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Jet-Zero Hero - Ep121: Prof. Rob Miller
Jet-Zero Hero - Ep121: Prof. Rob Miller
ratings:
Length:
62 minutes
Released:
Mar 15, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
Michael’s guest for Episode 121 of Cleaning Up is Rob Miller, Professor of Aerothermal Engineering at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Whittle Laboratory. The Whittle Laboratory is conducting world-leading research in pursuit of making net-zero aviation a reality. With the aviation sector looking set to be one of the hardest to abate in the net-zero transition, Michael wanted to know whether electrification or hydrogen represents the best chance to keep the world flying in sustainable fashion. Also on the agenda were the complexities of producing - and defining - sustainable airline fuel, and the scale of the risk posed by aircraft contrails. Relevant Guest & Topic Links The Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) is helping map pathways to net zero aviation: https://whittle.eng.cam.ac.uk/aviation-impact-accelerator/ Explore the AIA’s Resource to Climate Comparison Evaluator (RECCE): https://recce.aiatools.org/ Read about the plans for the new Whittle Laboratory: https://whittle.eng.cam.ac.uk/new-whittle-laboratory/ King Charles toured the Whittle Laboratory in 2020: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjoY4y_qZAkGuest BioRob Miller is professor of aerothermal technology and director of the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge. He is also director of the Rolls-Royce Whittle University Technology Centre in Cambridge. Rob is a member of the UK Department for Transport’s Science Advisory Council, the FlyZero Design Advisory Group, and a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2014 he set up and led the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics. He led the team that pioneered rapid technology development, the process of reducing research and development times in aerospace from years to months or weeks. In 2020 he set up the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), an international expert group aiming to build an interactive whole-system simulator to accelerate the journey to climate-neutral aviation.Rob’s honours include the Royal Academy of Engineering President's Special Awards for Pandemic Service, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers Thomas Hawksley Gold Medal, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Air Breathing Propulsion Award, the American Society of Engineers IGTI Best Paper Award (2019, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2008, 2007, 2005) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers highest honour in the field, The Gas Turbine Award, four times (2019. 2015, 2014, 2010).
Released:
Mar 15, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (100)
Ep5: Kirsty Gogan 'Fighting for Nuclear': What role (if any) should nuclear play in a low carbon future? Should we build more large-scale light-water reactors despite high costs? Is nuclear safe? Kirsty Gogan, a leading voice on nuclear power answers all of the above. In addition to being an authority on nuclear, Kirsty is an award-winning expert on science communication, climate change, and competitiveness. She is managing partner of LucidCatalyst, a specialized consultancy, recently commissioned by the Energy Technologies Institute to produce their Nuclear Cost Drivers Study, and by ARPA-E (the US agency charged with accelerating next-generation energy technologies) to conduct a study on Cost and Performance Requirements for Flexible Advanced Nuclear Plants in Future U.S. Power Markets. Kirsty chairs the UK Government’s Nuclear Innovation Research and Advisory Board (NIRAB) Cost Reduction Working Group. In 2019, NIRAB recommended investment of USD1.3 billion between 2021 and 2025 by Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change