2 x funded 4-year PhD studentships: Simultaneous stabilization and wave energy harvesting for a floating offshore wind/wave platform

€18,500 stipend p.a. (tax free) + fees + research expenses

The Centre for Ocean Energy Research (COER) at Maynooth University, Ireland has further opportunities for two well-qualified applicants interested in PhD level research on a prestigious, new Science Foundation Ireland ocean energy project:

Simultaneous stabilization and wave energy harvesting for a floating offshore wind/wave platform

Applicants should be well qualified to bachelors or master’s degree level in one of the following areas: electrical/electronic/control engineering, mechanical, naval architecture, or hydrodynamics, physics, mathematics, mathematical modelling or computer programming (more details below). The project will be supervised by Dr. Erivelton Nepomuceno ([Email Address Removed]).

The project is described in more detail below:

This project proposes the revolutionary new design of active stability-controlled hybrid wind/wave energy device platforms, which are significantly smaller in size (capital cost reduction), led by simultaneous stabilization (reducing wind turbine loading) and wave energy harvesting. Project objectives include:

• The development of a control-oriented mathematical model to capture the essence of the hybrid platform (including essential nonlinearities).
• A suitable integrative design framework, such as control co-design, to explore a range of interventions for altering the dynamics of hybrid wind/wave platforms.

The project team is composed of leading academic and industry collaborators; namely:  Prof Giovanni Bracco, Polytechnic University of Turin, Italy and Dr Sarah Thomas, Head of Technology at Floating Power Plant A/S, Denmark. The PI will be mentored by Prof John Ringwood (Director of COER/Maynooth) and worldwide leader on wave energy.

This project is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and the successful candidate will join a dynamic group of around 20 postdoctoral, PhD and other researchers in COER, who work on the development of wave energy technology, with projects funded from various national and international sources. COER has a wide range of eminent industrial and academic collaborators.

Requirements:

PhD candidates should be well-qualified academically to bachelors (preferably H1) or master’s level. The project will require a mix of skills, detailed below. Candidates must have excellent written and oral communication skills and programming ability.

PhD candidate 1 – Control oriented mathematical model development. The ideal candidate will be a graduate in physics, mathematics, or engineering with a strong background in control, mathematical modelling and computer programming. They will focus on the modelling side of the project.

PhD candidate 2 – Control strategy. The ideal candidate will be a graduate in mechanical, electrical/electronic/control engineering, naval architecture, or hydrodynamics. Ideally will possess a masters’ degree with knowledge in renewable energy. Strong mathematical and programming skills needed. They will focus on the control theme of the project.

For further information contact Carrie Anne; [Email Address Removed]

For more information about COER, see our website and this video.

Successful candidates will be expected to start in March 2023.