Supervisors: Professor Aimee Morgans

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of aerodynamics, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC through an iCASE studentship with Jaguar Land Rover. Candidates must demonstrate relevant connection with the UK, usually established by residence, as is standard for EPSRC funding. 

Aerodynamic drag is the dominant source of driving resistance above 70km/h. For SUVs, over one-third of the total drag is caused by the wake behind the vehicle. The energy expended in overcoming this is wasted; it cannot be recovered by means such as regenerative braking. Reductions in aerodynamic drag therefore translate directly to increasing the range of battery electric vehicles.  

Aerodynamic drag reductions can be achieved by changes to the vehicle design, but this can compromise the vehicle aesthetics. One way to overcome this is by using deployable aerodynamic devices such as spoilers, diffusers or strakes. Active aerodynamics would be an ambitious attempt to improve the effectiveness of deployable devices for rear wake control with Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. These would choose the deployment position or angle for optimum aerodynamic performance in response to sensing of vehicle driving conditions such as speed, pitch, and yaw angle.

The project will be simulation-based, performing simulations of the flow around a simplified benchmark vehicle, most likely the AeroSUV geometry. These will use the OpenFOAM CFD package. Geometry modifications will be implemented such as a diffuser and spoiler with variable angles. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms will be trained, employing methods suited to relatively sparse/small training data sets, such as reinforcement algorithms with model-free methods.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or related subject and demonstrate excellent project-work and communication skills. You will be interested in aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics and in learning how to use machine learning algorithms. You will join a supportive and inclusive research group and benefit from co-supervision with the Jaguar Land Rover partner.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof Aimee Morgans, a.morgans@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof Morgans.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Janet Wong

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Additives for EV lubrications leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by Shell UTC. To be eligible for support, applicants must be “UK Residents” as defined by EPSRC. 

This project is a part of a large effort for our zero transition initiatives. Our goal is to design the best coolant and lubricant for EV through a fundamental understanding on how we may control the behaviour of additives under the influence of an electric field. This has a direct impact on the performance and reliability of EV. Ultimately, we aim to revolutionise lubricant technology by creating smart, responsive lubricants that can lubricate on demand!

In this experimental project, the PhD researcher will examine how an application of an electric field affects the behaviour of various additives. This will involve both fundamental and applied studies. The researcher will design experimental setup that allows various additives properties to be measured in situ and in real time during rubbing. This will allow a direct correlation between additive behaviour and tribological performance of a lubricant. The project will also be supplemented using other techniques, include advanced laser spectroscopies, and various surface and chemical characterisation techniques.

This project will be based at Imperial College with regular interaction with our project partners. The PhD researcher will be a part of the Shell UTC and the Tribology Group. It offers a vibrant, multidisciplinary and multicultural working environment. Laboratories were recently refurbished and are well equipped with an extensive range of instrumentation and extensive computer facilities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will hold, or be expected to achieve, a Master’s degree or a 4-year undergraduate degree at 2:1 level (or above) in a relevant subject, e.g. Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Chemistry, Physics or a related field. You will have an enquiring, rigorous and hands-on approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in experimental work and development is essential, as are good team-working, observational and communication skills.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong (j.wong@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Teng Cao, Ricardo Martinez-Botas and Francesco Montomoli

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Turbomachinery, leading to the award of a Ph.D. degree. The focus will be on advancing physical understanding and design methodology for high-performance air compression systems, key enablers for efficient, compact, and economically viable vehicle fuel cell solutions. The post is supported by full bursary and fees at the UK student rate for ‘home’ students.

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/fees/fee-status/

Project Description

This research aims to provide fundamental knowledge on the interactions and losses in the compression system and develop a novel advanced methodology to accelerate future designs of the boosting systems in fuel cells. The research involves systematically studying compressor component interactions using numerical and experimental methods and developing a low-order model for system-level optimization.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the Ph.D. degree at Imperial College London, with a 1^st or upper 2^nd class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and a strong background in Thermofluids. You are expected to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. A willingness to work on both computations and experiments, with excellent communication skills, is essential.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate strong knowledge of the fundamentals of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. A basic understanding of Turbomachinery would be desirable. Any previous experience with modelling, numerical simulations, and experiments, with a demonstration of good practical skills, should be highlighted in the application.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Teng Cao, t.cao@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 7186.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Teng Cao. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Soraia Pimenta

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of composite wind-turbine blades, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by tuition fees (at the UK student rate) and a bursary (£20,622/year), sponsored by Greencoat UK Wind, for a duration of 3.5 years (full time).

The successful recycling and repurposing of end-of-life composite wind-turbine blades is essential for the wind industry's sustainability goals. However, a key challenge is determining how much damage has accumulated in the composite materials throughout their service life, and how this impacts potential 2nd-life applications. The project will address this question by developing advanced methods for structural analysis, material modelling and life-cycle assessment, and integrating them into a uniquely holistic tool for end-of-life management of wind-turbine blade materials. This will guide the wind industry towards the best (structurally and environmentally) solutions for end-of-life wind-turbine blade composites.

During this PhD project, the research student will:

• Develop structural models of wind-turbine blades, to predict material loading in service;
• Develop material models to predict damage accumulation and property degradation of glass-fibre composites in wind-turbine blades, under given service loads;
• Develop a methodology (based on life-cycle analysis) for predicting optimal end-of-life routes for wind-turbine blade materials.
• Write scientific papers for publication in top-level journals in Materials Science / Mechanics / Numerical Methods / Life-Cycle Analysis / Sustainability;
• Present their research in project meetings, international conferences and outreach events;
• Work in close collaboration with the supervisor and research group, while being the driving force for their own PhD.

The successful applicant will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have (or be about to obtain) a 1st class (or equivalent) degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aeronautics, Materials Science, or another relevant field. Eligible applications will be assessed on the applicant’s academic qualifications, their technical skills relevant to this project, their communication skills, and motivation for this PhD project.

For information on how to apply, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/.

For further details about the project, contact Dr Soraia Pimenta (soraia.pimenta@imperial.ac.uk).

Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Pimenta on the above e-mail address; in your CV, please include details about (i) your academic education (including quantitative final mark), (ii) modules and/or projects relevant to this PhD (including marks), and (iii) any other relevant information. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until position is filled (starting date between October and December 2023)

Supervisors: Dr Ludovic Renson

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Fluid dynamics and Machine learning, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by Rolls-Royce and the EPSRC (iCASE). Candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award.

