Dr. Alexander Murray completed his Master in Engineering (MEng) at the University of Oxford, where he was a member of Wadham College. He then joined the newly established EPSRC CDT in Gas Turbine Aerodynamics at the University of Cambridge where he undertook a Master of Research (MRes) degree. On completion of this, and as part of the CDT, he returned to the University of Oxford to undertake his Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil) degree under the supervision of Professor Peter Ireland at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute. His research was performed in collaboration with Rolls-Royce plc and investigated novel cooling technologies for gas turbine applications using a combination of both experimental and computational methods.
Since completing his DPhil, Alexander has been employed at the Oxford Thermofluids Institute in the capacity of Research Fellow and Engineering Manager.
Alexander's research interests to-date have predominantly focused upon increasing the efficiency of gas turbine engines. More specifically, much of his research pertains to the development of advanced turbine cooling systems for jet engines in collaboration with industry partners. Such advancements in turbine cooling potentially permit significant reductions in engine fuel consumption, thereby reducing carbon emissions.
More generally, his research interests pertain to aerodynamics and heat transfer, with emphasis on both experimental and computational methods. On the latter, he has an active interest in developing low order methods which can drastically reduce computational resource requirements, helping to vastly reduce the costs associated with heat exchanger design systems such as those employed in turbine applications.
Alexander's research interests have also branched out into investigating the mechanical strength of turbine cooling systems under thermal load in collaboration with the University’s Solid Mechanics Group. The work is relatively novel in the field and something he hopes to further develop. Additionally, he is involved in a multi-institutional research project exploring methods of manufacturing high performance cooling systems.
As part of his current role, Alexander is project manager, and researcher, on the multi-institutional, £7.34 million UK-EPSRC Transpiration Cooling Systems grant.