Current PhD studentships

Supervisors: Jun Jiang, Liliang Wang, Dan Balint, Catrin Davies, Zhusheng Shi

Deadline for applying: until posts filled

EPSRC & Tata Steel announce 13 PhD studentships at UK universities to carry out leading research in advanced manufacturing of steels & steel products using Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Technology. This cohort of students will investigate aspects of EAF steelmaking and product development using the latest suite of characterisation equipment, processing lines and digital tools, aided by the brilliant expertise and experience of faculty at Imperial, Cambridge and Warwick, and mentored by leading researchers and technologists in Tata Steel.

Applications are invited for 6 PhD studentships at Imperial as part of this initiative, in the general area of Mechanics and Characterisation of Next Generation EAF Recycled Steels for Forming and Welding Applications, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The posts are funded by the EPSRC and Tata Steel, supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) for 4 years, with the opportunity for a top-up from Tata Steel for some studentships. Candidates should ordinarily have home fee status to be eligible, but exceptional overseas candidates will be considered and may be eligible for an International Doctoral Scholar award.

The studentships span 6 closely related areas, all in relation to the development of EAF Recycled Steel for Automotive and Packaging Applications:

(1) Investigation of the effects of residual elements and coatings on weldability (Dr Jun Jiang)

(2) In-situ formability, microstructure analysis and forming process optimization (Prof Li-Liang Wang)

(3) Crystal plasticity modelling to understand how microstructural features caused by residual elements affect formability (Prof Dan Balint)

(4) Effects of residual elements on mechanical and fracture properties (Prof Catrin Davies)

(5) Investigation of thermomechanical behaviour and formability of coating-free press hardening steel (Dr Zhusheng Shi)

(6) Uni-Stamp: Advancing Unified Stamping Technology and System for Next-Generation Uni-Steel-Bodied (USB) Vehicles (Prof Li-Liang Wang)

The work will involve novel experimentation, theory and computation in differing proportions depending on the project undertaken.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a first-class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined working habits. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential. Training will be provided according to the objectives of the project, which may include in-situ mechanical testing, metal forming techniques, investigative techniques including metallography, electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction, and tomography techniques — as well as theoretical and computational techniques that may include finite element methods, crystal plasticity theory, damage theory, molecular dynamics and advanced multiscale modelling methods. Knowledge and experience in these areas are desirable.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details about these posts or enquiries about suitability, please send enquiries and/or an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Julia Thomas, julia.thomas@imperial.ac.uk, who will coordinate feedback from project PIs. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be assessed by College Registry.

Closing date: until posts filled

Supervisors: Dr Ludovic Renson

Deadline for applying: Until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in Nonlinear Structural Dynamics, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC (Industrial Doctoral Landscape Award (IDLA)). Candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for this award.

The constant drive to improve aero-engine performance leads to lighter, more flexible structures where significant vibrations are increasingly present. Damping is essential to limit vibration amplitudes, but opportunities to introduce damping mechanisms in aero-engines are typically very limited due to their harsh operating conditions. Metal additive manufacturing offers opportunities for creating components with novel internal structures, including cavities filled with unsintered metal powder, to increase the damping ratio and mitigate vibrations significantly.

In this project, you will make constructive use of such powder cavities to mitigate vibrations in aero-engine components. You will develop numerical models that capture the behaviour of the powder and its effect on structural dynamic properties (natural frequencies, damping ratios and mode shapes). Both low- and high-fidelity (particle) models will be developed and validated against experimental data. Ultimately, you will exploit the developed models combined with traditional topology optimisation to design components with optimal internal structures and powder cavity locations, sizes, and orientations.

You will work in the Nonlinear Dynamics and Control Research Group led by Dr Ludovic Renson and in collaboration with other departments at Imperial. You will be part of the Rolls-Royce Vibration University Technology Centre and have the opportunity to interact directly with engineers at Rolls-Royce plc. You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical/aerospace engineering or a related subject, an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, and a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. A general interest in dynamics is essential. Good teamwork, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details on the post contact Dr Ludovic Renson (l.renson@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Renson. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London for their qualifications to be addressed by the College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Tribology and Lubrication, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate). The candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for a home student.

Lubricants are commonly used to ensure energy efficiency and durability of machines, including automotive transmission. Ideally a lubricant film is created between rubbing surfaces, leading to reduction in friction and wear. Since the operating conditions of EV transmission are different from those of internal combustion engine vehicles, lubricants tailored for EV are necessary. One strong contender is ester. Esters are bio-lubricants that can be produced from renewable sources and are environmental friendly. They also provide better energy efficiency due to their low viscosity and better cooling effect with their relatively high thermal conductivity. They are however susceptible to water contaminations and degradation. The impacts of harsh EV operating conditions and water contamination on rheology and lubricant film forming ability of esters are unclear. This experimental project aims to provide fundamental understanding on lubricant film formation mechanisms of esters in rubbing contacts. We will explore how ester molecular structures and water inclusion affect rheology and film formation of ester lubricants. Advanced laser diagnostic characterisation techniques will be used. This will enable design of high performance ester lubricants for EVs.