A key driver for reducing the carbon footprint of commercial and business aviation is the ability to predict engine behaviour before manufacture. The ability to perform these predictions quickly and to a higher fidelity increases the amount of optimisation possible, as well as confidence levels in the predicted behaviour. The Vibration University Technology Centre at Imperial College London has for 2 decades developed a state-of-the-art prediction software toolkit that allows not only steady performance predictions but also dynamic fluid-structure interactions to be performed and has been used within Rolls-Royce to improve component design for performance, safety, and reliability.

The advent of machine learning (ML) has opened up opportunities to further improve prediction speed and facilitate larger and more complex analyses to be performed. This PhD looks at investigating how ML methods can be applied to existing Navier-Stokes prediction tools so that the turnover time for aeromechanics and performance predictions can be decreased by up to an order of magnitude. The work will focus on coupling methods for Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes methods with ML algorithms.

You will carry out your work within the Rolls-Royce Vibration University Technology Centre in collaboration with Dr Ludovic Renson, Dr Sina Stapelfeldt, and in collaboration with other departments in the College as well as other UK and oversea universities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical/aeronautic engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in computational methods and programming is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details on the post contact Dr Ludovic Renson (l.renson@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Renson.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Michael Bluck (Mechanical Engineering), Dr Mark Wenman (Materials)

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a PhD research studentship in the field of high-fidelity modelling of clad ballooning in nuclear reactor loss-of-coolant accidents.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by the EPSRC and the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). Candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award. Please check your suitability.

The loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) is generally the limiting design-basis accident in a LWR. In the event of such an accident, the fission chain reaction is automatically shutdown, however there remains ‘decay heat’ generation, perhaps 7% of operating power, for some hours following the accident. Removal of this decay heat requires that sufficient coolant can be brought into the core, and that the core, during this time, retains a "coolable geometry". This is not guaranteed - excessively hot, internally pressurised fuel pins can deform - so called ‘clad ballooning’ - and possibly form blockages to the flow. 

A major focus of the reactor safety case is therefore to ensure that the consequences of a LOCA are manageable. To do so, we must understand and model both the complex mechanical behaviour of the fuel and outer cladding, and the coolant flow over the fuel pins. Indeed, these effects are strongly interdependent.

The aim is to develop a state-of-the-art computer code system to predict the 3-D clad ballooning behaviour of rods in a light water reactor (LWR) fuel bundle during a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA). The code system will involve the dynamic coupling of a state-of-the-art 3-D fuel rod performance code with a state-of-the-art 3-D thermal-hydraulics code, will be validated using experimental data, and will be demonstrated for an LWR fuel assembly. 

The position is a collaboration between the Nuclear Engineering Group within the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Engineering Alloys Group within the Department of Materials. This PhD is funded by the UKRI/EPSRC and the UK National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL).

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class or 2:1 honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in fracture mechanics is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

Find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area:

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Department of Materials

More information on how to apply

Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Michael Bluck, m.bluck@imperial.ac.uk.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled 

Imperial Managers lead by example. Committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Two Ticks Employer, and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.

Supervisor: Dr Paul Hooper

Deadline for applying: 30 September 2021

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of fracture and high strain-rate materials characterisation, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by AWE plc.

This PhD project aims to advance our understanding of the influence of strain rate and sample size on the fracture toughness of nuclear grade A508 forged steel and 3D printed Ti-6Al-4V manufactured through laser powder bed fusion. Strain rate is known to affect the mechanical properties of alloys, especially the yield strength and fracture toughness. Conventional fracture toughness methods used under quasi-static loading, such as pausing and unloading tests at predefined displacements do not work at high-speed. This leads to uncertainty in predicting the structural integrity of structures which may experience high speed loading scenarios in service. In this PhD you will develop innovative high-speed experimental methods to overcome the limitations of the established quasi-static approach. This will include the design and development of a method to load a compact tension (CT), or single edge notch bend (SENB) specimen, at high-speed (>10 m/s) to a fixed displacement to prevent the specimen fully fracturing into 2 pieces. You will learn to use high-speed photography and apply techniques to measure sample deformation. Alongside the experimental aspects of this project, you will also develop finite element models and analytical techniques to gain further insight into the results obtained. You will also have the opportunity to travel to and present your work at international conferences.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class or 2.1 honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Practical engineering, problem-solving and computational abilities are key skills for this PhD project. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Paul Hooper paul.hooper@imperial.ac.uk or Dr Catrin Davies catrin.davies@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Paul Hooper.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: 30^th September 2021

Supervisor:  Dr Paul Hooper

Deadline for applying: 30 September 2021

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of high strain-rate materials characterisation, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by AWE plc.

This PhD project aims to develop innovative experimental methods to measure the stress-strain response of soft materials at high strain-rates.  Although the testing of metallic samples under these conditions is fairly mature, measuring the properties of softer materials (such as organic materials and polymer bonded explosives) is much more challenging. Dynamic loading of soft materials is challenging due mismatch in stiffness between the samples and loading fixture. Even holding the sample in place can be difficult due to their low stiffness and tendency to deform under their own weight. These difficulties can give rise to large uncertainties in measurements of mechanical properties in soft materials, especially in non-compressive loading. In this PhD you will advance the state-of-the-art to overcome these limitations through the development of novel dynamic testing equipment at strain-rates of 1,000/s (faster than a car crash) and above. The approach taken will be a miniaturised Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) design that will enable testing of soft materials that are difficult to prepare into test specimens and introducing a high level of automation into the test procedure to reduce or eliminate operator variability. You will learn to use high-speed photography (think The Slow Mo Guys) to measure sample deformation and investigate the effects connection arrangement between the loading bars and sample. You will also have the opportunity to develop finite element models to further our understanding of testing these materials at high-strain rates and to travel and present your work at international conferences.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class or 2.1 honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Practical engineering and problem-solving abilities are key skills for this PhD project. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Paul Hooper paul.hooper@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Paul Hooper.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: 30^th September 2021

Supervisor: Dr Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

The useful life of liquid lubricants and greases is limited by the fact that they oxidise in air. This requires regular oil change and disposal, limits the temperatures at which lubricants can be used, and greatly constrains the application of environmentally-friendly vegetable oils. Prevention of lubricant oxidation would thus make a major contribution to sustainability and the environment. Our group is developing an exciting concept to prevent lubricant oxidation via “inerting” closed lubricated systems. This concept can potentially bring significant benefit to performance of transmissions of electric vehicle, wind-turbine, industrial gearboxes and hydraulics. For more details, please see the link below:

Zhang, J., Wong, J.S.S., and Spikes, H.A., 'Lubrication in an Inert Atmosphere - a New Era in Lubricant Technology', STLE Annual Meeting, Long Beach, May 24th 2023.

