Chemical Engineering
This PhD project aims to design heat integration strategies within multi-vector energy systems to enhance overall system flexibility and efficiency.
The route to net zero faces two main challenges: first, the increasing integration of non-dispatchable and variable renewable energy resources, such as wind and solar power, creates significant challenges for energy systems, notably in terms of maintaining reliability and balancing supply with demand; and, second, there is almost no progress and not even a credible roadmap for heat decarbonisation (low temperature space heating as well as high temperature industrial heat). By focusing on the thermal aspects of energy systems, and particularly on strategies for efficient heat integration, this research aims to provide novel solutions that enhance system stability and provide affordable and sustainable heat.
The project will investigate heat integration techniques across various levels of the energy system, including industrial processes, district heating networks, and residential heating solutions. Key areas of focus will include the integration of advanced thermal storage technologies, the utilisation of waste heat recovery, and the implementation of innovative heat pump technologies. This multi-scale approach ensures that the project addresses both high-grade industrial heat and low-grade residential heat requirements.
A significant component of the research will involve the development of mathematical models and simulation tools to evaluate potential heat integration scenarios. The models and tools will be built on existing open-source tools in the Institute for Energy Systems, commercials tools such as TRNSYS and open-source tools such as PyPSA. These tools will help in identifying optimal ways to deploy thermal energy storage and recovery, thus enabling better management of renewable generation variability. The methodologies developed will consider not only energy efficiency but also economic and environmental impacts, ensuring that the solutions are sustainable both technically and financially.
The candidate will develop a wide range of skills in simulation, optimisation, and data analysis which are widely applicable to future career development. Additionally, there are opportunities for engaging with an open and inclusive community of open-source energy system developers both within IES and globally.
Overall, this PhD project offers a comprehensive approach to enhancing system flexibility through heat integration, addressing critical challenges in the transition to a more sustainable and reliable energy future.
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Essential background:
- 2.1 or above (or equivalent) in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Energy Engineering/Economics, Informatics, or similar
- Programming in Python, Julia or other high-level language
Desirable background:
- Energy system modelling and optimisation
- Data analysis, optimisation and/or machine learning
- Experience in thermal energy system modelling
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere
This PhD project delves into the dynamics of residential energy consumption, system flexibility, and employs the systems transition engineering processes (STEPs) to tackle energy poverty with novel utility network-to-end-use flexibility opportunities. The research is framed around the critical need to create resilient urban energy systems that not only adapt to fast-paced technological and environmental changes but also promote energy equity and efficiency.
In urban environments, residential areas are key consumers of energy and greatly influence the overall dynamics of urban energy flow. The primary aim of this research is to innovate, model and optimise the intake and distribution of energy in residential sectors and examine how these modifications can alleviate energy poverty, characterised by lack of access to reliable and affordable energy services. This involves understanding the specific energy needs of underserved populations and integrating solutions that ensure equitable energy distribution.
Transition engineering principles guide the project's approach, integrating systems thinking, predictive modelling, and simulation techniques to explore novel and practical engineering adjustments for improving system flexibility and reliability amid increasing green energy integration and fluctuating demand. Expertise will be gained in grid and network technology and commercial operations, and energy end uses—from heating and lighting to appliances and electronic devices. The project will assess initiatives like participatory demand-response technologies, energy-efficient retrofitting, integrated storage, and community energy systems.
Moving beyond technical analysis, the study will incorporate socioeconomic data to paint a more accurate picture of energy consumption patterns and barriers to energy access in various residential demographics. Simulation tools will evaluate how different interventions might impact energy affordability and reliability at the household level and their wider effects on the energy system's flexibility and sustainability.
Policy implications will also be a significant focus of this research. By identifying regulatory and institutional barriers to equitable energy distribution and system flexibility, the project aims to suggest robust policy measures that can support broad adoption of efficient and equitable energy solutions.
The expected contribution of this PhD project is pioneering energy transition shifts for adaptable, forward-thinking strategies that enhance energy system infrastructure in urban areas, ensuring that they are not only sustainable and flexible but also fair and responsive to the needs of all community members. The PhD candidate will have a Mechanical or Electric Power Engineering qualification, utility industry or energy systems engineering experience, aptitude for modelling, and passion for energy systems transition engineering. Candidates who are systems thinkers are preferred.
This PhD project is advertised as a part of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering, a joint partnership between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University. The successful candidate will be supervised by a team consisting of academics from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University.
