Applications are invited for a Ph.D. studentship in the Departments of Aeronautics. The research project will be supervised by Dr V.L. Tagarielli and Prof F. Montomoli and it will involve collaboration with Baker Hughes (Florence, Italy) and the Brahmal Vasudevan Institute for Sustainable Aviation.
The project’s objective is to develop computational methods to simulate the coupled fluid-structure response in accidental explosive events. Simulations will capture the turbulent combustion of flammable mixtures in air, the possible transition from deflagration to detonation, impact events, and the non-linear deformation response of the surrounding structural elements. Existing and new machine learning algorithms will be applied to this problem, with the objective of reducing computational costs, enabling realistic simulations of the large and geometrically complex domains typically encountered in industrial operations. We envisage to couple CFD simulations in OpenFOAM with FEM analyses in Abaqus or similar software.
The ideal applicant is a fresh graduate in engineering or in a closely related discipline, with a track record of achievements at the top of their cohorts. Academic excellence will be the primary selection criterion. However, experience with theoretical and computational fluid or structural mechanics, numerical methods, computing and machine learning will be advantageous. The project might include a small experimental component and might result in commercial exploitation of the software developed.
The position needs to be filled as soon as possible. New applications will be collected until the 31st of January 2025, or until a suitable pool of candidates is identified; it is therefore important to apply as soon as possible. Interested applicants are invited to send a preliminary application via e-mail to v.tagarielli [at] imperial.ac.uk (v[dot]tagarielli[at]imperial[dot]ac[dot]uk), highlighting how they meet the selection criteria and including a CV, university transcripts (or a list of modules taken and corresponding grades) and, optionally, a piece of written work (for example a previous project report). Shortlisted candidates will be invited to participate in a remote, day-long assessment involving the completion of a research assignment. The assessment will be followed by a final interview with the project supervisors. Previous applicants do not need to reapply.
The position is open to applicants of any nationality and covers all tuition fees and an annual maintenance stipend at the UK EPSRC standard rate (currently £20,622 tax-free). The project/maintenance duration is of 3.5 years. Imperial College is committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are an Athena Silver SWAN Award winner and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.