The project will be hosted by the Tribology Group at Imperial College London, a world renowned tribology group, with a multicultural and multidisciplinary teams of about 60 people. There will also be regular interactions with the industrial sponsor.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/ 

For information on how to apply, go to: http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/ 

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong j.wong@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Wong. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Christos Skamniotis

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a fully funded research studentship in the field of Computational Mechanics of Materials, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the Home student rate) provided by Imperial.

New aerospace and nuclear technologies, i.e., hydrogen jet engines, nuclear fusion/fission reactors, expose materials to extreme thermomechanical loads beyond safety limits. Metal alloys raise great potential for surviving extreme loads but current failure assessment is unreliable due to poor understanding of microstructural deformation-damage mechanisms.

You will develop a MATLAB code to simulate microstructural deformation-damage processes in Nickel alloys subjected to cyclic thermomechanical loading. The code will implement an advanced Discrete Dislocation Plasticity (DDP) approach to capture the interplay of misfit stresses from second-phase particles, stresses from dislocation-particle interactions and external stresses associated with the thermal and mechanical loads encountered in aerospace/nuclear environment. You will address computational bottlenecks that hinder the use of DDP modelling by the wider research community, by improving code efficiency, usability, versatility.

At first, you will familiarise with solid mechanics theory (elasticity/plasticity), metallurgy, dislocation theory. Thereafter, you will grow proficient programming skills (MATLAB/C++) by interacting with a Software Engineering team at Imperial and a post-doctoral Research Associate working on the same subject area. You may also be asked to contribute to complementary projects on DDP modelling within the Mechanics of Materials division in our Department and co-author publications.

The project can play instrumental role in assisting material scientists, engineers and manufacturers rationalise experimental results, explore the alloy parameter space to improve material performance and develop accurate Finite Element models for design and failure assessment.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering/Materials/Physics/Mathematics/Computing. Applicants with strong programming skills are especially encouraged to apply.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Christos Skamniotis christos.skamniotis@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Skamniotis. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Yu Duan, Dr Michael Bluck (Mechanical Engineering)

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a PhD research studentship in the field of Critical Heat Flux Prediction with Adaptive, Data-driven Uncertainty Quantification.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK/EU student rate) provided by the UK EPSRC and Westinghouse (Sweden). Candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award.

Project Overview:
Are you ready to take on a groundbreaking challenge that could revolutionise nuclear reactor safety? This PhD project will push the boundaries of uncertainty quantification (UQ) by developing state-of-the-art methods for predicting critical heat flux (CHF), a critical factor in ensuring nuclear reactor safety. Traditional UQ approaches often rely on overly conservative global uncertainty values, but we’re changing that! By leveraging advanced machine learning (ML) and Bayesian inference, the project will introduce prediction-specific UQ adjustments that adapt based on data density, consistency, and model reliability. This innovative research will lead to more accurate, flexible safety margins in nuclear reactor design and operation, enhancing both efficiency and safety. It’s your opportunity to contribute to safer and more cost-effective nuclear energy for the future!

Key Research Questions:

1. What ML algorithms and models are best suited for quantifying uncertainties based on data availability and model accuracy in CHF predictions?
2. How can this adaptive UQ approach significantly enhance nuclear reactor operational flexibility while reducing unnecessary costs?
3. How can data and models be optimized to target critical operational limits, boosting safety exactly where it’s needed?
4. How can adaptive UQ methods be integrated effectively into licensing and regulatory frameworks to enhance reactor safety?

What You’ll Be Doing:
As a PhD student on this innovative project, you will be at the forefront of nuclear safety research. Your activities will include:

• Conducting a detailed literature review on UQ in nuclear thermal hydraulics and machine learning-based uncertainty quantification.
• Developing cutting-edge methods for estimating uncertainties in CHF predictions using ML, with direct applications in nuclear reactor safety.
• Applying your innovations to nuclear reactor thermal limit calculations, demonstrating the benefits of adaptive UQ for operational flexibility and safety margin optimization.
• Documenting your research and presenting findings at international conferences, as well as publishing in leading journals.

You will receive extensive training, including courses and workshops on machine learning, nuclear systems, and thermal hydraulics. You’ll also be collaborating with global experts in the field, enhancing your academic and professional network while making significant contributions to the nuclear energy sector.

Requirements:
You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment in a PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class or 2:1 honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, with an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, a strong intellect, and disciplined work habits. An interest in fracture mechanics is essential. Good team-working, observational, and communication skills are also necessary.

The position is within the Nuclear Engineering Group of the Mechanical Engineering Department. This PhD is funded by the UKRI/EPSRC and Westinghouse (Sweden).

Find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area:

Department of Mechanical Engineering

More Information on How to Apply:
Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Michael Bluck m.bluck@imperial.ac.uk and  Dr Yu Duan, y.duan@imperial.ac.uk . Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be assessed by College Registry.

Closing Date: Until post filled

Supervisor: Dr  Johannes Köhler

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of control, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering. The position is open to both UK and international students.

