Do a PhD at Lab Crigen to play a role in decarbonisation

Nicolas, you’re supervising Malo’s research in the Future Industry Lab at Lab Crigen. Can you tell us a bit about Malo?

Nicolas Meynet

Malo joined us just over a year and a half ago as part of the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) team and the Future Industry Lab. He’s with us to use 3D digital simulations to study the combustion of mixtures of natural gas and/or hydrogen. Malo’s work aims to de-risk and facilitate the adoption of hydrogen in combustion plants to decarbonise industry.

We hired him at the end of his engineering school end-of-study placement at the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics in Belgium, where he was working in 3D digital simulation on a completely different subject, drones. We were impressed by Malo’s energy and motivation and approved his application. 

We’ve been getting to know each other since January 2023. A thesis is a long-term adventure that lasts 3 years. As part of a career, 3 years is a short period, but for a student, it can be a long time. Malo is a boxer, and you can think of a thesis as a boxing match: if you don’t believe in it, you’re sure to lose!

Malo, can you take us back to before your arrival at Crigen?

Malo Hustache  

I studied at INSA Rouen, with a spell at Trinity College Dublin, where I spent just over a year. 

After completing my specialism in fluid mechanics at INSA Rouen, I joined the Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics. The aim of my Master’s thesis was to simulate the aerodynamics of UAV blades in order to solve noise problems.  I was then taken on for a few months as a research assistant, after which I embarked on this thesis, which is the result of a collaboration between CentraleSupélec and ENGIE.  

Nicolas, did you want to add anything?

Nicolas Meynet

We’ve talked about Malo, his background and his personality, but I wanted to add that being an engineer at Lab Crigen requires the ability to fit into a team and understand why we do things in an international Group context. And that, too, was something Malo grasped perfectly and took an interest in straight away. Applied research requires different skills to those needed for fundamental research.

Malo Hustache  

The direct and practical application of my research, as well as its impact, are among the reasons that convinced me to choose this thesis. Another important motivation was the subject itself: it aims to facilitate gas industries’ transition. It’s very rewarding for researchers to see the direct applications of their research. It makes you feel appreciated. During my studies, I was taught gas combustion and fluid mechanics by research professors who were very involved in the community. I liked aerodynamics but I wanted to go back to combustion to work on the transition from natural gas to greener gases, like biomethane and hydrogen. 

ENGIE plays a major role in green gases, and more specifically in how these gases will be used in future and how we can encourage their use and de-risk the conversion. Our partnership came about naturally. 

What were your main reasons for choosing Lab Crigen for your PhD? 

Malo Hustache   

There were two main reasons for my choice. Firstly, it involves applied research, and secondly, it meant I could work on the energy transition with one of its world leaders.  Lab Crigen is recognised for its cutting-edge work, which is an asset both in terms of visibility and for my future career. For all these reasons, it was a strategic choice, but there are other factors involved.

When you start a thesis, you make a 3-year commitment, which can sometimes be difficult. It’s important to check certain things before committing yourself: is there a good atmosphere in the labs? What’s the working environment like? Am I passionate about the subject? Will the supervision suit me? 

These are 3 very demanding years that require a lot of sacrifice, but the combination of my two main reasons, the framework offered by Lab Crigen, Nicolas’s supervision and the potential impact of my thesis give me confidence.

Could you tell us what your thesis is about? 

Malo Hustache   

My thesis is entitled “Turbulent combustion modelling based on machine learning for the decarbonisation of industrial burners”. 

The number of combustion systems used in all industries for processing and transport is increasing rapidly, leading to environmental pollution problems that are becoming major issues in our societies. And this means that precise control of turbulent flames is a real challenge. Combustion also plays a part in safety-related problems such as fires, forest fires and explosions.

Simulating turbulent flames is very complicated. The challenge facing science today is to find a method that combines low cost with reliable results. The aim of the thesis is to create models based on machine learning to simulate industrial burners, used for example in glass, cement or steel furnaces, which are dozens of metres long. Based on these simulations, we’ll be able to tell each of ENGIE’s customers on a case-by-case basis whether their furnace can run on 100% hydrogen or, if not, which mixture we recommend in their case.

This is a very important issue for ENGIE at the moment, but also a strategic issue for the whole of Europe. It was also the topic of the conference at which I received an award.

It’s a question of determining whether we set up major pipeline infrastructure or large-scale hydrogen production facilities to supply these manufacturers. Does it make economic sense? What are the risks? What is the impact in terms of pollution? There are so many technical, strategic, budgetary and regulatory aspects to take into account!

It’s a key issue, and our simulations will help confirm experiments where they exist, or give an initial indication where they don’t. By comparing the results of experiments and simulations, we’ll be able to provide answers to guide the Group’s investment decisions and help the European Commission prepare standards.

Nicolas, is that a bit like what you do in your team – you try to predict the future using simulation tools?

Nicolas Meynet

I wouldn’t go so far as to say that we’re predicting the future, even though the CFD team is hosted by the Future Industry Lab. Let’s just say that simulation tools make it possible to test technologies before they are available on the market, which means they help us make the best choices for the Group’s future.

Lab Crigen’s CFD team has existed for almost 30 years, since the rise of CFD on an industrial scale. The first application of CFD simulation was for large industrial combustion plants, which were very complicated objects that made detailed experiments difficult. There was an immediate interest in simulation tools as applied to these installations, and over time and as the ENGIE Group has evolved, strategies and applications have been put in place. The CFD team has kept pace with the Group’s development, and we have moved from a portfolio dealing mainly with the gas chain – in particular the combustion of natural gas in industrial furnaces – to a world where the bulk of our activity is dedicated to decarbonised energy sources and their uses. The CFD team covers all aspects of green gases (biogas, biomethane, hydrogen, ammonia, etc.), from production, transport and storage to use on industrial sites.