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of lubrication and tribochemistry, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by Shell. The studentship is for 3.5 years, starting as soon as possible and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £20k. Home (based on UKRI criteria) and international candidates will be considered.

This experimental project will study performance of lubricants in inert conditions. Using advance tribological and analytical techniques, you will answer the following research questions: (i) Do lubricants designed to work in air function effectively in the absence of oxygen and if now, why not and how can they be changed? (ii) How, if at all. do lubricants degrade in the absence of oxygen? The answers to these will then be used to formulate and apply inerted lubricants in real applications.

The project will be hosted by The Tribology Group at Imperial College, which is a vibrant, world-leading research group with unparalleled experimental and modelling equipment facilities. You will be supervised by Dr Janet Wong and Professor Hugh Spikes. You will be expected to study at a Shell location for a minimum period of 3 months and be part of a larger community of Shell-funded researchers in the Group who are working on lubricant and electric vehicle-related projects.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree or a high 2:1 degree at Master level (or equivalent) in Chemical Engineering, Materials, Chemistry or a related science and branch of engineering. You have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong j.wong@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Wong.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Ambrose Taylor

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of developing, modelling and testing novel paints for coil coating of metal substrates, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by Becker Industrial Coatings.

The research will investigate how the structure of the paints used for the coil coating of metal affects their formability. These paints are high-performance polymers which are applied to steel strip and cured. The pre-painted metal is shipped to the customer to be cut and formed into products such as refrigerators, construction equipment and building panels. The work will combine experimental work and molecular modelling. The experiments will involve mechanical testing (tension, bending, fracture), thermal analysis and microscopy. The polymer structure will be modelled, and the effect of changing the structure will be predicted. The experimental and modelling work will be compared and combined. The structure/property relationships of the paints will be identified, leading to improved and novel materials.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering, materials science, chemical engineering, chemistry or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Experimental training will be given in materials manufacturing, characterisation and mechanical testing, and investigative techniques including electron microscopy. Training in the modelling aspects will also be provided. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof Ambrose Taylor a.c.taylor@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 7149. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof Taylor. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Xiaoyu Xi

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Metal Forming and Materials Modelling, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by the sponsors in the aviation, aerospace and railway industries.

A number of PhD positions are available for UK and EU nationals. The research involves development of advanced metal forming and modelling techniques, and will be carried out at the Metal Forming and Materials Modelling Group. The research activities of the group cover a wide range of areas from theoretical and computational solid mechanics to experimental materials research. These research works involve a wide range of industries, including aerospace, aeronautical, automotive and locomotive.

There are two main research themes within the group: Metal Forming Technologies and Materials Modelling. The Metal Forming research focuses on the development of advanced forming processes e.g. manufacturing lightweight structural materials into high-strength and complex shaped engineering components and cloud based FEA (Contact Dr. L. Wang at liliang.wang@imperial.ac.uk to make enquires). The Materials Modelling tackles the fundamental challenges in materials behaviour at microscopic scale e.g. the distribution and evolution of microstructure and defects as functions of loading, temperature and loading rate, and link them with the macroscopic mechanical responses e.g. formability and damage tolerance (Contact Dr. J. Jiang at jun.jiang@imperial.ac.uk to make enquires).

Over the past decade, the group has successfully developed several world-leading forming technologies and novel materials modelling methods. These techniques have been directly implemented in automotive and aerospace industries. Three research centres and one joint lab have been established. The group is currently led by several world-leading experts in material forming, including Prof. Jianguo Lin, FREng, Dr. Liliang Wang, Dr. Daniel Balint and Dr. Jun Jiang, and has secured over £15 M funding from industries, UK and EU research councils. Over 60 research staff and students are supported through them. To view a current list of projects please visit our website http://www.imperial.ac.uk/metal-forming/.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree (or equivalent) and/or a distinction MSc degree (if applicable) in engineering or a related subject, and have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to: http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Xiaoyu Xi at x.xi@imperial.ac.uk, +44 (0)20 7594 9546. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Xiaoyu Xi. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Imperial Managers lead by example.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Two Ticks Employer, and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people

Supervisor: Daniele Dini

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of “Molecular understanding of near-surface thermal gradients in cooling fluids to improve battery lifetime and thermal management”, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  It is a collaborative effort across three Departments at Imperial College (including Prof. Daniele Dini in Mechanical Engineering, Prof. Fernando Bresme in Chemistry, and Dr Billy Wu in the Dyson School of Design Engineering). To be eligible for support, applicants must be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. The studentship is for 3.5 years starting in October 2022 and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £17,609. Funding is through the project InFUSE (Interface with the future: underpinning science to support the energy transition), funded by the EPSRC and Shell. Please check your suitability at the following here.

A trend in electric vehicles is to combine the coolant loop from the motor with that of the lubricant used in the transmission or gearbox. This simplifies the cooling system and reduces the number of fluids required. This saves weight, complexity, and cost. There is a strong need to create new dielectric coolants that have very low viscosity coupled with high thermal performance using improved chemistries to meet the new needs of the industry. These solutions must also evolve and consider the new discoveries made in the new energy materials space.

Understanding from a molecular viewpoint how the molecular composition of e-fluids, their additives/aggregates and affinity to surfaces, as well as adsorbed films, affect heat transfer and cooling for electric and hybrid powertrains and, consequently, battery thermal management, is key to be able to provide new disruptive solutions in this area. So far, no method is available to study the intrinsic link between surface/cooling fluids chemistry at the molecular level, topography heterogeneities and phase changes linked to heat exchanged across the interface. In some configurations, flow/shear gradients and two-phase nucleation physics, play a very important role and needs to be captured in small scale models.

This project aims to develop a rigorous methodology that considers the fundamental multiscale nature of the problem and uses molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at the atomic scale to determine the heat transport properties of the interface (also when couple to forced fluid flow in single- and two-phase cooling scenarios), which in turn will lead to a much-improved capability to predict the performance of e-fluids in different immersive cooling configurations/temperatures for the next generation of batteries. The results of the MD simulations will provide the necessary description in terms of boundary conditions and will guide the development of accurate coupled continuum models describing heat transfer in individual and multiple cells. The project can be extended to understanding the role that the best candidate cooling fluids can play in terms of their performance as a lubricant. Many other applications across InFUSE can benefit from the development of the proposed modelling framework.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, another branch of engineering, Materials, Physics, Chemistry or a related science. We expect you to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in molecular modelling and battery technology is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

InFUSE: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/shell-diamond-prosperity-partnership/

https://gow.epsrc.ukri.org/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/V038044/1

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/tribology/shell-utc/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof. Daniele Dini d.dini@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 75947242.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof. Dini.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Fred Cegla

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Improved spatial localisation of ultrasonic scan data on physical assets

The drive towards Industry4.0 and IoT enabled technology is leading to increased demand for digitalisation of NDE data and reporting. As operators become less involved in the process of data acquisition and on the spot analysis, the localisation and registration of measurement data is becoming increasingly important. In unstructured environments, standard robotic localisation techniques today have uncertainties in the order of 0.01m. This might be sufficient for single shot inspection assessments but is not good enough for trend estimation over time because subtraction of two spatially mismatched defects will result in large errors in the estimated change of defect size over time and hence trending errors.

