PhD Studentship - Process Industries: Net Zero CDT: Endurant Power and Propulsion System for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles in Offshore Energy Infrastructure

Award Summary

100% fees (UK Home only), a minimum tax-free annual living allowance at the 2027/28 UKRI Rate (the 2026/7 rate is £21,805), and a research training support grant of £20,000.

Overview

Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) are increasingly central to offshore energy operations, yet their deployment remains constrained by limited endurance, energy density, and the ability to maintain station or perform interventions in harsh ocean environments. Offshore wind, subsea cables, and fixed/floating energy platforms require regular inspection and rapid-response maintenance, but current operations rely heavily on crewed vessels and ROVs-methods that are expensive, weather‑limited, carbon‑intensive, and inherently short-duration. 

This PhD project aims to develop a next‑generation endurant power and propulsion system enabling AUVs to achieve 500m+, 1000+ hours endurance and 2000+ miles operational range, unlocking persistent monitoring and immediate intervention capability for safety‑critical offshore energy infrastructure. Achieving this requires breakthroughs in both high‑energy‑density subsea battery systems and high‑efficiency electric propulsion, consistent with current research directions emphasising high energy density, intrinsic safety, and deep‑sea adaptability.  

The candidate will work with the industrial partner Walker Subsea.

The candidate will: 

• Co‑develop system requirements based on real offshore inspection missions.
• Integrate the battery and propulsion prototypes into an AUV platform. 
• Conduct controlled tank testing followed by representative sea trials. 
• Deliver a validated endurant AUV power‑propulsion module ready for integration.

Aligned with the mission of the PINZ CDT to develop innovative technologies that accelerate the transition to a net zero economy, this project will create energy-efficient autonomous systems that support the sustainable operation and maintenance of offshore renewable energy infrastructure. 

This project is part of the EPSRC CDT in Process Industries: Net Zero. The successful PhD student will be co-supervised by academics from the Process Intensification Group at Newcastle University.  

Number Of Awards

One

Start Date

1 October 2027

Award Duration

4 Years

Application Closing Date

7 January 2027

Sponsor

EPSRC

Supervisors

Dr Weichao Shi (weichao.shi@newcastle.ac.uk)

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 (usually chemical engineering or chemistry, but please get in touch if you think your qualification may be relevant). Enthusiasm for research, the ability to think and work independently, excellent analytical skills and strong verbal and written communication skills are also essential requirements 

This studentship is available to home students only. 

How To Apply

You must apply through the University’s Apply to Newcastle Portal. Once registered, select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’.

Identify your programme of study via ‘Course Search’

• Search for the ‘Course Title’ using the programme code: 8856F
• Leave the 'Research Area' field blank
• Select ‘PhD in Process Industries; Net Zero (PINZ)' as the programme of study

You will then need to provide the following information in the ‘Further Details’ section:

• Personal Statement (mandatory): Upload a document or write a statement directly into the application form
• Studentship/Partnership Reference: Enter the studentship code PINZ02-27.
• Research Proposal: When asked how you are providing your research proposal, select ‘Write Proposal’, and enter the title of the research project from this advert. You do not need to upload a separate proposal.
• Supporting documents: Upload your CV

You must submit one application per studentship; you cannot apply for multiple studentships in one application.

Contact Details

General enquiries: pinz.cdt@ncl.ac.uk

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