The CFD team has a number of roles to play in terms of this new portfolio of applications. As a tool, CFD is general enough that it can be applied to all phases of an industrial project. It can be used in ideation, i.e. before the object exists, to test new technologies, but the main applications revolve around optimisation. We respond to requests from the Group’s internal and external customers seeking to improve the performance of their assets. In practice, we use digital simulation to test a new operating mode or new design, for example, before applying modifications to the actual equipment. A final application is to de-risk technologies that involve a change of practice or scale, and this is exactly what Malo’s doing in his thesis. All this makes CFD simulation a valuable decision-making tool for industry stakeholders. To make the switch from natural gas to hydrogen, predictive simulations of their facilities are needed to assess the feasibility and benefits of converting to hydrogen.

Addressing this question is crucial for industry, and therefore for ENGIE’s business. 

Malo, you’ve just received an award from the GERG (European Gas Research Group). Can you tell us more?

Malo Hustache

I was awarded the prize at the European Gas Technology Conference, held in Hamburg on 18 and 19 June. The conference is held in Europe every 2 years and brings together all the players in the European gas industry, including universities, companies and institutions. Its aim is to share innovative ideas and facilitate the gas industry’s contribution to the objectives of reducing net energy consumption and introducing cutting-edge technologies.

How is the winner chosen for the prize you won? 

Malo Hustache

It’s a competition. The first stage of the selection is to submit a paper summarising our work and a 100-word pitch. After this stage, 8 finalists are invited to the conference, where they will present their work. The jury is made up of professors, researchers from the private sector and officials who create European standards. We have to defend our subject in exactly 5 minutes. We need to make our work more accessible to the general public, while at the same time highlighting its importance for the future of gas companies. 

There was only one prize, and you got it. Well done! What does it mean to you?

Malo Hustache  

It’s a great reward and very flattering. As I’m barely halfway through my PhD, it shows the importance of my work and reaffirms that my research coincides with the issues facing society, now and in the future.

It was so gratifying to be able to highlight the challenges of science and the problems we face to an audience that wasn’t just made up of experts. It was also a great opportunity to exchange ideas with other people. I was able to meet fellow doctoral students from all over Europe.

And of course, it’s always good to win, and to be able to showcase ENGIE, Lab Crigen and above all the CFD team. 

Is it something that can open doors for you later on?

Malo Hustache

Yes, definitely. It also opens up subjects that I hadn’t necessarily thought of, other areas, other professions. But I’ve got a year and a half left of my thesis, so I’m going to take it gradually. I still have time to think about my future.

What do you gain from doing a thesis?

Malo Hustache   

Throughout my engineering studies I was sceptical about pursuing a PhD. I didn’t really see the point until my final year. 

I had a vision of researchers doing science for science’s sake, without thinking about concrete applications. After my internship, I understood what was at stake and saw the doors it would open. Doctoral students aren’t just highly specialised employees – they manage a project (sometimes even a budget) with a very strict timetable to adhere to. They have 3 years to develop their skills and become an expert. It’s a challenge, and you can use a thesis in many different ways. 

At the end of engineering school you have a solid foundation and skills, but by the end of my thesis I’ll be an expert well beyond my subject.

Nicolas, what would you say to young people to convince them to do a doctoral thesis? 

Nicolas Meynet

Personally, I’ve always seen the value of a thesis! I even did a post-doc, a specialisation after my thesis. So for me the question never really came up. On the other hand, if you don’t want to start a thesis, you really mustn’t force yourself, because it’s very demanding and very time-consuming. You can’t do a thesis by halves. 

Once you know it’s what you want, there are plenty of good reasons to write a thesis!

Firstly, because you have time to do things during a thesis, and I think that’s perhaps the key reason. If you choose a subject that interests and motivates you, you have the time to study it from every possible angle. There aren’t many occasions in life when you have this leeway, and having such freedom is so valuable. Once you’re in the world of work, there are other advantages, but you’re caught up in organisational, budgetary and scheduling constraints, all sorts of things that mean you have less time.

Another “good” reason for doing a thesis is the opportunity to discover lots of new subjects. There’s so much to stimulate the mind, and so many opportunities to meet researchers from all over the world.

Finally, it’s really nice to be part of a community of experts on a subject. You don’t often get the chance to be part of such an exhilarating microcosm. Writing a thesis means living your passion, having the time to live that passion and meeting people who are just as passionate. 

One final reason, if one were needed, is that a thesis is an excellent gateway to a career in research. 

Malo Hustache   

For some sectors and jobs, it’s even a requirement. 

Nicolas Meynet

Companies and major groups know that when they recruit a PhD, they are recruiting someone who has adopted a working method, who’s independent and curious, who knows how to present a subject and who generally speaks English – in short, a very interesting profile for a company.

And why come to Lab Crigen for your PhD? 

Malo Hustache

Lab Crigen is one of ENGIE’s research centres, the historic research centre dating back to the time of Gaz de France. It’s an industrial green gas laboratory with a proven track record, it’s part of a Group that’s a world leader in the subject, and it’s got a cross-functional approach, from production to transport and end use.

Ultimately, we work on all aspects of the energy value chain, with the added bonus of industrial follow-up, which means that research has to be truly applied.

Nicolas Meynet

To add to what Malo was saying, what I love about Lab Crigen is the diversity of profiles, subjects and projects, all in a friendly atmosphere.