Shell University Technology Centre (UTC) for Fuels and Lubricants
The Shell University Technology Centre for Fuels and Lubricants (F&L UTC) cements longstanding relationships between Shell scientists and Imperial researchers. The UTC sits within the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and interacts closely with the Tribology Group, Thermofluids Group, and the Dyson School of Design Engineering. The UTC offers Shell a structured and systematic way-of-working, which delivers technical insight and fundamental understanding, to inform the development of future performance fluids for multiple applications.
Shell has set the target to become a net-zero energy business by 2050 or sooner, broken down into short-, medium- and long-term goals to reduce the carbon intensity (or net carbon footprint) of their energy products. To achieve these targets, Shell will need technology solutions and innovations in multiple areas and believes that successful partnerships, such as this with Imperial, are key to success.
The centre is governed by a framework agreement between Imperial and Shell. The funding from Shell supports day-to-day operation of the Centre and a number of PhD and post-doctoral researchers who work on projects under the UTC umbrella. The framework agreement allows for a wide range of projects that can vary in duration from a few months to three years not only in the Mechanical Engineering department but in other faculties within the College. The UTC was established in September 2013, renewed in 2018, and most recently in 2021.
In 2020, Shell produced a short video to highlight this successful partnership.In 2021, Imperial College London, Diamond Light Source, and Shell received £4.2M in research funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for the INFUSE: Interface with the Future - Underpinning Science to Support the Energy transition project. A full press release announcing the INFUSE project can be found here.
Core UTC Personnel:
- Dr Sarah Mattews - F&L UTC Research Manager and and Team Lead Lubricants Technology, Shell
- Dr Caroline Zinser – F&L UTC Focal Point and Lubricants Project Lead, Shell
- Professor Daniele Dini - F&L UTC Co-Director and Head of the Tribology Group
- Professor Hugh Spikes - F&L UTC Co-Director and Professor of Tribology
Shell Researchers:
- Bob Mainwaring – Senior Principal Scientific Expert Lubricants Innovation, Shell
- Dr Roger Cracknell - Senior Principal Scientific Expert Future Mobility, Shell
- Dr Rob Doel – Senior Emobility Application Scientist, Shell
- Dr Volker Null – Technology Manager Thermal Fluids, Shell
Imperial Academics:
- Dr Janet Wong - Senior Lecturer in the Tribology Group
- Dr Marc Masen - Reader in the Tribology Group
- Dr Tom Reddyhoff - Reader in the Tribology Group
- Professor Philippa Cann - Principal Research Fellow in the Tribology Group
- Dr Billy Wu - Senior Lecturer in Dyson School of Design Engineering
- Professor Bill Jones - Professor of Thermofluids
- Professor Pavlos Aleiferis - Professor of Thermofluids
Imperial Research Staff:
- Dr Jie Zhang (Jason) - Research Associate
- Carlos Ayestaran Latorre - Research Assistant
- Dr Li Shen - EPSRC Research Fellow
- Dr James Ewen - RAEng Research Fellow
Imperial PhD Students:
- Amran Mohamed
- Anna Tomaszewska
- Bastien Bolle
- Ben Collard
- Charlotte Roe
- Eliane Gendreau
- Manoj Murali
- Muhammad Rizwanur Rahman
- Robert Gutierrez
- Rory McAllister
- Stavros Bontitsopoulos
- Stavros Ntioudis
Former Members:
- Dr Artemis Kontou
- Dr Joanna Dawcyz
- Dr Johan Guegan
- Dr Jon Dench
- Dr Mao Ueda
- Dr Nigel Marx
- Dr Pauline Cusseau
- Dr Stephen Jeffreys
- Dr Neal Morgan - Former UTC Research Manager Shell
- Dr Michael Parkes - Research Scientist, Shell
- Dr Ian Taylor - Former Technology Manager, Shell
Location: Room 462, City and Guilds Building, Imperial College London