Fully Funded M2A EngD Scholarship: Optimisation of Thermally Driven Building Cooling Systems- building integration of solar thermal conditioning

Start date: October 2019

Supervisor: Dr E Jewell and Dr R Edwards

Sponsoring company: Solar Polar

Air conditioning is one of the fastest growing consumer product markets in the world. This is due to a combination of growing wealth in sun belt countries, increased incidence of record high temperatures in both sun belt and higher latitude and reduction in unit costs.

This has the effect that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide are being frustrated, and in places, reversed by this market trend. In addition, many of the hottest areas have no mains electricity or intermittent supply.

Solar air conditioning is the obvious answer, as no external electricity need be provided. However, photovoltaic panels remain low efficiency although they are showing price reductions year on year. This means that to achieve the cooling power needed in places, a panel area to be greater than that available.

Solar Polar Ltd, has developed a thermal solar cooling system for food storage and vaccine refrigeration that uses thermal solar heat exclusively. Solar collectors are many more times efficient at collecting solar energy and thus the collector area is reduced. There is a clear advantage over photovoltaics and mains power in terms of required area and product cost.

Solar thermal conditioning is the next biggest target market with an opportunity to provide zero carbon cooling for between 1 and 2 billion people.

One of the biggest tests to this next move is the building integration of the technology. How it fits within new designs of zero or negative carbon housing and even more challenging, how it might retrofit to existing housing stock. Linked to that is a route to market strategy for the business.

The Research Engineer will:

- Understand the challenges for building integration of the system.
- Devise a range of possible solutions.
- Develop possible solutions at product demonstration scale.
- Develop a route to market strategy.

Eligibility
We welcome applications from candidates with an Engineering or Physical Science degree (minimum level 2:1), or a combination of degree and equivalent relevant experience to the same level, to join the M2A community of research engineers.

Please visit our website for more information on eligibility.