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Essential background:
- 2.1 or above (or equivalent) in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Energy Engineering/Economics, Informatics, or similar
- Programming in Python, Julia or other high-level language
Desirable background:
- Energy system modelling and optimisation
- Experience in energy systems transition engineering
- Data analysis, optimisation and/or machine learning
- Experience in energy system modelling
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere
Asphalt recycling gained prominence since the 1970s, partly initiated by the oil crisis influencing the availability of bitumen as binder material. Since then, recycled and reclaimed asphalt continued to be part of the mix used in road and pavements providing a cost effective and environmentally friendly option with a potential to decarbonising the industry. Recent examples of roads using recycled asphalt include: 50% recycled asphalt was used in paving a section of M25 between junctions 25 and 26 and a section of A388 Bournemouth Spur Road, Dorset was paved using all the old road materials.
Rolled asphalt pavement comprises of different courses primarily the wearing, binder, base, subbase and capping layer. The degree of compaction determines the stiffness and strength of material along with its resistance to deformation and durability of the mixture. Compaction of the asphalt along with the binder results from the operation of the paving/construction equipment to impart systematic static, shearing and vibrational loads to achieve the required properties of each of the aforementioned course. The pavement is expected to withstand the design traffic load.
In the drive towards net zero carbon emission, there is an urgent need to significantly increase the use of the 100% recyclable Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) in pavement construction. This poses significant challenges in the design and optimisation of the production and construction processes for which this current project seeks to address. For instance, is it possible to better characterise the RAP in terms of material properties to provide a more accurate initial assessment of its recycling readiness? Is it possible to match to assess, based on the RAP's material characteristics and the prevailing loading regimes, whether it would meet the required highway standards?
The aim of the project is to develop a deeper understanding of the RAP pavement construction and establish an experimentally calibrated numerical model to predict the compaction mechanics of recycled asphalt pavements during construction as well as operational period. The model will integrate the mechanics at different length scales. Experimental programme will include time-resolved (4D) X-ray tomography to capture the micromechanics of the granular assembly.
This PhD project is advertised as a part of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering, a joint partnership between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University. The successful candidate will be supervised by a team consisting of academics from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt University (HWU). The Heriot-Watt University supervisor for this project will be Dr Elma Charalampidou. Some of the experiments involving micro x-ray CT system will be undertaken at HWU.
The selection process is in two phases:
Stage 1: Interested candidates should contact Dr Amer Syed at Amer.Syed@ed.ac.uk by 7 February 2025 with their CV and a covering email. Potential candidates will be invited to an interview. Selected candidate will progress to Stage 2.
Stage 2: Selected candidate will complete a formal application to the University of Edinburgh by 12 February 2025. This application will be assessed by a panel for funding. Please note that this studentship attracts enhanced stipend, while the exact details yet to be finalised, for 2024, it was £21,400 per annum.
Home and overseas students are encouraged to apply.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Tuition fees + stipend are available for Home/EU and International students.
From sandcastles to powder metallurgy, granular materials are ubiquitous in engineering and natural environment. Understanding their behaviour under a range of loading conditions is essential in ensuring the structural integrity of the granular system e.g., landslides, chemical/pharmaceutical applications such as compacted tablets, food processing etc.
The mechanical response of a granular assembly depends on the interaction of the individual grains. In most of the natural and engineering systems, this interaction is further complicated by the presence of fluids and temperature gradient resulting in convective mass transport. The thermomechanical behaviour of the granular assembly depends on the temperature/concentration gradient, viscosity of the fluid, variation in fluid saturation, compressibility of the fluid etc. The presence of fluid would also influence the relative motion of the particles, especially in case of particles with varying size and shapes, and directly contribute to the nature of compaction and flow of the granular assembly.
The aim of the project is to develop a deeper understanding of the mechanics of granular assemblies subjected to convective mass transport and to formulate a multiscale multiphysics model to predict the thermomechanical behaviour of granular assemblies. The model will be developed and calibrated using high quality experimental data acquired at multiple length scales. Custom designed experiments will be conducted in an x-ray CT environment to study the micromechanics of the underlying processes using time resolved x-ray tomography (in 4D).
There are four application areas for this project and the successful candidate would be able to select one of these areas.
Geological/geophysical application: Geothermal systems, particularly Enhanced Geothermal Systems where the energy from underground hot rock/fractured rock is used to generate electricity.
