Pakistani researcher set to improve performance of turbochargers
Thu, 20 Feb 2014 13:35:00 GMT
Just four years after relocating to the UK for studies at the University of Huddersfield, Pakistan-born Noukhez Ahmed (pictured) has been fast-tracked into research that could boost the efficiency of turbochargers. And he is aiming for a career which will enable him to play a central role in the evolution of the automobile.
Noukhez, from Mirpur, in Azad Kashmir. Cars and engines have long been his passion and after schooling he opted for overseas study at the University of Huddersfield, where he could obtain the qualifications he needed in the shape of a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree.
First, he enrolled for a year at the University’s International Study Centre where a Foundation Year equipped him so well that when he moved on to his BEng course at the University’s School of Computing and Engineering and achieved First Class Honours.
As a result, he was invited by Professor Rakesh Mishra – a leading expert on fluid dynamics – to undertake a research project that will lead to a doctorate. Noukhez was awarded a Vice-Chancellor’s scholarship, covering his fees, and a bursary.
The goal of the research is to improve the performance of turbochargers in engines. The initial phase of Noukhez’s research sees him investigating a turbocharger that is a vital component for the performance of the car.
“The engine has a high impact on the performance of the car. If you make a slight alteration, you can highly affect its performance. But it is a complicated process,” says Noukhez.
He will use fluid dynamic software that enables him to simulate the flow of gases through the turbocharger and will also have an actual turbocharger in his lab.
It is a programme of work – supervised by Professor Mishra – that will last for three years, after which Noukhez hopes to continue his career as a researcher in the automotive field. He expects to witness big changes and predicts that driverless cars, increased use of gases as fuel and big improvements in solar power will be among the key developments.
In addition to the facilities at the University of Huddersfield, Noukhez has another aid to his research into automotive power. His uncle, Ishtiaq Hussain, runs Raven Autos, a repair garage based in Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, where there are always engines to investigate.
