This fully funded PhD project is an exciting opportunity to make a contribution to the realisation of nuclear fusion.
Brazing and welding are two promising approaches to join dissimilar metals for manufacturing engineering components. Residual stress is a side effect inherited from joining processes and can limit the service life of the components. The design of the next fusion device, which follows the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), aims to focus on the engineering and materials aspects of fusion. To complete code and standard design of the next fusion reactor by around 2030, the problems and options related to the integration of advanced materials, joining technique and structural integrity assessment need to be investigated. Therefore, it is timely to apply newly emerged state-of-the-art techniques to examine the critical structural and mechanical behaviour of Tungsten (W) and copper-chromium-zirconium (CuCrZr) brazed joints. The outcome of this project will provide a significant contribution to the design and structural integrity assessment of the next fusion power plant.
This interdisciplinary PhD project allows close collaboration between the Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences (MES) at Surrey and Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE), United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) to create new knowledge and address challenging problems for fusion materials, using complementary world-leading facilities. The successful candidate will engage in the microstructure characterisation and micromechanical evaluation activities, using advanced experimental mechanical microscopy, such as in situ and in-SEM nanoindentation and Xe+ plasma focused ion beam-digital image correlation (PFIB-DIC) techniques available at the Department of Mechanical Engineering Sciences at the University of Surrey and multi-scale mechanical testing at CCFE/UKAEA. The proposed project provides a significant contribution to the ultimate objective of performing structural integrity assessment of the DEMO fusion power plant with improved accuracy and efficiency.
The first supervisor, Dr Tan Sui, has the expertise involving micromechanics and micron-scale residual stress evaluation using mechanical microscopy including synchrotron X-ray, focused ion beam (FIB) and digital image correlation (DIC) and in situ nanoindentation techniques.
The second supervisor, Dr Mark Whiting, has the expertise in metallurgy as well as advanced characterisations using SEM, TEM and EBSD techniques.
The industrial supervisor, Dr Yiqiang Wang has extensive knowledge on the structural integrity assessment of fusion power plants and neutron-based imaging and diffraction techniques at large facilities.
This is a 3.5 year project starting in July 2021.
Entry requirements
Applicants should have (or expect to obtain by the start date) at least an Upper Second Bachelor’s degree, and preferably a Master’s degree, in an appropriate discipline (e.g. engineering, material sciences, physics, chemistry or a related subject).
English language requirements: IELTS Academic 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.
How to apply
Applications should be submitted via the Engineering Materials PhD programme page on the "Apply" tab.
Please state clearly the studentship project at you would like to apply for.
Application enquiries are recommended prior to submission and can be directly made to Dr Tan Sui ([Email Address Removed]) or Dr Mark Whiting ([Email Address Removed]).
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