Steel production: Porous coke in the granular assembly of the blast furnace charge provides energy, heat and gas required to reduce the iron ore. Improved design of the granular assembly has potential to minimise the CO2 emission in the steel making process.
Recycled Asphalt Pavements: Reclaimed and recycled asphalt are used in road pavements providing a cost effective and environmentally friendly option with a potential in decarbonising the industry.
Powder bed fusion, a metal additive manufacturing technique: The nature of granular assembly of metal powder bed informs the quality of the finished product.
This PhD project is advertised as a part of the Edinburgh Research Partnership in Engineering, a joint partnership between the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University. The successful candidate will be supervised by a team consisting of academics from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt University (HWU). The Heriot-Watt University supervisor for this project will be Dr Elma Charalampidou. Some of the experiments involving micro x-ray CT system will be undertaken at HWU.
The selection process is in two phases:
Stage 1: Interested candidates should contact Dr Amer Syed at Amer.Syed@ed.ac.uk by 7 February 2025 with their CV and a covering email. Potential candidates will be invited to an interview. Selected candidate will progress to Stage 2.
Stage 2: Selected candidate will complete a formal application to the University of Edinburgh by 12 February 2025. This application will be assessed by a panel for funding. Please note that this studentship attracts enhanced stipend, while the exact details are yet to be finalised, for 2024, it was £21,400 per annum.
Home and overseas students are encouraged to apply.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Tuition fees + stipend are available for Home/EU and International students.
The importance of clustering, or microphase separation, is increasingly recognized, with applications in many technologies including nanomaterials and pharmaceutical crystallization. It is also important in nature; for example the membraneless organelles within biological cells. However, the mechanisms leading to such clusters are not completely understood.
This project aims to improve understanding of microphase separation in complex coacervates. These particular clusters, or microphases, are formed by, for example, mixtures of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes and might also describe some membraneless organelles.
To this end, the successful candidate will develop thermodynamic models of equilibrium clustering in binary mixtures with competing short-range and long-range interactions. The aim is to model and understand the link between particle interactions and microphase separation in complex coacervates.
It is expected that the applicant will have a good degree in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, or any other related subject. We are particularly keen to hear from applicants who want to develop expertise in molecular theories of fluids. Prior experience in this area is useful but not a requirement.
The successful student, depending on eligibility, will have opportunities for teaching and further training with in the university, as well as participation in the intellectual community provided by the School of Engineering’s Institute for Materials and Processes, in which they will be based.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, or any other related subject possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Prior experience in molecular theories of fluids is useful but not a requirement.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Nucleate boiling is a type of boiling mechanism where the heat is transferred from a hot surface to a liquid through the formation and release of vapor bubbles. This process occurs at discrete points on the surface where the liquid is in direct contact with heat. During nucleate boiling, small bubbles of vapor form at nucleation sites, typically surface imperfections, and grow until they are buoyant enough to detach and rise through the liquid. Surface modification is a passive method to increase heat transfer in nucleate boiling by controlling bubble nucleation and detachment using structures or coatings that modify a surfaces morphological parameters.
Recently, we developed new techniques to modify surfaces with regions that could act as nucleation sites and provide easy bubble detachment. These patterned liquid-like surfaces are based on Slippery Covalently Attached Liquid-like Surfaces (SCALS). In this experimental project, you will tackle questions involving nucleate boiling on patterned liquid-like surfaces: we are interested in understanding how these surfaces act under boiling conditions and their effects on the efficiency of heat transfer and maintaining a stable heat flux. By answering questions like these, you will be pushing the boundaries of knowledge in this field and kick-start your postgraduate career.
If successful, you will become a member of the Wetting, Interfacial Sciences and Engineering Group within the Institute for Multiscale Thermofluids at the School of Engineering. You will join a vibrant community of PhD students, postdoctoral research associates and academics working in various aspects of surfaces and wetting, and will develop as a scientist benefiting from our track record, which includes publications in top journals, international collaborations and contributions to key international conferences.
Please note that the supervision team will include:
Principal supervisor
Dr Gary Wells: https://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/about/people/dr-gary-wells
Assistant supervisors
Professor Glen McHale: https://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/about/people/professor-glen-mchale
Dr Rodrigo Ledesma Aguilar: https://www.eng.ed.ac.uk/about/people/dr-rodrigo-ledesma-aguilar
Please note that if a suitable candidate is found prior to the closing date, then the position will be closed and the advert will be removed.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree.
