photocathode with electrons for H2 evolution or CO2 reduction. This process reproduces the Z-scheme found in the photosynthetic machinery of plants and micro-algae. Novel H2-evolving or CO2-reducing photocathodes will be developed through the cografting of bio-inspired H2-evolving catalysts and CO2-reduction catalysts together with metal-organic and fully organic dyes onto transparent p-type semi-conductive substrates such as NiO. These photocathodes will be developed in collaboration between all three partners of PhotoCAT (Kyoto Univ for the fabrication of NiO-based materials, TokyoTech for metal-organic dyes and CO2-reducing catalysts and CEA/LCBM for H2-evolution catalysts, organic dyes and grafting methodologies. Two types of photoanode materials will be used for the construction of the final PEC devices: inorganic metal-oxide-based photoanode materials developed at Kyoto Univ. and molecular photoanode materials obtained from collaboration with a group from Arizona State University (Devens Gust, Ana and Tom Moore).

The proposed new network will generate interdisciplinary research collaboration and bring together mechatronics/robotics researches from the UK and Japan, to share experiences and formalise discussions for defining a common strategy for future R&D and collaborations at all level of research, teaching and technology transfer. Such a network is vital if the different communities in Japan and UK are to work together for mutual benefit. The network will also act as a knowledge base from the existing mechatronics/robotics community to create a new research community in human adaptive mechatronics able to address the many common challenges (e.g. Pollution / CO2 issue, Aging population issue, etc) in UK and Japan. In particular, the network will explore a number of key challenges: such as a) Investigating the modelling of a man-machine system that explicitly includes all necessary functions of humans as machine operators with sufficient accuracy; b) Implementation of human adaptive behaviour in autonomous systems; c) Application of human adaptive mechatronics to upgrade UK high-tech products; d) Development of human adaptive mechatronics into biomedical applications; e) Development of mathematics to model and analysis human adaptive mechatronic processes in productions.