This position focuses on fundamental research at the intersection of systems & control, machine learning, and optimization. The project aims to develop new algorithms that leverage experimental data to control complex systems. The focus is on developing new methods that have strong theoretical properties. These algorithms are expected to support control in emerging engineering applications and ensure efficient and safe operation. Students will jointly develop new algorithms and a corresponding theoretical framework that ensures desired properties (stability, performance, safety). Students will apply their methods on relevant systems, using simulations or experimental setups as appropriate. Students will gain hands-on experience in algorithm design, theoretical analysis of control systems, and implementation, developing expert knowledge in data-driven modelling, optimization, and safe control design. The PhD position is supervised by Dr. Johannes Köhler, is fully funded for up to 3.5 years, providing an excellent environment for research, collaboration, and academic growth within a leading international institution.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. Further requirements:

• Master’s (MSc or MEng), in Mechanical Engineering, Control, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, or a related discipline.
• Strong expertise in at least one of the following is required:
  • data-driven models (machine learning, system identification, or statistical methods),
  • advanced control (predictive control, robust control, or model-based RL).
• Strong commitment to fundamental, curiosity-driven research
• Excellent analytical reasoning, creative problem-solving abilities
• Capacity to work independently and to collaborate on interdisciplinary research
• Strong communication skills
• Proficiency in MATLAB or Python
• An interest in mechanical engineering, medical technologies, or robotic systems is advantageous.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/ 

For further details of the post contact Dr Johannes Köhler j.kohler@imperial.ac.uk.

Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae, a motivation letter, academic transcripts, and the contact details of at least one referee as PDFs to Dr Johannes Köhler. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Christoph Schwingshackl

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of future aeroengine technology, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC, with a generous bursary top-up from industrial funds.  EPSRC candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award. 

The design of efficient and safe next generation gas turbines requires among other things a reliable control of rotor vibrations to prevent a rapid loss of structural integrity during operation. Future engine designs require novel vibration management concepts that can replace conventional rotor damping solutions, such as squeeze film dampers (SFDs). This PhD research aims to deliver such a novel vibration management mechanism that shall be scalable, weight efficient and capable of operating across a wide frequency and load ranges (from normal vibration to extreme fan-blade-off loads) in a safety critical aerospace environment. The aim thereby is to research different potential energy absorption approaches (eg. the use of structural non-linearity, smart materials, topology optimisation, …), evaluate their potential with respect to shaft damping in turbo machinery, provide the physical understanding and numerical tools to analyse, predict, select, optimise and design a novel shaft damping solution, and demonstrate the designs feasibility with a simple proof of concept setup on a laboratory rig. The student will be a member of a Vibration UTC, funded by Rolls-Royce 35 years ago with a long demonstrable history of delivering state of the art research and producing world-class specialists both for industry and academia. The candidate will have the opportunity to an internship at Rolls-Royce during their PhD.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in numerical and experimental dynamic techniques is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about this PhD opportunity, go to:

https://youtu.be/KasvTVxkWPc

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

or https://www.imperial.ac.uk/dynamics/research/structural-dynamics/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Christoph Schwingshackl C.Schwinshackl@imperial.ac.uk.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Schwingshackl.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Christos Skamniotis

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a fully funded studentship for 3.5 years, leading to the award of a PhD degree at Imperial College London. The studentship is aligned to the £9.5m EPSRC Programme Grant ‘Making Hydrogen Work in Zero Carbon Jet Engines’ (link) and welcomes UK and international applicants. The project start date can be up until October 2026 but an immediate start is desirable.

Topic: UK is scaling-up its hydrogen economy to unlock over 12,000 jobs and up to £11b investment, while the European aviation industry has committed to achieving hydrogen fuelled and hybrid-electric propulsion by 2050. We must design new fuel systems, capable of heating-pressurising liquid hydrogen (LH2) from its cryogenic storage conditions (-250 C) to conditions suitable for combustion. Jet engines pose dynamic changes in fuel flow rate and pressure, causing transient thermomechanical stresses and temperatures in metallic components. This increases the likelihood of thermal shock and catastrophic failure, exacerbated by embrittlement processes driven by the rapid diffusion of Hydrogen.

Objectives: You will develop Finite Element (FE) models of thermomechanical stress and cyclic plastic-creep deformation in heat exchangers subjected to transient temperature-pressure histories. You will implement advanced material models for stainless steel (Abaqus UMAT) to devise a robust procedure for predicting thermal fatigue failure. You will contribute to incorporating hydrogen diffusion and convective-conductive heat transfer aspects into the fatigue assessment process by collaborating closely with research groups focused on CFD analysis and Hydrogen embrittlement experiments. You will investigate the effect of heat exchanger geometry and service history on fatigue life. You will become an expert on advanced Finite Element modelling and study rigorously Thermo-elasticity theory and under the direction of Dr Skamniotis and through daily interaction with peers who work on closely related projects. You will attend and present progress at quarterly Programme Grant meetings at Oxford and Imperial.

The project aligns seamlessly with the UK’s mission towards Net Zero and the large investments of world-leading turbine manufacturers on hydrogen technologies. A unique opportunity is presented to contribute to the pressing need for safe and efficient cryogenic hydrogen combustion, storage and supply, in order to phase-out fossil fuels and decarbonise our society.

 Eligibility: You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering/Materials/Physics/Mathematics/Computing. Applicants with strong programming and FE modelling skills are especially encouraged to apply.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Christos Skamniotis christos.skamniotis@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Skamniotis. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Christos Skamniotis

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a fully funded research studentship for 4 years in the fields of Computational Mechanics of Materials and Heat Transfer, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees for home UK students provided by the Ministry of Defence and EPSRC for building the necessary expertise to develop next-generation hypersonic vehicles.