This project aims to address this problem by researching different external and internal localisation referencing techniques to register data and efficient techniques to handle their temporal evolution. We will consider SLAM (simultaneous localisation and mapping) based on cameras for external features and inspection data (ultrasound will be used in the project) for the acquisition of internal data. The project will build on the results of the feasibility study on the “stitching  of ultrasonic phased array scan data” that was completed in 2021.

To be eligible for support, applicants must be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. Please check your suitability at the following here. The studentship is for 3.5 years starting in 2023 and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend. Funding is through the Industrial Cooperative Award in Science & Technology (iCASE) scheme funded by the EPSRC and NDEvR Ltd (the legal entity representing the >10 industrial and ~8 university members of the UK Research Centre for NDE- RCNDE consortium). The students will be hosted at one of the industrial partner company locations for a minimum period of at least 3 months over 4 years and offered industrial mentorship during the project. The student will be part of a larger community of industry funded researchers in NDE at Imperial and the partner institutions.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, another branch of engineering, Materials, Physics, Chemistry or a related science. We expect you to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in developing experimental and/or modelling methods to investigate the effect of electric fields on engineering interfaces across the scales is essential. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

Non-Destructive Evaluation | Research groups | Imperial College London

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr. Frederic Cegla f.cegla@imperial.ac.uk  +44 (0)20 75948096.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr. Cegla.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Ludovic Renson

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of nonlinear structural dynamics, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC (CASE conversion). Candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award.

The constant drive to improve aircraft performance is leading to lighter and more flexible structures where nonlinearity is increasingly present. Nonlinearity can arise, for instance, from material behaviours, large-amplitude vibrations, buckling, or simply friction and free-play between components. Whether anticipated or discovered at the end of product design, the presence of nonlinearity often leads to untimely delays and additional development costs because nonlinear systems can exhibit a wide range of complicated dynamic behaviours that are very difficult to predict and potentially disastrous.

The Dynamics Group develops new computational, experimental and control methods to advance our understanding and ability to address structural nonlinearities. Depending on your interest, this project can focus on different topics in these broad areas. For instance, the project could contribute to one (or combine some) of the following subjects:

• the development of effective bifurcation analysis algorithms for large-scale systems. Developed algorithms will eventually be exploited to establish new bifurcation-based optimization and design methodologies for nonlinear structures.
• the development of new experimental testing approaches combining feedback control with machine learning techniques.
• the development of physics-guided machine learning techniques to predict nonlinear structure responses quantitatively.
• the development of advanced experimental techniques combining feedback control and uncertainty quantification techniques with hardware-in-the-loop (hybrid) tests.

You will carry out your work in the Nonlinear Dynamics and Control Research Group led by Dr Ludovic Renson and in collaboration with other departments in the college as well as other UK and oversea universities. You will be part of the Rolls-Royce Vibration University Technology Centre.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical/aerospace engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. A general interest in dynamics is essential. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details on the post contact Dr Ludovic Renson (l.renson@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Renson. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Richard van Arkel

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of orthopaedic implant engineering, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the Peter Stormonth Darling Charitable Trust.

For three-quarters of people with knee osteoarthritis, their disease affects only part of their knee joint, yet 90% with end-stage disease are treated with total knee replacement, thus sacrificing healthy ligaments, cartilage and bone. A compartmental approach to knee replacement aims to preserve as much of the natural knee as possible, and our recent research suggests this could lead to improved function for patients (e.g. 1,2,3). The aim of this PhD project is to extend indications for this approach through: (1) researching how anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) function affects knee biomechanics following partial knee replacement, (2) developing medical devices to restore normal function for partial knee replacement patients with ACL deficiency and (3) analysing the effectiveness of prototypes in lab-based pre-clinical tests.

You will join an enthusiastic multidisciplinary team of engineers, scientists and clinicians, researching under the supervision of mechanical engineers Dr Richard van Arkel and Professor Andrew Amis (newsfeed), and orthopaedic surgeon Professor Justin Cobb (newsfeed). To succeed in your research, you will have access to a state-of-the-art Medical Device Prototype & Manufacture Unit and a human tissue research facility for simulating surgery, equipped with a robotic testing platform, materials testing machines and fluoroscopy & ultrasonic imaging facilities. Imperial’s industry partnerships and commercialisation team are available to support translation of any arising intellectual property.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree, or master’s degree with distinction, in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Expertise in design for manufacture and being able to work in an interdisciplinary environment are essential. Previous practical experience in a lab environment is desirable. Applicants with industry experience are encouraged to apply.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/msk 
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mebiomechanics
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/msklab/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Richard van Arkel  r.vanarkel@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 6157. Interested applicants should send to him an up-to-date curriculum vitae (and student transcript for degrees still in progress). Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Prof Maria Charalambides

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Mechanics of Materials leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by our research collaborators AWE, Aldermaston, Reading RG7 4PR. As a result of the industrial funding, this studentship will attract a higher bursary (approximately £21,600 pa) than the usual EPSRC student rate. Due to the nature of the work undertaken by AWE, candidates should normally be a British Citizen and will be required to undergo security clearance.

