Cyril Crua is Professor of Thermofluids at the Advanced Engineering Centre, specialising in the optical measurement complex flows. His research focuses on fluids, heat and mass transfer processes in the energy, biomedical and manufacturing sectors. He has more than 25 years' experience on the development and application of optical measurement techniques to investigate the microscale physics of complex multiphase flows, such as fuel sprays, industrial process fluids (lubricants, coolants, carbon capture solvents), and biomedical fluid dynamics. His research has received continuous EPSRC funding since 2013 (until 2028), as well as support by industry, Innovate UK, INTERREG, and UKRI.

My research focuses on experimental fluid dynamics, and particularly on the development of optical diagnostic techniques to investigate the physics of complex flows and atomisation. My current research interests include:

• Fundamental spray/aerosol formation, and transcritical mixing
• Carbon capture using multiphase flows
• Optical diagnostic techniques for sprays, flows, combustion
• Experimental fluid dynamics

Selected publications

Supercritical / transcritical mixing of fuels

Crua C, Manin J and Pickett LM (2017) On the transcritical mixing of fuels at diesel engine conditions Fuel 208. https://doi.org/b9s9

Primary breakup of fuels in engine

Crua C, Heikal MR, Gold MR (2015) Microscopic imaging of the initial stage of diesel spray formation. Fuel 157. https://doi.org/4F3

Measurement of droplet temperature and evaporation rate

Wu Y, Li H, Wu X, Gréhan G, Mädler L, Crua C (2019) Change of evaporation rate of single monocomponent droplet with temperature using time-resolved phase rainbow refractometry. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute 37(3). https://doi.org/czgp

Fuel emulsions

Ismael M, Heikal M, Aziz ARA, Syah F, Zainal E, Crua C (2018) The effect of fuel injection equipment on the dispersed phase of water-in-diesel emulsions. Applied Energy 222. https://doi.org/gdtdk3

Measurement of gas temperature in engines

Förster F, Crua C, Davy M and Ewart P (2019) Temperature measurements under diesel engine conditions using laser induced grating spectroscopy. Combustion and Flame 199. https://doi.org/cwsn

I supervise research students in experimental thermofluids, including the development of optical measurement techniques for droplets, sprays and other complex flows. These subjects are often linked to applications in energy (fuel efficiency, energy recovery, carbon capture), manufacturing (Minimum Quantity Lubrication) and medical devices (bioartificial organs, optical implants).

I have supervised 14 PhDs to completion and examined 20 PhDs in the UK, France, Denmark, Malaysia, and Australia. I currently supervise 3 PhDs researching spray systems and complex fluids (Paul McGinn, Alex Gander, Louis Dacanay).