Tom joined the group in September 2021 after graduating from his Integrated Masters in Mechanical and Materials Engineering degree at the University of Birmingham. His interest in sustainable energy started after coming to university where he wanted to put his newfound knowledge and interest to good use and help tackle climate change. His project fits this perfectly as a highly sustainable energy production and storage prospect for both electricity and clean hydrogen.
Project: Chromium-based superalloys for Concentrated Solar
This project explores the exciting prospect of novel chromium-based alloys to be used in next generation Concentrated Solar power plants employing the supercritical CO2 Brayton cycle. Their intended use is within the heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy from solid particles to sCO2 and therefore the material is subjected to high pressure, corrosive, high temperature and abrasive environments. Currently chromium alloys appear promising due to their corrosion and high temperature resistance however their ductility at room and high temperatures prevents their current use. This project ultimately aims to produce a chromium alloy that is ductile at high temperatures while retaining the original desirable properties of chromium. Current investigations surround the use of nickel aluminium precipitates within a chromium matrix.
Techniques employed: Arc melting, FIB, SEM, TEM, small punch mechanical testing, EBSD, high temperature and room temperature mechanical testing, oxidation and corrosion testing both in air and CO2 environments, wear testing and slip trace analysis.
Industrial Partners: This project is part of the Horizon 2020; COMPASsCO2 consortia incorporating European partners Dechema, VTT, Ciemat, Sugimat, DLR, John Cockerill, CVR, Julich, Ocas, Ome and Saint-Gobain.