Overview
The motivation behind Peter's research is a fascination with the interactions of chemistry and flow. Such interactions have typically been treated using assumptions that focus either on the fluid mechanical or the chemical aspects. There are good reasons to seek to delineate observations into classes of problems were one or the other is dominant. For example, the complexities faced when dealing in isolation with the chemical pathways responsible for the homogeneous or heterogeneous (e.g. catalytic) oxidation of a fuel or the essence of turbulence are formidable. Yet, it is precisely at this interface where some most intriguing questions arise. Studies of a fundamental nature are essential to explain the associated complexities in order to benefit practical applications and increasingly a prerequisite for challenges associated with the development of high-performance propulsion and power generation systems. Chemical process intensification technologies also increasingly require a comprehensive understanding of finite-rate chemistry effects in laminar and turbulent flows. The much shorter lead times between discovery and application are particularly noticeable and current development directions leading to greater variation in fuels and energy conversion technologies are further accelerating such trends. Current interests include methods for the prediction of particle size distributions of particulate matter from automotive and aero-engines, heterogeneous surface-fluid interactions leading to material degradation and deposits, catalytically active materials, highly reactive fuels and the transition between different combustion modes as may occur under ultra-lean conditions and in high performance devices.
Peter is a member of the Thermofluids research division.