PhD Studentship - Investigating Insulation Reliability of Offshore Wind Turbine Generator for a Sustainable Electricity Infrastructure

How to apply: uom.link/pgr-apply-2425

This 3.5-year PhD studentship is open to Home (UK) applicants and EU students with settled status. The successful candidate will receive an annual tax-free stipend set at the UKRI rate (£20,780 for 2025/26; subject to annual uplift) plus a top-up of £5000 per year paid for by industry. Plus tuition fees will be paid.

Exceptional overseas candidates may also be considered.

If you are currently based overseas, please inform the supervisor of your location when you first make contact.

Offshore wind energy generation is a major cornerstone of the global clean energy transition, with an increasing need to deploy large-scale offshore wind turbines in harsh operational environments. As these systems grow in complexity and power rating, ensuring the reliability of generator insulation systems becomes critical to maintaining performance, reducing downtime, and extending asset life.

Generator stator windings typically comprise multiple sub-level insulation systems, including Main Wall insulation, slot insulation, and turn-to-turn insulation. Among these, turn-to-turn insulation is widely recognised as the most vulnerable to premature failure. This vulnerability arises from its thin dielectric layers, high localised electrical field stress, and the difficulty of ensuring consistent manufacturing quality. Furthermore, the fundamental understanding of its ageing mechanisms under offshore operating conditions remains limited, making it a key area for further research. The combined effects of electrical, thermal, mechanical, and environmental stresses, coupled with high humidity, salt exposure, and steep voltage gradients (high dV/dt) from inverter-fed systems, pose significant challenges to insulation reliability.

This EPSRC iCASE PhD project sponsored by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy will investigate the insulation reliability of offshore wind turbine generators. The focus of this project will be on generator insulation systems utilising mica tapes and laminates, which are widely adopted due to their excellent dielectric strength, thermal stability, and resistance to corona discharge. The research will begin by investigating key ageing parameters—such as thermal ageing and mechanical fatigue—individually and sequentially, followed by electrical breakdown testing to assess their impact on the dielectric performance of the material subsystems.

The target is to develop a methodology to simulate representative offshore operating conditions using a purpose-built prototype system, enabling experimental validation under combined electrical, thermal, mechanical, and environmental stresses. Based on the experimental data, a semi-empirical model to be developed to assess insulation degradation and identify failure signatures that can inform future predictive asset management strategies.

Applicants should hold a first-class (or equivalent) degree in a relevant engineering or science discipline (upper second class may be considered depending on the bachelor's/master's dissertation project). Preference will be given to candidates with a background in electrical engineering and a strong interest in undertaking experimental activities. The candidate is expected to have regular meetings with Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy R&D team and also undertake an industry placement as part of the PhD programme.

To apply, please contact the main supervisor, Dr Chen - lujia.chen@manchester.ac.uk. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project.

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