Polymer bonded explosives (PBX) are energetic particle filled composite materials with particulate fill fractions approximately 90%. Shear bands in explosives cause local hot spots which may trigger ignition, with immediate implications for safety if so-called high explosive violent reaction (HEVR) ensues. Current continuum solid mechanics codes with typical mesh resolutions struggle to resolve shear bands accurately. The aim of this PhD is to establish robust, mesh-independent methods for modelling shear bands in explosives. These could exploit ad-hoc shear band sub-models which model reaction in the shear band, recently developed on AWE-sponsored PhD projects. The aim is to integrate these sub-models or provide equivalent methods within a continuum mechanics code capable of modelling arbitrary configurations. The proposed 3D Finite Element models including progressive damage are usually very computationally expensive for routine calculations; therefore, the project will also investigate the possibility of using AI and machine learning to speed up modelling, as well as potentially develop a deeper insight regarding features in the microstructure of the PBX or material parameters in the model that lead to higher chances of localised hot spots.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st or 2:1 class honours degree in mechanical engineering, mathematics, physics, or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in Mechanics of Materials is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/mechanics-of-materials/composites-adhesives-and-soft-solids/soft-solids/projects/ 

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof Maria Charalambides (m.charalambides@imperial.ac.uk)  +44 (0)20 75947246.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae and a cover letter to Prof Charalambides, Department of Mechanical Engineering.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Fuels and Lubricants, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate only) and sponsored by Shell. The studentship is for three and a half years from June 2020.

Lubricants are used in engines to reduce friction, to improve machine efficiency and thus reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  Fuel, however may mix with the lubricant during operation, affecting the effectiveness of the lubricant. The proposed research programme is a fundamental study of the influence of fuel on properties of lubricant, with in-situ measurements to be carried out in a modified engine, using various spectroscopic techniques. 

The project is sponsored by the Shell University Technology Centre (UTC) for Lubricants and Fuels based in the Mechanical Engineering Department, Imperial College London, and will take place in the Tribology Group and the Thermofluids Division in this Department.  Both the Tribology Group and the Thermofluids Division are world leaders in their respective fields of tribology, fluid flow, heat and mass transfer, and combustion. Together, they comprise of more than 90 PhD students as well as many post-doctoral researchers and academic staff. It offers a vibrant and multicultural working environment. Laboratories were recently refurbished and are well equipped with an extensive range of instrumentation and extensive computer facilities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will be an experimentalist and will have a background in Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics or a related field. You will have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in engines and basic understanding of their operation with good practical skills is desirable. Training will be given in tribology, thermofluids and the relevant investigative techniques. You will become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international situation. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.  The project will involve close collaboration with Shell and you will be expected to visit and communicate with various Shell centres around the world.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post please contact Dr Sarah Matthews (sarah.matthews@shell.com) or Dr Janet Wong (j.wong@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should email an up-to-date curriculum vitae. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form available on the Imperial College London website in order for their qualifications to be assessed by the College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Min Yu

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of tribology, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London. 

Interfaces between moving surface, covering a vast range of practical applications in industrial and biomedical sectors, are critical in determining efficiency and durability. The research involves design and validation of a novel smart interface. A magnetic field is actively controlled to actuate the rheological / tribological behaviour of magnetorheological fluid between a sliding contact, a non-destructive ultrasonic reflection technique is employed to probe the fluid film thickness, the variation of which is taken into the feedback of the overall closed control loop. This smart interface has a potential in reducing friction and thus energy usage in mechanical transmissions, or enabling intelligent mechatronic systems (e.g., soft robots), where controllable interface friction and fluid film thickness are desired. Also, structural health monitoring can be additional benefit. This project will be mainly experiment oriented, and numerical / analytical modelling will be also promoted.

The PhD will be based in the Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Group and the Tribology Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London.  Both are leading research groups in the world, with extensive experimental and numerical research facilities and an international reputation for research excellence. It will be performed in collaboration with other research groups at Imperial College London and other universities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in mechanical engineering, tribology, control, sensing, and signal processing is essential. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential. The studentship will provide the opportunity to become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international environment at a world-leading institution.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Min Yu m.yu14@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 3840.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Min Yu. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of solid-liquid interfaces leading to the award of a PhD degree.  To be eligible for support, applicants must be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC.  The studentship is for 3.5 years starting as soon as possible and will provide full coverage of UK students standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £17,609. Please check your suitability at the following web site:

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/Pages/eligibility.aspx

This project is part of a multidisciplinary project InFUSE whose goal is to study key material and fluid interfaces across a range of application areas with direct impact on the energy transition. Our aim is to create a step-change in the correlative characterisation of interfaces embedded in these systems under realistic environments.

Temperature (and the extraction of heat) plays a very important role in the performance of machines. For example, increased temperature may reduce the viscosity of lubricants, which impacts on friction or wear of machines. It may also lead to increased rate of undesirable reactions, such as corrosion and surface degradation. Overheating also reduces components lives. In the context of EV, increased temperature reduces battery efficiency and poses safety risk. All these applications point to the importance of characterising interfacial thermal conductance at a solid-liquid interface, which is extremely challenging.

In this experimental project, the PhD researcher will characterise the thermoconductance of solid-liquid interfaces in engineering fluids, including lubricants, coolants, and refrigerants. Specifically, the effects of additives, coatings and surface modifications will be investigated. To do so, the researcher will design a setup based on thermoreflectance measurements. Complementary techniques such as QCM, AFM, IR will also be employed. The potential of using thermoreflectance for acquiring film formation kinetics will also be explored.

This project will be based at Imperial College with significant interaction with the project partners, Thin Film Technology Laboratory, Diamond Light Source and Shell. The PhD researcher also will be a part of the Tribology Group. It offers a vibrant, multidisciplinary and multicultural working environment. Laboratories were recently refurbished and are well equipped with an extensive range of instrumentation and extensive computer facilities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will hold, or be expected to achieve, a Master’s degree or a 4 year undergraduate degree at 2:1 level (or above) in a relevant subject, e.g. Chemical or Mechanical Engineering, Materials, Chemistry, Physics or a related field. You will have an enquiring, rigorous and hands-on approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in experimental work and development is essential, as are good team-working, observational and communication skills.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong (j.wong@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Jun Jiang

Deadline for applying: 30 November 2019

EPSRC Future Nuclear Energy Doctor Training Centre and UK Atomic Energy Authority co-found a PhD scholarship in the Novel Metal Forming Group - (Tuition fees paid, Living expenses of £16,500 per year for 4 years)

We will provide a full studentship to Home/EU students to support their research activities leading to the award of a PhD degree. The potential student should expect to obtain 1^st or minimum 2:1 in his/her 1^st degree from Mechanical/Materials Engineering/Physics Department.

The research work will be focused on the feasibility study of superplastic forming and diffusion bonding of nickel-based superalloys, stainless steel for key future fusion reactor parts. The Department was the top-ranked Mechanical Engineering Department in the 2014 UK REF exercise. The Novel Metal Forming group is recognised as being at cutting-edge research in hot and warm forming technologies for lightweight components and structures, which covers a wide range of activities e.g. theory, innovative testing, materials and process modelling. The Group has made a significant contribution to the development of new forming technologies and novel materials modelling methods.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to http://www.imperial.ac.uk/metal-forming/

For information on how to apply, go to http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Jun Jiang, at jun.jiang@imperial.ac.uk.

Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Jiang. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: 30 November 2019

Imperial Managers lead by example. Committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Two Ticks Employer, and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people

Supervisor: Dr Christoph Schwingshackl

Funded PhD Project (UK Students Only)

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field machine learning and dynamics data analytics, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a full bursary and fees (enhanced above the UK student rate). The successful candidate will work with Dr Christoph Schwingshackl and collaborate with engineers from Rolls-Royce plc. The studentship is for three and a half years.

Understanding, predicting, and controlling aeroengine blade vibration is essential for a safe and efficient flight operation. The complicated dynamic behaviour of turbomachinery blades, undergoing high-speed rotation in an extreme operating environment, makes it extremely challenging to understand blade dynamics. As a result, industry puts a lot of effort in measuring blade vibration in situ to obtain real life evidence but their correct interpretation presents significant challenges. The  Rolls-Royce Vibration University Technology Centre at Imperial College London has been a leader in this field for many years.

The aim of this project is to develop advanced data analytics that will enable high accuracy response estimations for future root cause analysis and failure prevention. The drive to Net Zero, with the required design changes, increases the urgency for better vibration analysis capabilities. The research carried out will be in close collaboration with the Experimental Methods group at Rolls-Royce Plc., with the industrial applicability of the developed technology being critical. This project would suit a student with a strong interest in analytics, data analysis and machine learning.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a first-class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering, Computing, Mathematics, Physics, or related subjects, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Good team-working, observational, written and oral communication skills are essential. You will be required to communicate with the industrial partners, will have the opportunity to attend multiple international conferences during your PhD and publish your work in scientific journals.

The post is supported by a tax-free bursary (approx. £24,000 pa) and fees (at the UK Home student rate) provided by the Rolls-Royce Vibration UTC at Imperial College London.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/dynamics/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post, contact Dr Christoph Schwingshackl (c.schwingshackl@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Schwingshackl. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be assessed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Andrea Giusti and Pavlos Aleiferis

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Thermofluids leading to the award of the PhD degree. The focus will be on developing and understanding new concepts for green engines based on the use of zero-carbon fuels (ammonia, hydrogen) and electromagnetic control of the reacting flows. The research will make use of advanced modelling and experimental techniques. The post is supported by full bursary and tuition fees at the UK research student rate for ‘home’ students:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/apply/fees/fee-status/

Project Description

The aim of this research project is to develop fundamental knowledge in novel clean technologies for transportation based on the combination of zero-carbon fuels (such as ammonia and hydrogen) with electromagnetic control. The project will combine numerical simulations across scales (molecular dynamics and computation fluid dynamics) and experiments to unveil the effect of electromagnetic fields on the chemistry, the transport of species and mixing, and on the overall emission performance of the envisioned technology.

The Thermofluids Division at Imperial has an internationally leading record in fundamental and applied research into multiphase and reacting flows, established over several decades. You will be an enthusiastic and highly motivated person with a 1^st or upper 2^nd class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering, or a related subject, and a strong background in thermofluids. You are expected to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Willingness to work on both computations and experiments, with excellent communication skills, is essential.

The ideal candidate should demonstrate strong knowledge of the fundamentals of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, chemistry. Basic knowledge of electromagnetism would be useful. Any previous experience with modelling, numerical simulations and experiments, with demonstration of good practical skills, should be highlighted in the application.

Find out more about the Mechanical Engineering Department at Imperial College London at:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering

For informal enquiries you may contact Dr. Andrea Giusti and Prof. Pavlos Aleiferis:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.giusti

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.aleiferis

Suitable candidates will be asked to complete an electronic PhD application form:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

The starting date will be fixed in discussion with the successful candidate.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors:  Professor Pavlos Aleiferis

Deadline for applying: until post filled

High Efficiency Concepts for Zero-Carbon Hydrogen/Ammonia Engines 

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Thermofluids leading to the award of the PhD degree. The focus will be on developing and understanding new operation concepts for high-efficiency green engines running on zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, using advanced experimental techniques. The post is supported by full bursary and tuition fees at the UK research student rate for ‘Home or Ireland’ students:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/students/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/postgraduate-tuition-fees/2021-22/postgraduate-research-programmes/faculty-of-engineering/

Please do not make enquiries or apply formally unless you meet the tuition fees criteria.

Project Description
This project will investigate the fundamentals of fluid dynamics, mixture formation and ignition in internal combustion engines running on hydrogen and ammonia fuels using advanced optical diagnostic experimental techniques. Key areas of study will include direct fuel injection and air mixing in a fully optical engine with flexible valvetrain and boosting systems, to investigate advanced ignition and combustion modes aiming for a zero-carbon zero-emission engine. The research methods will give a full picture of in-cylinder effects related to various engine operating regimes.

The Thermofluids Division at Imperial has an internationally leading record in fundamental and applied research into multiphase and reacting flows, established over several decades. You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the Academic requirements for enrolment on the PhD degree at Imperial. You are expected to have a 1st or upper 2nd class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. A keen interest in experimentation and future high-efficiency zero-carbon engine systems is important. Excellent observational, practical and communication skills are all essential for this post.

To find out more about the Mechanical Engineering Department at Imperial College London, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering

For further details of the post and informal enquiries you may contact Prof. Pavlos Aleiferis:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.aleiferis

Suitable candidates will be asked to complete an electronic PhD application form:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

The starting date will be fixed in discussion with the successful candidate, preferably by the first quarter of 2022.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Amir Kadiric and Professor Hugh Spikes

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Tribology, leading to the award of a PhD degree. This is an industrially supported studentship for a period of 3.5 years, with all project costs and a bursary of ca. £25,000 per annum covered by one of our industrial partners.

Liquid lubricants are crucial components in almost all machines, where they prevent wear, seizure and other forms of surface damage and also, by reducing friction, make an essential contribution to improving energy efficiency and thus sustainability.

Lubricants generally operate in an air environment where their useful life is largely determined by the rate at which they oxidatively degrade.  Excessive degradation leads to an unacceptable increase in viscosity, deposit formation and corrosive wear.  Lubricant degradation is critically dependent on temperature, so when lubricants are designed their susceptibility to oxidation is measured using high temperature bench oxidation tests. However, it has recently become evident that lubricants can degrade considerably faster in machines than they do at similar temperatures in bench tests. The reasons for this are not yet clear but may result from rupture of lubricant molecules in rubbing contacts (mechanochemistry) and/or catalytic metal wear debris. 

