PhD Studentship: Autonomous Control of an Electric Vehicle for Improving Energy Efficiency

PhD Supervisor: Dr. Anil Madhusudhanan

Supervisory Team: Dr. Anil Madhusudhanan and Prof. Suleiman Sharkh

Project description

Significant reduction of carbon emissions is needed to manage the effects of climate change within safe limits and to reduce air pollution, which according to the Royal College of Physicians causes around 40,000 death/year in the UK. The UK government has therefore passed a legislation in 2019, requiring all carbon emissions in the UK to be net zero by 2050. Widespread use of electric vehicles (EVs) can help on this front. However, there are two major issues: (1) range anxiety and (2) limited renewable electricity.

Range anxiety is caused by the limited range of EVs due to the significantly lower energy densities of batteries. Another major issue is the limited supply of renewable electricity. Although the production of renewable electricity has been increasing, given the demand will significantly increase with increasing number of EVs, meeting future demand will be challenging, an issue highlighted by the recent energy crisis. Improving energy efficiency of EVs is therefore an important research topic for our society.

Autonomous driving offers significant opportunities for improving energy efficiency. However, autonomous vehicle research has mostly been focused on sensing, safety, path planning and motion control. Although these are important topics, there hasn’t been significant research on energy efficiency of autonomous EVs considering the power train characteristics, V2X data and experimental analyses.

In this project, the PhD student will focus on two use cases: negotiating a T junction and roundabout. You will address these issues by: (1) designing control systems considering the power train model, and V2X data, and (2) analysing the systems using simulations, and experiments with the Kia Niro EV and Toyota Prius PHEV, available at the university.

We are looking for a highly motivated student with an excellent background in control systems, robotics, mechatronics or mechanical/electrical/electronics engineering. This is an exciting interdisciplinary research project that offers experience with design and analysis of an autonomous driving module. You will get opportunities to present your work at international conferences. The knowledge and skills you learn during this project will be applicable to systems from different fields such as electrical, mechanical, aerospace and chemical, and valuable to pursuing a career in academia/industry.

Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (a high UK 1^st class degree, i.e. more than 77%, or its equivalent).

Closing date: 30 April 2024

Funding: If recommended by the supervisors, you will compete for Lanchester Category D Excellence Studentships, Presidential Scholarships and Black Futures Scholarships. These studentships and scholarships provide tuition fees and a stipend of £18,653 tax-free per annum for up to 3.5 years for the highest quality UK applicants. The highest quality international applicants are eligible for Presidential Scholarships. These funding schemes are highly competitive and hence the high UK 1^st class degree or its equivalent requirement.

How To Apply

Apply online: Search for a Postgraduate Programme of Study (soton.ac.uk). Select programme type (Research), 2024/25, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering, next page select “PhD Engineering & Environment (Full time)”. In Section 2 of the application form you should insert the name of the supervisor Anil K Madhusudhanan

Applications should include:

• Motivation Letter
• Curriculum Vitae
• Two reference letters
• Degree Transcripts/Certificates to date

For further information please contact: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

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