Topic: Achieving hypersonic flight whilst maintaining vehicle control authority requires sharp, non-ablative leading edges. These can only be realised through developing novel thermal protection systems which integrate ultra-high temperature materials with volume-efficient cooling design. Current design is constrained by trade-offs between material compatibility, component manufacturability, thermal and mechanical performance. Such trade-offs are currently poorly understood in the context of extreme service environments and are difficult to investigate experimentally.

Objectives: You will develop a mixed-fidelity approach consisted of analytical, numerical and non-linear Finite Element methods (MATLAB/ABAQUS) to simulate highly coupled, transient heat transfer-stress-creep-plastic deformation phenomena at leading edges of hypersonic vehicles under extreme temperature environment. You will also contribute to the development of efficient reduced-order computer models for a range of hypersonic vehicle components through collaboration with PhD students working on a similar subject internally within our Mechanical Engineering Department and externally within the UK Hypersonics Doctoral Training Network. You will engage in studying advanced Thermo-elasticity theory and acquiring advanced Finite Element modelling and computing skills under the direction of Dr Skamniotis and through daily interaction with peers.

To support your development and future career, you will be involved in mandatory bespoke training activities in the UK Hypersonics Doctoral Training Network, coordinated by the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.

Eligibility: Students recruited must be citizens of one of the “AUKUS” alliance nations (United Kingdom, Australia and the United States of America), and should not have dual nationality with any country on the UK Government’s list of countries subject to trade sanctions, arms embargoes and other trade restrictions (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/current-arms-embargoes-and-other-restrictions )

 You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering/Materials/Physics/Mathematics/Computing. Applicants with strong programming and FE modelling skills are especially encouraged to apply.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Christos Skamniotis christos.skamniotis@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Skamniotis. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Monica Marinescu

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Battery Electrochemistry, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by industrial funding. 

This PhD project will focus on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, with the aim to gain fundamental understanding on how they degrade under both battery energy stationary storage (BESS) and Electric Vehicle (EV) use cases. The increase in use of LFP is due to their lower raw material cost vs Nickel Manganese Cobalt cathodes (NMC) lithium-ion batteries, as well as LFP’s improved aging and safety profile vs NMC. However, LFP does have lower energy density and brings a unique set of challenges vs NMC, specifically around state of health and charge determination, as well as degradation mechanisms. The research will develop physics-based and distributed models able to reproduce the limiting degradation mechanisms of LFP cells and will be supported by extensive tests that will be designed and conducted to target such mechanisms. The PhD candidate will work closely with our industrial partner and to the research group members to answer the research questions, which are centered around creating knowledge to determine the thermal management requirements for optimal performance and aging of LFP batteries.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in batteries and vehicle electrification is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

Although this funding is for UK only, highly competitive out of UK candidates are encouraged to submit their application, with the aim to receive support for funding applications including scholarships.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Monica Marinescu m.marinescu@imperial.ac.uk.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to electrochem.sci.eng.group@imperial.ac.uk. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Tribology and Lubrication, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided EPSRC/Shell IDLA award. EPSRC candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award. 

Lubricants are commonly used to ensure energy efficiency and durability of machines. They contain additives to improve various performance targets. Polymeric additives are most commonly used as viscosity modifiers. Viscosity modifiers allow the use of low viscosity base oils which improve machine efficiency by reducing the power needed to circulate and shear the lubricant. Interestingly, polymeric additives are multifunctional and can potentially be used as friction modifiers. This experimental project aims to provide fundamental understanding on working mechanisms of polymeric friction modifiers. We will explore how polymer friction modifiers interact with rubbing surfaces and their effects of rheology and flow of lubricants. Advanced laser diagnostic characterisation techniques will be used. This will enable design of high performance multifunctional polymeric additives.

The project will be hosted by the Tribology Group at Imperial College London, a world renowned tribology group, with a multicultural and multidisciplinary teams of about 60 people. There will also be regular interactions with the industrial sponsor.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 2:1 honours degree or above in chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong  j.wong@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Wong. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Christoph Schwingshackl

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of clean, safe and competitive future aero engine development, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC, with a generous bursary top-up from industrial funds. EPSRC candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award. 

The research will be conducted within the Vibration University Technology Centre (VUTC), sponsored by Rolls-Royce Plc to facilitate vibration related research. It involves the development and validation of novel nonlinear structural dynamic approaches to predict damping of aero engines components. Non-linear dampers are essential for aero-engine component safety, reliability and performance. Improved, validated non-linear contact prediction will allow the design of more robust, lighter weight components, improving Specific Fuel Consumption, Time on Wing and operational safety. As step changes in technologies and engine usage are made to meet Net Zero targets, the improved non-linear dynamic prediction capability will greatly  enhance modelling techniques de-risking technology developments.

