Mass transfer from fluids flowing through porous media

Contaminant removal commonly involves forcing a fluid through a sorption column – a confined tube filled with porous material capable of removing certain components of the fluid. This is used for contaminant removal in many important applications such as pharmaceuticals, carbon dioxide from flue gases, contaminants of emerging concern (CECs), heavy metals, dyes and salts. The PhD student will work with and visit research groups at the Centre Recerca Matemàtica in Barcelona and the University of Girona to develop accurate mathematical and optimisation methods for increasing the efficiency of contaminant removal from sorption columns. The project is particularly relevant to current research on Carbon Capture and Storage and will focus on the removal of carbon dioxide from flue gases and is closely aligned with a recently-awarded EPSRC project into carbon dioxide reuse in advanced manufacturing with colleagues from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre and the UK Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage at the University of Sheffield.