Dr Stephen Samuel

• Automotive Engines for UG
• Racing Engine Design, Advanced Powertrain Engineering for MSc

I have supervised three PhD students to completion. Currently supervising Three PhD  students in the areas of Injection Systems for Euro 7 and Beyond, Combustion Control for Future Hybrid Powertrain systems and Nano-scale Particulate matter from Gassoline Direct Injection Engines.

Application of thermodynamic principles is the subject of my interest since 1991.  My current teaching and research interests are in field of the high performance engines, Hybrid Powertrains for automotive and motorsport applications and formation mechanism of combustion-generated pollutants, especially, nano-scale particulate matter from gasoline direct injection Engines.

We have done a pioneering work in the area of real-world emission levels and fuel economy of gasoline vehicle and real-world performance of catalytic converters.  I have been blessed with highly motivated research students over the years. Our research team was one among the first to spearhead research with the support of BMW, Oxford, into linking the in-cylinder combustion with formation mechanism of nano-scale particulate matter from gasoline engine, identifying the influence of three-way catalytic converter on tail-pipe out nano-scale particulate matter and recently the influence of turbo-charger on nano-scale particulate matter.

We are always on the lookout for concepts and mathematical principles from other fields for analysing the data and optimizing the performance of the powertrain systems. Recently, we have demonstrated that Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) principles used in the field of supply chain management, especially, in Melon Picking , could be used for optimizing fuel injection in Gasoline Direct injection Engines. We applied and showed that Lambert W function could be used for modelling the influence of turbocharger on particulate matter distribution.  We have applied Cepstrum for evaluating the performance of the injector rate tube successfully. Very recently, we showed that Mittag-Leffler function could be used for modelling in-cylinder combustion.

My current PhD students are working in the areas of combustion control for Future Hybrid Powertrain platforms, Injection systems for Euro 7 and beyond and Prediction of Nano-scale particulate matter from Gasoline direct injection engines.   Our team uses experiments as well as numerical simulations for modelling, combustion and emissions and Hybrid Electric powertrain systems for automotive and motorsport applications. If any of these interests you, please do not hesitate to contact us and we are very happy to reply to your queries in relation to our exciting research work.

Research grants and awards

• Principle Investigator for TSB MiTRE (Micro-Turbine Range Extender) Project with Delta Motorsport
• Knowledge Base Supervisor for KTP project with YASA Motors
• Principle Investigator in Research and Consultancy project for evaluating Fuel economy of Hybrid fleets in London for Transport for London

Please see the impact of my research work in the area of real-world fuel economy nd emission levels.

Other experience

• Research Associate, ISRO-IIT Madras Cell (1992-1996)
• Worked as Senior Engineer , Kirloskar Oil Engines (1996-1999)
• Engineering Member, TATA Autocomponents Ltd. ( 1999-2000)