Recent research in the VUTC has shown that the performance of frictional damping, and particularly Under Platform damping in bladed discs in aeroengines, is highly sensitive to the initial loading conditions, potentially limiting, or even negating the advantages of optimised damper designs. This research work will focus on the development of efficient techniques to improve non-linear contact modelling, to include the uncertainties into Under Platform Damper predictions, use these techniques to propose an optimised, more robust damper designs, and validate the new modelling methodology with the help of an existing rotating test bed. The work will be both numerical and experimental, and hence we are looking for a candidate with interest in both areas. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with Rolls-Royce Plc. and offers the opportunity to spend some time in the company for knowledge transfer.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in numerical and experimental nonlinear dynamic techniques is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about this research opportunity go to:

https://youtu.be/MzDXr-Q1VKw

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr C. Schwingshackl c.schwinshackl@imperial.ac.uk.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Schwingshackl.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Giada Risso

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Mechanical Engineering focused on reconfigurable meta-structures, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Imperial College London.

Adaptive and reconfigurable structures offer a powerful route to improving the performance, efficiency, and sustainability of engineered systems. In most current designs, adaptability is achieved through the integration of distributed sensors, actuators, and control units that actively drive structural change in response to external conditions. While effective, these approaches introduce significant complexity, energy consumption, and potential points of failure, often limiting robustness and scalability.

This project explores an alternative paradigm in which adaptability is achieved through the intrinsic mechanical design of the structure itself. By exploiting geometry, materials, and nonlinear mechanical response, architected meta-structures can be designed to exhibit multiple functional states. Here, responsiveness is embedded at the material level by combining passive structural elements with stimuli-responsive materials (such as shape-memory polymers or hydrogels). External stimuli then act directly as control inputs, triggering controlled transitions between global configurations and enabling system-wide changes in stiffness, shape, or load transfer. A central aim of the project is to understand how these collective responses can be programmed through design, tuned through geometry and material choice, and made robust to imperfections, variability, and repeated actuation.

The successful candidate will develop a combined computational and experimental framework for the design and analysis of responsive meta-structures. This will include modeling nonlinear and multistable mechanical behavior, numerical simulation of architected systems, and the fabrication and testing of physical prototypes. The candidate will explore how localized mechanical inputs can activate global reconfiguration. The project will culminate in a proof-of-concept mechanically adaptive component for robotics, demonstrating electronics-free functionality switching.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. Start date: September/October 2026. You will have a 1st class honors degree in engineering, mathematics, physics, material science or a related subject. Prior experience with mechanical instabilities, active materials, finite element modeling, and laboratory testing and manufacturing are helpful but not required. More important is a strong enthusiasm for interdisciplinary research, problem solving, creativity, and a readiness to engage with both theoretical and experimental aspects of the work.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr. Giada Risso (g.risso@imperial.ac.uk). Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae, a motivation letter (max1.5 pages) and one to two reference letters to Dr. Giada Risso. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Prof Yannis Hardalupas

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Thermofluids and Sustainable Marine Transport leading to the award of a PhD degree. The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate), provided by UKRI and Shell International Trading and Shipping Company Ltd. The Department’s entry requirements must be fulfilled for enrolment to this program.

This studentship will explore tactics and technologies to reduce methane emissions from ships using LNG as a fuel. More specifically, the research will identify solutions that reduce or eliminate methane emissions from internal combustion engines with focus on pre-treatment, combustion, additive and after-treatment solutions. The aim is to prove and recommend solutions that contribute to the reduction of methane emissions released from ships using LNG as fuel.

The project will include experiments and modelling. It will include the application of advanced laser diagnostics to study the characteristics of reacting flows that will provide new physical understanding that may lead to the control of ‘methane slip’.

This area is of strategic importance to Shell and has the potential to address the unique challenges associated with the decarbonisation of the energy sector. There will be continuous interaction between the Shell team and the researcher during the PhD study.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 2.1 or a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in Thermofluids and reacting flows is important. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:
http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details contact Prof. Yannis Hardalupas y.hardalupas@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 7057. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Professor Hardalupas. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London for their qualifications to be assessed by College Registry.

Closing date: Until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Min Yu

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of tribology, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London. 

Interfaces between moving surface, covering a vast range of practical applications in industrial and biomedical sectors, are critical in determining efficiency and durability. The research involves design and validation of a novel smart interface. A magnetic field is actively controlled to actuate the rheological / tribological behaviour of magnetorheological fluid between a sliding contact, a non-destructive ultrasonic reflection technique is employed to probe the fluid film thickness, the variation of which is taken into the feedback of the overall closed control loop. This smart interface has a potential in reducing friction and thus energy usage in mechanical transmissions, or enabling intelligent mechatronic systems (e.g., soft robots), where controllable interface friction and fluid film thickness are desired. Also, structural health monitoring can be additional benefit. This project will be mainly experiment oriented, and numerical / analytical modelling will be also promoted.

The PhD will be based in the Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE) Group and the Tribology Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London.  Both are leading research groups in the world, with extensive experimental and numerical research facilities and an international reputation for research excellence. It will be performed in collaboration with other research groups at Imperial College London and other universities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in mechanical engineering, tribology, control, sensing, and signal processing is essential. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential. The studentship will provide the opportunity to become a skilled communicator, comfortable in an international environment at a world-leading institution.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Min Yu m.yu14@imperial.ac.uk +44 (0)20 7594 3840.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Min Yu. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Jun Jiang

Deadline for application: 30/04/2026. Early submission is encouraged.

Funding mechanisms: Fully funded by EPSRC-IDLA with Tata Steel UK or Constellium UK, covering tuition fees at home student level (£5,006 per year), a generous stipend £25,000 per year, and additional travel and consumables support.