We expect that you will have a good degree in Engineering or Physics with an experimental and modelling background. We are particularly interested to hear from applicants with experience in surfaces, fluids and/or phase change.
Please note that if a suitable candidate is found prior to the closing date, then the position will be closed and the advert will be removed.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
Recent research has shown that aqueous amino acid salts (AAS) are effective carbon capture solutions. They offer advantages over the usual amine-based carbon capture solutions due to their reduced toxicity, corrosivity, volatility and cost whilst also having good stability and high capacity.
Especially, it has been shown that some AAS solutions phase separate after absorbing CO2. Importantly, phase separating carbon capture solutions could lead to reduced regeneration energy penalties for carbon capture processes since the regenerate can easily be separated and has reduced water content. Thus, AAS solutions are promising candidates for both direct air capture (DAC) and post-combustion (PC) carbon capture processes.
Moreover, it is also known that some aqueous AA solutions exhibit microphase separation. Although the mechanism is currently unknown, this phenomenon is thought to be important in crystallization processes. It might also have implications for the origin of life since AAs and carbon dioxide are thought to be key ingredients of the primordial soup.
This project aims to understand the key driving forces that lead to both bulk and microphase separating AA and AAS solutions, especially for carbon capture processes. The successful student will use molecular simulations to model and understand this behaviour at the microscale.
It is expected that the applicant will have a good degree in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, or any other related subject. We are particularly keen to hear from applicants who want to develop expertise in the molecular simulation of fluids. Prior experience in this area is useful but not a requirement.
The successful student, depending on eligibility, will have opportunities for teaching and further training with in the university, as well as participation in the intellectual community provided by the School of Engineering’s Institute for Materials and Processes, in which they will be based.
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, or any other related subject possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Prior experience in molecular simulation of fluids is useful but not a requirement.
Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.
A plastic wear model for ductile materials was recently developed within the supervisor’s group, based on the discrete element method (DEM). An initial model developed for flat
surfaces [1] has since been extended to arbitrarily shaped closed surfaces representing abradable particles. Each particle is essentially a multi-sphere clump in which the non-interacting constituent spheres are arranged to form a hollow shell. A constituent sphere is displaced in the direction of the local normal to the surface once a material yield criterion has been met. This has been implemented in a fork of the open-source LAMMPS [2] code.
This implementation, which enables one form of permanent change of a particle’s shape, can be extended to another: plastic deformation. Even in dense sheared granular systems, the contact network is constantly changing, i.e., interparticle contacts are highly transient [3]. This raises the question of whether elasto-plastic contact models, e.g., [4-5], which retain no memory of plastic deformation once a contact has been lost in the simulation, are suitable for all scenarios.
This project will initially extend the simulation framework developed for particle abrasion to capture plastic deformation. This framework will then be applied to explore the role of plasticity in granular systems, and assess the scenarios in which simpler elasto-plastic contact models can give acceptable results.
Informal queries from potential applicants can be directed to Dr Kevin Hanley (k.hanley@ed.ac.uk).
References
[1] Capozza, R. & Hanley, K.J. (2022): A comprehensive model of plastic wear based on the discrete element method. Powder Technology, 410, 117864
[2] Thompson, A.P. et al. (2022): LAMMPS - a flexible simulation tool for particle-based materials modeling at the atomic, meso, and continuum scales. Computer Physics Communications, 271, 108171
[3] Hanley, K.J., Huang, X., O’Sullivan, C. & Kwok, F. C.-Y. (2014): Temporal variation of contact networks in granular materials. Granular Matter, 16, 41–54
[4] Luding, S. (2008): Cohesive, frictional powders: contact models for tension. Granular Matter, 10, 235–246
[5] Thakur, S.C., Morrissey, J.P., Sun, J., Chen, J.F. & Ooi, J.Y. (2014): Micromechanical analysis of cohesive granular materials using the discrete element method with an adhesive elasto-plastic contact model. Granular Matter, 16, 383–400
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusivity. Please see details here: https://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
Minimum entry qualification - an Honours degree at 2:1 or above (or International equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering discipline, possibly supported by an MSc Degree. Further information on English language requirements for EU/Overseas applicants.
Applications are welcomed from self-funded students, or students who are applying for scholarships from the University of Edinburgh or elsewhere.