This project will compare lubricant degradation in bench tests (autooxidation) with that in operating machine components (tribo-oxidation). It will use advanced test rigs and lubricant and surface analytical methods available at Imperial College and study degradation both in-situ in test rigs and ex-situ.  The aim is to understand the underlying mechanisms of tribo-oxidation and how these differ from autooxidation. The ultimate goal is to develop improved lubricant life predictions and longer-lasting lubricants.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a degree in Chemistry, Chemical or Mechanical Engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Good team-working, observational, written and oral communication skills are essential. You will be required to communicate with the industrial partners, will have the opportunity to attend multiple international conferences in Europe, US and Japan during your PhD and publish your work in major scientific journals.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Amir Kadiric a.kadiric@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Kadiric. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Tom Reddyhoff

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Tribology, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The studentship is for three and a half years starting spring 2020.  The post is supported by a major vehicle manufacturer. 

The project will investigate the mechanisms by which soot causes problematic wear in heavy-duty diesel engine components.  This is important since understanding soot mediated wear can allow an increase in the amount of soot in engine oil. This will enable vehicles to achieve an optimum CO₂ - NOx trade-off, and hence lower emissions.  Current industry standard lubricant tests for used oil fail to predict soot related wear problems in real engines and therefore new analytical techniques are required.  To address this, the PhD project will develop a range of lab-based tests to characterise oil properties and compare with friction and wear measurements. Results of which will form part of an industrial programme utilizing real field data. This will involve working closely with, and travel to, a number of industrial sponsors and academic collaborators.

The PhD will be based in the Tribology Group at Imperial College London.  This is one of the largest Tribology research groups in the world, with extensive experimental and numerical research facilities and an international reputation for research excellence.  The Group includes several PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and academic staff, who perform both fundamental and applied research, and offers a vibrant and multicultural working environment.

The successful candidate will be enthusiastic and self-motivated and will meet the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London.  They will have a background in Mechanical, Aeronautical or Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Chemistry or a related field together with a strong intellect and an enquiring approach to research.  Excellent team-working, analytical and communication skills are also essential.  Training will be given in tribology and investigative techniques including optical interferometry, advanced material characterisation, and surface topography measurements. The studentship will provide the opportunity to become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international environment at a world-leading institution.  

The post is supported by a full bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by the industrial sponsor. The position is open to UK and EU (ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the three years period preceding the start of the studentship) students who fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering/research/phdopportunities/.

For further details of the post contact Dr Tom Reddyhoff at t.reddyhoff@imperial.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7594 3840.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Tom Reddyhoff on the above e-mail address citing “Tribology PhD Studentship” in the email title. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Daniele Dini

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of “Beyond Graphene: Computational Screening of 2D Materials to Eliminate Friction”, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The studentship will be based in the Tribology Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. It will be supervised by Prof. Daniele Dini and Dr James Ewen as well as Prof. Nicolas Fillot, who will be joining the supervisory team from the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) de Lyon, France. To be eligible for support, applicants should be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. Please check your suitability here; however, students who do not meet the requirements will also be considered. The studentship is for 3.5 years starting in October 2023 and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £20,000. Funding is through the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) / Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) UK-France PhD 2023 Call on Frictionless Surfaces. The student will be expected to spend 6-months at INSA de Lyon during the studentship. The Tribology Group at Imperial College is a vibrant, world-leading research group with unparalleled experimental and modelling equipment facilities.

Two-dimensional (2D) materials with a layered structure are excellent candidates to facilitate superlubricious surfaces due to their weak interlayer interactions and large specific surface area. Over the last few decades, 2D materials such as graphene, molybdenum disulphide, and hexagonal boron nitride have received significant attention as solid lubricants due to their excellent tribological properties. They are typically produced either by ‘bottom-up’ synthesis methods or ‘top-down’ exfoliation from a bulk material. While research in this area is thriving, both of these techniques struggle to produce large defect-free sheets. Experimental tribology tests with 2D materials are challenging due to the small scales of the force involved, which is compounded by the difficulty in obtaining high-quality, defect-free 2D materials in sufficient quantities. This makes it infeasible to isolate and test all the possible combinations of 2D materials experimentally. This is an issue that has hindered the incorporation of such materials in design practice, which is lagging significantly behind in terms of demonstration of principle and optimisation.

In this project, we will use computational methods, specifically nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations, to computationally screen the tribological performance of 2D materials. This technique is routinely used in our group to study the friction between surfaces consisting of thousands of atoms over nanosecond timescales. We will utilise the open-source software and High-Performance Computing resources accessible to us through the Research Computing Service at Imperial College London and the Materials and Molecular Modelling Hub. We will utilise ‘reactive’ force fields to enable bond breaking and formation to be studied. This will enable practical details such as substrates, flake size, defects, exfoliation and contaminants to be studied and only the most promising candidates to be synthesised and tested experimentally. The project will lead to the development of a new framework for in silico screening and testing of ultralow friction solutions of broad applicability.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, another branch of engineering, Materials, Physics, Chemistry or a related science. We expect you to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in developing modelling and simulation methods to investigate the effect of 2D materials on engineering interfaces across the scales is essential, as are good team-working, observational and communication skills.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/tribology/shell-utc/

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof. Daniele Dini, d.dini@imperial.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 75947242, and Dr James Ewen, j.ewen@imperial.ac.uk.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof. Dini.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Tom Reddyhoff

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Tribology, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The studentship is for three and a half years starting summer/autumn 2020.  The post is supported by both the EPSRC and Shell Lubricants. 

The PhD project will develop acoustic emission (AE) sensing techniques to monitor and improve the performance of lubricated, machine contacts.  AE sensors detect stress waves that are generated by microscopic events at the interface between sliding components and propagate through material.  Since these deformations result from surface contact interactions and damage, the waves provide a means of listening in on the frictional mechanisms that are occurring.  This provides an important, and currently underutilised, means of assessing both the condition of the lubricating fluid and the energy efficiency of the machine. 

The project will use friction/acoustic experiments (lab-based tests simulating sliding machine interfaces), signal processing (including frequency based techniques and machine learning) and modelling to understanding the underlying mechanisms associated with frictional sound generation. The understanding gained will then be applied to monitor lubricated engine components, first in lab-based simulation tests and then on motored and fully fired engines.  This will involve working closely with, and travel to, a number of industrial sponsors and academic collaborators.

The PhD will be based in the Tribology Group at Imperial College London.  This is one of the largest Tribology research groups in the world, with extensive experimental and numerical research facilities and an international reputation for research excellence.  The Group includes several PhD students, post-doctoral researchers and academic staff, who perform both fundamental and applied research, and offers a vibrant and multicultural working environment.