Applications are invited for a PhD research studentship, open to UK candidates or extremely strong oversea candidates (e.g. top-ranked in your department with a proven strong publication track record), starting in July 2026. Successful applicants will investigate the relationships between processing, microstructure, and properties of metals through combined macro- and micro-mechanical experimentation and finite-element modelling. Research themes would be flexible including green steel formability under the EPSRC ADAP‑EAF programme for automotive and packaging applications; or micromechanical studies of aluminium precipitate evolution during forming; or development of solid‑state joining techniques for dissimilar lightweight metals.

Prior research experience in materials processing or computational modelling is desirable but not essential; applicants should demonstrate strong academic performance, resilience in the face of research challenges, a proactive attitude to learning and a willingness to grow, and ideally an initial publication record.

Ideal candidates will hold a 1^st-class undergraduate degree or a Distinction in a Materials or Mechanical Engineering master’s programme. They will need to submit a curriculum vitae (including academic transcript and publication list), a cover letter outlining their research interests and preferred project theme, and the names and contact details of two academic referees.

To apply, visit https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/ and select “PhD in Mechanical Engineering – Materials and Manufacturing” before uploading your documents.

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Jun Jiang at jun.jiang@imperial.ac.uk

Further information on research in mechanical engineering at Imperial College London can be found at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/, and details of the EPSRC ADAPT‑EAF Green Steel programme are available at https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/266193/imperial-joins-7m-green-steel-research/

Closing Date: 30 April 2026

Supervisor: Dr Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Sustainable Grease Lubricant, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by  EPSRC/Shell IDLA award. EPSRC candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award. 

Greases are lubricants commonly used in bearings and joints to ensure energy efficiency and durability of machines. Greases are semi-solid consisting of a fibre network (thickener) and a base fluid. The thickener network acts as a sponge holding the base fluid within. During rubbing, the network is perturbed and releases the fluid which can then offer lubrication. The most common grease network is lithium soap based. In light of environmental issues surrounding lithium and lithium mining, a substitute for lithium-based thickener is sorely needed. This experimental project aims to develop sustainable thickeners for grease applications. We will explore both novel materials and also recycled plastics. Advanced characterisation techniques will be used to obtain fundamental understanding on the working mechanisms of these thickeners. This will enable design of sustainable grease whose performance on par or suppress conventional Li-based grease.

The project will be hosted by the Tribology Group at Imperial College London, a world renowned tribology group, with a multicultural and multidisciplinary teams of about 60 people. It will be conducted in collaboration with industries and other universities.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 2:1 honours degree or above in chemistry, chemical and mechanical engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong  j.wong@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Wong. Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors:  Professor Pavlos Aleiferis

Deadline for applying: until post filled

High Efficiency Concepts for Zero-Carbon Hydrogen/Ammonia Engines 

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Thermofluids leading to the award of the PhD degree. The focus will be on developing and understanding new operation concepts for high-efficiency green engines running on zero-carbon fuels like hydrogen and ammonia, using advanced experimental techniques. The post is supported by full bursary and tuition fees at the UK research student rate for ‘Home or Ireland’ students:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/students/fees-and-funding/tuition-fees/postgraduate-tuition-fees/2021-22/postgraduate-research-programmes/faculty-of-engineering/

Please do not make enquiries or apply formally unless you meet the tuition fees criteria.

Project Description
This project will investigate the fundamentals of fluid dynamics, mixture formation and ignition in internal combustion engines running on hydrogen and ammonia fuels using advanced optical diagnostic experimental techniques. Key areas of study will include direct fuel injection and air mixing in a fully optical engine with flexible valvetrain and boosting systems, to investigate advanced ignition and combustion modes aiming for a zero-carbon zero-emission engine. The research methods will give a full picture of in-cylinder effects related to various engine operating regimes.

The Thermofluids Division at Imperial has an internationally leading record in fundamental and applied research into multiphase and reacting flows, established over several decades. You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the Academic requirements for enrolment on the PhD degree at Imperial. You are expected to have a 1st or upper 2nd class honours degree in Mechanical Engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research, together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. A keen interest in experimentation and future high-efficiency zero-carbon engine systems is important. Excellent observational, practical and communication skills are all essential for this post.

To find out more about the Mechanical Engineering Department at Imperial College London, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering

For further details of the post and informal enquiries you may contact Prof. Pavlos Aleiferis:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/p.aleiferis

Suitable candidates will be asked to complete an electronic PhD application form:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

The starting date will be fixed in discussion with the successful candidate, preferably by the first quarter of 2022.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Daniele Dini

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of “Fundamental understanding of water-based lubricants for hydraulic and EV applications”, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The studentship will be based in the Shell-Imperial University Technology Centre (UTC) for Mobility and Lubricants, which is hosted by the Tribology Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. It will be supervised by members of academic staff in the Group including Prof. Daniele Dini, Dr Janet Wong and Prof. Hugh Spikes. The studentship is for 4 years starting in October 2024 and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £24,000. This studentship is funded by an EPSRC Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Technology (CASE) and industrial partner Shell.  The student will be expected to study at a Shell location for a minimum period of at least 3 months during the studentship and will be offered industrial mentoring throughout the project. At Imperial, the student will be a member of a larger community of Shell-funded researchers in the Tribology Group who are working on lubricants and electric vehicle-related projects, which cover both experimental and modelling techniques across the scales. The Tribology Group at Imperial College is a vibrant, world-leading research group with unparalleled experimental and modelling equipment facilities.

