PhD Studentship: CFD-DEM Optimisation of Porous Breakwater Design and Placement for Enhanced Flood Mitigation

Award Summary

100% fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £20,780 (2025/26 UKRI rate). Additional project costs will also be provided.

Overview

Coastal flooding poses a significant and growing threat to communities worldwide, intensified by climate change and sea-level rise. Traditional coastal defence structures can be ecologically disruptive and expensive. Porous breakwaters (PBs) offer a promising alternative, reducing wave energy through dissipation and controlled overtopping, potentially mitigating flood risk while minimising environmental impact (Nimma & Srineash 2025, Nguyean et al. 2022). However, accurately predicting PB performance – particularly complex flow patterns within the structure and resulting inundation – requires advanced modelling techniques. This research proposes to leverage CFD and DEM to develop an optimised methodology for designing and locating PBs specifically for enhanced flood mitigation in coastal environments. In particular, we will consider metamaterials of various shapes, materials and textures and model their interaction with the upcoming waves. In the end, this project enhances our knowledge of PBs and provides practical solutions in their design and placement.

This research aims to answer the following key questions:

- How do varying porosity, core material characteristics, and breakwater geometry influence wave overtopping rates and resulting flood extents under different storm surge scenarios, as determined through high-fidelity CFD-DEM simulations?

- What is the optimal spatial arrangement (single/multiple lines, angle of incidence) of PBs for a given coastline morphology and flood hazard profile to minimise inland inundation, assessed using coupled CFD and inundation modelling?

- How can the optimisation process balance flood reduction effectiveness with structural stability and potential ecological benefits (e.g., habitat creation)?

This project will create sensible impacts towards a more sustainable environment and generate state-of-the-art knowledge needed for the next generation of environmental scientists.

For further information on the project, we will be hosting a ‘Prospective applicant webinar’ at 2:00pm on the 26th of November. Link to the event can be found here: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/376b2195-d8da-47c0-86e2-b18813ec19e3@4a5378f9-29f4-4d3e-be89-669d03ada9d8. 

Number Of Awards

1

Start Date

1st October 2026

Award Duration

3.5 years

Application Closing Date

8th January 2026

Sponsor

Natural Environment Research Council

Supervisors

Dr Amir Fard 

Eligibility Criteria

You must have, or expect to gain, a minimum 2:1 Honours degree or international equivalent in a subject relevant to the proposed PhD project (inc. computing, mathematics, engineering etc.). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements.  

Home and international applicants (inc. EU) are welcome to apply and if successful will receive a full studentship. Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills.

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How To Apply

For information on how to apply, please see https://www.ncl.ac.uk/postgraduate/fees-funding/search-funding/?code=flood265  

Contact Details

amir.fard@newcastle.ac.uk 

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