The University of Bath Institute for Sustainability and the UK Atomic Energy Authority are inviting applications for the following funded PhD project commencing in October 2023.
Nuclear fusion promises to deliver clean zero carbon electrical power while being safer than nuclear fission and producing less nuclear waste. Plasma and fusion technology has made great strides forward in recent years, Iter construction continues and new commercial demonstration reactor called STEP has recently started. However, the conversion of deuterium and tritium is not expected to improve much beyond the present 2% and this means that efficient and reliable isotope separation systems will be needed for separation, purification and recycle of the gas mixture after the reactor. Cryogenic distillation is a well-established technique for separation of isotopes but there are many challenges to be overcome in order to design the future systems. The transport properties of liquid hydrogen isotopologues (H2, HD, HT, D2, DT & T2) is not well understood and prediction of vital distillation performance parameters such as flooding point, liquid holdup and minimum wetting rate is uncertain. Conventional methods for prediction are empirical correlations are only proven for more conventional fluids and it is not clear how well they apply to hydrogen systems.
In this project you will use fluid mechanics based approaches to improve these empirical predictions. You will work closely with tritium scientists and distillation operators at JET and use real plant data in order to further improve the predictions. Recent data is available from JET which you will use to tune simulations in AspenPlus and then you will put it all together to propose distillation systems suitable for future large scale reactors. The outcome of this project will be improved prediction of distillation performance, tuned models of the existing distillation processes and new design proposals for the future isotope separation system for a commercial scale nuclear fusion reactor.
Subject to the signing of a contractual agreement, the project will be co-supervised by researchers at the UK Atomic Energy Authority located in Culham, Oxfordshire and there will be many opportunities to visit and work at the site.
Project keywords: applied chemistry, chemical engineering, fluid mechanics, systems engineering, nuclear physics
Candidate Requirements:
Applicants should hold, or expect to receive, a First Class or good Upper Second Class Honours degree (or the equivalent). A master’s level qualification would also be advantageous. The project would be suitable for recent graduates and also to scientists and engineers in industry looking for a new challenge or a change in career direction.
Non-UK applicants must meet our English language entry requirement.
Enquiries and Applications:
Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Alfred Hill, [Email Address Removed]
Formal applications should be made via the University of Bath’s online application form for a PhD in Chemical Engineering.
More information about applying for a PhD at Bath may be found on our website.
Funding Eligibility:
To be eligible for funding, you must qualify as a Home student. The eligibility criteria for Home fee status are detailed and too complex to be summarised here in full; however, as a general guide, the following applicants will normally qualify subject to meeting residency requirements: UK nationals (living in the UK or EEA/Switzerland), Irish nationals (living in the UK or EEA/Switzerland), those with Indefinite Leave to Remain and EU nationals with pre-settled or settled status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme). This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Additional information may be found on our fee status guidance webpage, on the GOV.UK website and on the UKCISA website.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups.
If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.
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