The project is concerned with the development of novel water-based lubricants for EVs and environmentally-friendly hydraulics. The aim of this project is to improve our understanding of and ability to design aqueous lubricants based on polymer solutions in water. Although most liquid lubricants are based on organic hydrocarbons and esters, for many years a few have been based on water.  To date these have been used primarily as mining hydraulic fluids (because of their fire resistance) and in metal cutting (due to their superior cooling properties).  However, there is now growing interest in using water-based lubricants in a much wider range of applications, including electric vehicle (EV) transmissions, industrial oils and hydraulics. Their excellent cooling properties are important for EVs, but the main desirable features in other applications are their biodegradability and general green credentials.

The main objectives of this project are to study the fundamental aspects that govern the performance of water-based polymer solutions as lubricants. This will be pursued by looking at novel sustainable formulations of polymers to be used to form separating films with characteristics similar to those achieved with the best performing conventional lubricants.  We will be adopting our modern experimental techniques, which include very high shear rate viscometry, film thickness measurement rigs and conventional rolling-sliding tribometers as well as in-contact fluorescence to explore the in-contact composition of lubricant films and local viscosity and rheological description of the fluids under consideration.  This will be coupled with the use of in-house models that can be employed to explore and predict the behaviour of newly developed fluids in different components and applications of interest to Shell.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, another branch of relevant engineering, Materials, Physics, Chemistry or a related science. We expect you to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in developing new experimental and/or modelling techniques for the discovery of new engineering solutions for the energy transition is essential, as are good team-working, observational and communication skills.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/tribology/

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/tribology/shell-utc/

http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof. Daniele Dini, d.dini@imperial.ac.uk or Dr Janet Wong, j.wong@imperial.ac.uk.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to them.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Daniele Dini

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of “Next Generation Patterned Steel Floors for Best in Class Slip Resistance Performance”, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The studentship will be based in the Tribology and the Metal Forming and Materials Modelling groups in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London. It will be supervised by Prof. Daniele Dini and Professor Jianguo Lin as well as an industrial expert, Dr Bin Xiao from Tata Steel. The studentship is for 4 years starting in October 2024 and will provide full coverage of standard tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of approximately £24,000. This studentship is funded by an EPSRC Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science & Technology (CASE) and industrial partner Tata Steel UK.  The Tribology and the Metal Forming and Materials Modelling groups are vibrant, world-leading research groups with unparalleled experimental and modelling equipment facilities.

It is well known that slips and trips are the most common cause of injuries at work and therefore subject to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consideration. Tata Steel UK is a product leader in the UK market for patterned steel floor plates. The dense pattern of studs on as rolled steel floor plates can provide outstanding slip resistance in both dry and wet conditions at all angles and allows plates/thick strips to be used in any direction. They are typically used in stairways (good bendability), walkways, lifts, platforms and bridges, and offering superior slip resistance. However, the fundamental mechanisms and important factors (stud geometry, roughness, conformance to shoe sole standards,…etc.) determining slip resistance under different conditions are not well understood; lack of fundamental knowledge hinders the development of new disruptive solutions in this space.

The main objectives of this project are to determine and rank important parameters controlling slip resistance of floorplate, as well as generate novel pattern designs with enhanced slip resistance performance. This will be achieved by combining fundamental understanding of tribological interactions and innovative surfaces and materials design and processes. The main outcome of this research programme will be the development of tools and methods for the selection of new geometrical patterns that could be considered for the next generation of patterned steel floor plates. This technology will also be applied to other Tata Steel UK products that require enhance slip &/or wear resistance performance. We will target the development of new geometrical patterns for products for specific applications through the development of advanced physics- and data-driven models, as well as laboratory tests and current industrial standards for validation. This will lead to new design tools and standard of broad applicability.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You should hold or expect to obtain a First-Class Honours or a high 2:1 degree at Master’s level (or equivalent) in Mechanical Engineering, another branch of relevant engineering, Materials, Physics, Chemistry or a related science. We expect you to have an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in developing modelling and simulation methods and the application of machine learning techniques for the discovery of new engineering solutions is essential, as are good team-working, observational and communication skills.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/tribology/

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/metal-forming/

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanicalengineering

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof. Daniele Dini, d.dini@imperial.ac.uk or +44 (0)20 75947242.  Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof. Dini.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisors: Dr Alina-Irina Serban and Ravi Vaidyanathan

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a fully funded research studentship in the field of Mechatronics, Digital Health, and AI/Sensor Fusion within the Biomechatronics Laboratory at Imperial College London, leading to the award of a PhD degree. The research will be co-hosted in the Imperial College Vehicle Futures Hub.