The successful candidate will be enthusiastic and self-motivated and will meet the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London.  They will have a background in Mechanical, Aeronautical or Chemical Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Chemistry or a related field together with a strong intellect and an enquiring approach to research.  Experience of vibrations and signal processing would be advantageous. Excellent team-working, analytical and communication skills are also essential.  Training will be given in tribology and investigative techniques tribological testing, advanced material characterisation, and surface topography measurements. The studentship will provide the opportunity to become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international environment at a world-leading institution. 

The post is supported by a full bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by EPSRC and Shell (EPSRC industrial Cooperative Award in Science and Technology – iCASE). The position is open to UK and EU (ordinarily resident in the UK throughout the three years period preceding the start of the studentship) students who fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award.  Please check your suitability at the following web site:

http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/Pages/eligibility.aspx

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering/research/phdopportunities/.

For further details of the post contact Dr Tom Reddyhoff at t.reddyhoff@imperial.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 7594 3840.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Tom Reddyhoff on the above e-mail address citing “AE - Tribology PhD Studentship” in the email title. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: Until post filled

Supervisor: Daniele Dini

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for two research studentships in the field of “Control of lubricant additive performance via electric fields” and “Understanding and Controlling the Effect of Electric Fields on Lubricant and Additive Performance at the Molecular Level”, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The studentships will be based in the Shell-Imperial University Technology Centre for Fuels and Lubricants, which hosted by the Tribology Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and will be supervised by members of academic staff in the team (including Profs. Daniele Dini and Hugh Spikes). To be eligible for support, applicants must be “UK Residents” as defined by the EPSRC. Please check your suitability at the following here. The studentship is for 3.5 years starting in October 2022 and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £21,000. Funding is through two Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Technology (iCASEs[1]) funded by the EPSRC and Shell. The students will be hosted at a Shell location for a minimum period of at least 3 months over 4 years and offered industrial mentorship during the project. The student will be part of a larger community of Shell-funded researchers at Imperial who are working on lubricant related projects.

Many previous studies have shown that the application of an electric field across a lubricated rubbing contact can greatly reduce, or in some cases increase, friction and wear. This is very important in the context of electrification of transport, where electric fields are readily available and can also be used to control the system response, with multiple implications in the development of new solutions and technologies. However, research to date has been fragmented and failed to provide a clear understanding of the mechanisms involved. It is now clear that applied fields can promote and inhibit additive adsorption and additive reaction; both of which can directly impact friction and wear. These two complementary research projects aim at shedding light on fundamental aspects of this problem and provide us with a better understanding of how to develop better solution to optimise surface and lubricants/additives response in these scenarios.

Control of lubricant additive performance via electric fields: Modern experimental and in situ analytical techniques, largely developed at Imperial College, provide the possibility to identify the mechanisms by which applied electrical potentials can promote advantageous (or suppress undesirable) additive reaction in contacts. There is also the possibility of smart lubrication, where lubricant additive action in invoked only when required. The main objectives are: (1) To scope the extent to which application of an electrical potential difference across a rolling/sliding contact can influence friction and wear with representative modern lubricant base oils and additives; (2) To determine whether the limitations of water-based lubricants in terms of tribofilm formation, wear and fatigue can be mitigated by applied electrical potentials; (3) To understand the extent to which applied electric potentials can control the adsorption of organic friction modifier (OFM), dispersant, detergent and antiwear (AW) lubricant additives on steel surfaces; (4) To develop OFM blends whose adsorption and thus frictional properties can be controlled by applied electrical potentials in both nonaqueous and aqueous lubricants; (5)To determine the extent and

mechanisms by which AW film formation and consequent wear protection can be controlled by applied electrical potentials.

The student will apply advanced techniques including interferometry, in situ Raman and molecular fluorescence to investigate the impact of applied electrical potential on tribofilm formation and resulting friction and wear response of lubricants in rolling/sliding contacts. The introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) makes this a highly pertinent field of interest. The likelihood of stray currents across lubricated contacts is much more likely to occur in EVs than ICEs, with possible detrimental effects on lubrication, while EVs also provide readily available electricity with which to influence additive reactions.

Understanding and Controlling the Effect of Electric Fields on Lubricant and Additive Performance at the Molecular Level: Studies of the fundamental origins of friction have progressed rapidly in recent years. The field is now moving toward design of active control method for nano and/or meso scale friction, including the use of magnetic and electric fields external to the contact. These methods constitute an area of rapidly growing interest, as they address one of tribology’s present day grand challenges: achieving in-situ control of friction levels without removing and replacing lubricant materials situated within inaccessible confines of a contact. A great deal of progress has been enabled by the vast improvement of modelling techniques at the molecular scale – we have pioneered this with Shell and are now in the position to make a real impact in this area. This project will build on our density functional theory (DFT) and reactive molecular dynamics (MD with both classical and reactive – ReaxFF – potentials) simulation capabilities; the idea is to look specifically at the mechanisms and rates of absorption and film formation of lubricant and additive molecules on iron oxide and coated surfaces and the effect that electric fields play in accelerating/inhibiting the reactions. This links very well with the

recent mechanochemistry studies we have performed and may lead to new theoretical development to establish how electric fields change the energy barriers to be overcome for surface reactions to take place – the synergy between mechanical, chemical, and electric effect can now be studied at fundamental level. The aim will be to build a strategy to optimise molecular structure and fields to actively control the film formation behaviour.

The student will first carry out work to understand the effect that electric fields, which might already be present in lubricated contacts, have on lubricant and additives performances and then to study how externally induced fields could be used to optimise the performance of existing and newly formulated lubricants and additives using active control.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. Applicants should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, another branch of engineering, Materials, Physics, Chemistry or a related science. We expect you to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in developing experimental and/or modelling methods to investigate the effect of electric fields on engineering interfaces across the scales is essential. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/tribology/shell-utc/

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof. Daniele Dini d.dini@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 75947242.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof. Dini.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

The following research groups have flexible funding, which may enable them to provide funding for outstanding PhD students at any time. Please visit the group websites for more information and to get in touch with a member of the group:

• Non-Destructive Evaluation Group
• Metal Forming and Materials Modelling Group

You may wish to explore the opportunities offered by the following Centres for Doctoral Training:

• CDT in Fluid Dynamics across Scales 
• CDT in Nuclear Energy 
• CDT in Theory and Simulation of Materials 
• CDT in Quantitative Non-destructive Evaluation