PhD in Robust Design Methods for Aircraft in Turbulence (AE0087)

Start Date: From 1 Oct 2026

Application Deadline: Until filled

 Eligibility: No restrictions on nationality

Introduction:

Applications are invited for a Ph.D. studentship in Aeronautics at the Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation, Imperial College London. The successful candidate will join a vibrant research community building a sustainable future at the heart of London. This project will investigate aeroelastic design strategies to support the robustness of operation of highly efficient aircraft in atmospheric turbulence.

There is much interest in developing high-altitude long-endurance unmanned vehicles as communication platforms. They provide a lower-cost reconfigurable alternative to low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations, but their highly optimised designs are also very sensitive to adverse atmospheric conditions. This becomes both a design challenge, to identify the optimal aeroelastic trade-offs that minimize risks to the vehicle’s structural integrity, and an operational challenge, since not much is known about atmospheric turbulence at the altitudes and velocities in which these vehicles operate. This project will address both challenges by both developing a suitable simulation environment to support aeroelastic analysis in turbulent wind, and correlation with flight tests carried out by Voltitude, our industrial partner. The successful candidate will join a team of researchers unlocking the opportunities of low-speed stratospheric flight, both inside and outside Imperial as part of the Enduring Atmospheric Platforms programme run by the UK Advanced Research and Invention Agency.

Supervisors:  

Prof Rafael Palacios (https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/r.palacios)

Dr Thulasi Mylvaganam (https://profiles.imperial.ac.uk/t.mylvaganam)

Duration: 3.5 years

Funding:

Full coverage of tuition fees, travel budget and an annual tax-free stipend of circa £23,000 for Home, EU and International students. Find out more about fee status at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/fee-status/.

 Eligibility:

Due to the competitive nature of our studentships, candidates will be expected to gain/have achieved a first-class honours degree or equivalent in aerospace engineering, or a related discipline. This is a mostly computational project and successful candidates will demonstrate team outstanding software development and mathematical modelling skills.

How to apply: Submit your application via our Apply webpages: www.imperial.ac.uk/study/apply/postgraduate-doctoral/application-process/. When applying, please use the following details:

 Course/Programme: Aeronautics Research (PhD)

• Research Topic: Use reference number (AE0087)
• Research Supervisor: Prof Palacios/Dr Mylvaganam
• Research Group: Aero

Further information: 

For questions about the project, please email: Professor Rafael Palacios r.palacios@imperial.ac.uk  

For queries regarding the application process, please email Lisa Kelly, PhD Administrator, l.kelly@imperial.ac.uk

You can also learn more about Imperial at www.imperial.ac.uk/study/pg

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