This is a novel project which aims to create systems that enable health biomarking through novel AI diagnostics and data collection in sensor-rich environments of automobiles. As part of our team we will develop a pipeline for invisible health monitoring in anyone stepping into a vehicle. This project will explore the use of in-vehicle sensing to monitor healthy living with a focus on:

• Designing and testing sensor set-up in a vehicle living lab
• Data collection and analysis using machine learning techniques
• Developing algorithms for healthcare applications

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a strong degree in engineering or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in some combination of signal processing, machine learning, NLP, speech recognition and affective robotics is essential. Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential. Successful candidates will be expected to support the development of the vehicle living lab and will be expected to travel when necessary to conduct the research and data collection.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Alina-Irina Serban alina-.serban18@imperial.ac.uk, or  Prof Ravi Vaidyanathan r.vaidyanathan@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Dr Janet Wong

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of Tribology and Lubrication, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC/Shell IDLA award. EPSRC candidates should fulfil the eligibility criteria for the award. 

Lubrication is crucial for the efficiency, durability and reliability of machines. We must however ensure responsible use of lubricants by minimising its impact to the environment. This experimental project is centered around the development of novel water-based lubricants for EVs and environmentally-friendly hydraulics. The aim of this project is to improve the understanding and the ability of designing aqueous lubricants based on polymer solutions in water. The main objectives are to study the fundamental aspects that govern the performance of water-based polymer solutions as lubricants. This will be pursued by looking at novel sustainable formulations of polymers to form separating films with characteristics similar to those achieved with the best performing conventional lubricants. We will be adopting our modern experimental techniques, which include very high shear rate viscometry, film thickness measurement rigs and conventional rolling-sliding tribometers as well as in-contact fluorescence to explore the in-contact composition of lubricant films and local viscosity and rheological description of the fluids under consideration. This will be coupled with the use of in-house models that can be employed to explore and predict the behaviour of newly developed fluids in different components and applications of interest to Shell.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 2:1 honours degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, materials, physics or a related subject, and an enquiring and rigorous approach to research together with a strong intellect and disciplined work habits. An interest in experimental research is essential.  Good team-working, observational and communication skills are essential.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Dr Janet Wong  j.wong@imperial.ac.uk. Interested applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Dr Wong.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

Supervisor: Aimee Morgans

Deadline for applying: until post filled

Applications are invited for a research studentship in the field of fluid dynamics, leading to the award of a PhD degree.  The post is supported by a bursary and fees (at the UK student rate) provided by the EPSRC through an iCASE studentship with Siemens Energy. Candidates must demonstrate relevant connection with the UK, usually established by residence, as is standard for EPSRC funding. 

Thermoacoustic instability is caused by a two-way coupling between acoustics waves and unsteady combustion. It can occur in the combustors of gas turbines and leads to damaging high amplitude oscillations. The need to decarbonize energy generation is driving the transition to hydrogen as a fuel. However, hydrogen enrichment increases propensity to thermoacoustic instability. In order to design-out thermoacoustic instability, accurate and efficient methods for its computational prediction are needed. Multi-scale computations, which couple different treatments for the acoustic waves and the flame, are particularly efficient. The acoustic waves are captured using linear, wave-based models, while the flame unsteadiness is obtained using computational fluid dynamics in the form of large eddy simulations (LES). These coupled approaches have been applied with success to predict thermoacoustic instability in real combustors, but not as yet for hydrogen-rich combustors.

This PhD will work towards this in two key ways. Firstly, to deal with hydrogen’s vastly different properties – its fast flame speed, low density, high diffusivity etc - compared to traditional fuels, the best flame simulation tools for thermoacoustic predictions will be investigated. Secondly, for the largest, most efficient gas turbines, combustion occurs in separate but linked “cans”. New acoustic models will be developed for multiple cans interacting at their downstream end.

The project will combine mathematical modelling and flow simulations for hydrogen combustion, the latter using the OpenFOAM CFD package. Machine learning will be used to model the effect of hydrogen enrichment on the flame. The project will work towards fully computational prediction of thermoacoustic instability in an experimental hydrogen-rich lab combustor (at a collaborator’s lab) which can operate in single-can, two-can and three-can modes.

You will be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who meets the academic requirements for enrolment for the PhD degree at Imperial College London. You will have a 1st class honours degree in mechanical engineering or related subject and demonstrate excellent project-work and communication skills. You will be interested in fluid dynamics, acoustics and computational fluid dynamics. You will join a supportive and inclusive research group and benefit from co-supervision with the Siemens Energy partner.

To find out more about research at Imperial College London in this area, go to:

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/research/

For information on how to apply, go to:

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/mechanical-engineering/study/phd/how-to-apply/

For further details of the post contact Prof Aimee Morgans, a.morgans@imperial.ac.uk. Interested and eligible applicants should send an up-to-date curriculum vitae to Prof Morgans.  Suitable candidates will be required to complete an electronic application form at Imperial College London in order for their qualifications to be addressed by College Registry.

Closing date: until post filled

The following research groups have flexible funding, which may enable them to provide funding for outstanding PhD students at any time. Please visit the group websites for more information and to get in touch with a member of the group:

• Non-Destructive Evaluation Group
• Metal Forming and Materials Modelling Group

You may wish to explore the opportunities offered by the following Centres for Doctoral Training:

• CDT in Fluid Dynamics across Scales 
• CDT in Nuclear Energy 
• CDT in Theory and Simulation of Materials 
• CDT in Quantitative Non-destructive Evaluation

You may wish to explore the opportunities offered by the SKF University Technology Centre in Advanced Modelling and Measurements in Tribology