PhD Research Studentship

Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship (3 years) in the Research Division of Energy and Sustainability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team on a UK-India renewable energy project. The project is funded by the Research Council UK and is based in the Faculty of Engineering, in collaboration with other UK and Indian universities. The collaboration aims to design and manufacture a novel power generation system for a community in a remote district of India based on concentrated photovoltaic and anaerobic digestion. The efficiency of the overall system can be improved by utilising the waste heat, which will focus initially on vapour absorption refrigeration techniques. A prototype unit will be constructed for incorporation into the energy system being developed by the other collaborating parties.

The PhD project will seek to optimise the use of the waste heat and to integrate the devised refrigeration system into a power generation island to be sited in a remote village in India. Design skills and numerical modelling together with a practical development of the prototype will be involved in the design and development work. The studentship will involve liaising with the other collaborating universities involved in the project and developing a good understanding of the overall process in the power generation scheme. The student will work under the supervision of Prof Gavin Walker and Dr Donald Giddings as part of a vibrant interdisciplinary team.

Requirements of the studentship:

i)   Students should have, or expect to obtain, a first-class or very good 2:1 honours degree, or a distinction or high merit at MSc level in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline that includes courses in heat transfer and thermodynamics.

ii)  Students should be able to demonstrate an interest in thermo-fluid applications, and should have good written and oral presentation skills as well as strong analytical and practical skills. Previous experience with development of practical experimental test rigs would be an advantage.

The studentship will cover PhD tuition fees for UK/EU students and a tax free stipend for three years (£13,590 for the 2012-13 academic year). An additional £2000 a year may be awarded for students with a 1st class degree / MSc Distinction from a UK Russell Group University or equivalent. The studentship will start no later than October 2013.

The University of Nottingham’s Faculty of Engineering conducts research that has been recognised by the last Research Assessment Exercise as being world-leading or internationally excellent, placing Nottingham in the UK’s top five universities for engineering. The Faculty has state-of-the art experimental and computational facilities and attracts leading scholars from around the world, many of whom are leaders in their fields.

Informal enquiries prior to making an application may be addressed to: Dr Donald Giddings, email: donald.giddings@nottingham.ac.uk. If you are interested in making an application, please contact Dr Donald Giddings directly with a covering letter stating clearly how you fulfil the requirements of the studentship, and include a CV and the names and addresses of two academic referees. Interviews will take place at the University of Nottingham.

Please quote ref. ENG/683.
This studentship will remain open until filled.