Brief Introduction：

Nicholas Alexander Worth joined SUSTech as a Professor in 2026. His main research areas are in turbulent combustion and thermoacoustics, the structure of turbulent flows, and the development of advanced experimental methods. He was previously a Professor and Head of the Thermo-fluids research group at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He received his doctorate from the University of Cambridge in 2010, through an EPSRC doctoral training scholarship, and has held positions as a postdoctoral researcher and a senior research fellow at Cambridge University, and worked as a research engineer at Rolls Royce. He is the previous recipient of an ERC starting grant (2016-2021), the Gaydon prize (2013), and distinguished paper awards from ASME (2021, 2024) and the Combustion Institute (2023).

Research Interests:

• Turbulent combustion and unsteady phenomena including thermoacoustic instability, blow-off, and flashback

• The structure of turbulent flows, vortex dynamics

• The development of advanced experimental methods, three-dimensional measurement methods

  
  

Educational Background:

• 2006 – 2010 Ph.D. Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK

• 2000 – 2005 MEng Aeronautical Engineering with a diploma in industrial studies, Loughborough University, UK

Professional Experience:

• 2026 –    Professor, Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, China

• 2015 – 2026 Professor & Head of Research Group, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

• 2015 – 2021 Associate Professor, Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway

• 2014 – 2015 Senior Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge

• 2013 – 2014 Aerothermal Engineer, Combustion and Casings Division, Rolls-Royce, UK

• 2010 – 2013 Post-doctoral Researcher, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK

  
  

Honors & Awards:

• 2024  ASME Turbo Expo best paper (Combustion, Fuel, and Emissions panel)

• 2023  Combustion Institute Distinguished Paper (Propulsion Colloquium)

• 2021  ASME Turbo Expo best paper (Combustion, Fuel, and Emissions panel)

• 2013  Combustion Institute Gaydon prize

• 2006-2010  EPSRC doctoral training scholarship, University of Cambridge

• 2005  Royal Aeronautical Society prize for highest academic grade, Loughborough University

Selected Publications:

During his research career he has published a number of research articles and papers at international conferences. An up-to-date publication record can be found through: 

Researcher ID, Google Scholar, Scopus.

1. Verma, A., & Worth, N. A. (2025). Flame transfer function measurements in an annular combustor: Comparison with single flame response under hydrogen enrichment. Combustion and Flame, 275, 114051.

2. Jankee, G. K., Yadala, S., Æsøy, E., Dawson, J. R., & Worth, N. A. (2025). Scaling and dynamics of vortex lock-in for circular cylinders in an oscillating flow. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1002, A37.

3. Su, T., Xu, B., Bastiaans, R. J., & Worth, N. A. (2024). The behaviour of NH3/H2/N2, CH4 and C3H8 turbulent premixed bluff-body stabilized flames near lean blow-off. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 40(1-4), 105739.

4. Govender, D., Liu, H., Peng, F., Cai, W., & Worth, N. A. (2023). Tomographic reconstruction of an azimuthally forced flame in an annular chamber. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 39(1), 1367-1375.

5. Æsøy, E., Nygård, H. T., Worth, N. A., & Dawson, J. R. (2022). Tailoring the gain and phase of the flame transfer function through targeted convective-acoustic interference. Combustion and Flame, 236, 111813.

6. Indlekofer, T., Ahn, B., Kwah, Y. H., Wiseman, S., Mazur, M., Dawson, J. R., & Worth, N. A. (2021). The effect of hydrogen addition on the amplitude and harmonic response of azimuthal instabilities in a pressurized annular combustor. Combustion and Flame, 228, 375–387.

7. Æsøy, E., Aguilar, J. G., Wiseman, S., Bothien, M. R., Worth, N. A., & Dawson, J. R. (2020). Scaling and prediction of transfer functions in lean premixed H2/CH4-flames. Combustion and Flame, 215, 269–282.

8. Knutsen, A. N., Baj, P., Lawson, J. M., Bodenschatz, E., Dawson, J. R., & Worth, N. A. (2020). The inter-scale energy budget in a von Kármán mixing flow. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 895.

9. Worth, N. A., Mistry, D., Berk, T., & Dawson, J. R. (2020). Vortex dynamics of a jet at the pressure node in a standing wave. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 882, A221–A2227.

10. Lawson, J. M., Bodenschatz, E., Knutsen, A. N., Dawson, J. R., & Worth, N. A. (2019). Direct assessment of Kolmogorov’s first refined similarity hypothesis. Physical Review Fluids, 4(2), 022601.

11. Mazur, M., Nygård, H. T., Dawson, J. R., & Worth, N. A. (2019). Characteristics of self-excited spinning azimuthal modes in an annular combustor with turbulent premixed bluff-body flames. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 37(4), 5129–5136.

12. Worth, N. A., Dawson, J. R., Sidey, J. A., & Mastorakos, E. (2017). Azimuthally forced flames in an annular combustor. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 36(3), 3783–3790.

13. Dawson, J. R., & Worth, N. A. (2014). Flame dynamics and unsteady heat release rate of self-excited azimuthal modes in an annular combustor. Combustion and Flame, 161(10), 2565–2578.

14. Worth, N. A., & Dawson, J. R. (2013). Modal dynamics of self-excited azimuthal instabilities in an annular combustion chamber. Combustion and Flame, 160(11), 2476–2489.

15. Worth, N. A., & Dawson, J. R. (2012). Cinematographic OH-PLIF measurements of two interacting turbulent premixed flames with and without acoustic forcing. Combustion and Flame, 159(3), 1109–1126.

16. Worth, N. A., & Nickels, T. (2008). Acceleration of Tomo-PIV by estimating the initial volume intensity distribution. Experiments in Fluids, 45(5), 847–856.

Research ID: 23972012800