Practical Experimentation on the Deployment of Solar Roads

Asphalt is the surfacing material for over 95% of all UK roads and footpaths, playgrounds, cycleways, and car parks. A solar roadway is any road with some solar panel technology attached to its surface, thus generating electricity while supporting the cars and trucks (Electric Vehicles) that drive on it. While an exciting and innovative way to create solar power, solar roadways are far from being a practical, cost-effective energy production method. Therefore, in this project, we plan to investigate, practically perform, and realistically develop the first "York Solar Road". 

You will be required to test various solar cell technologies in the solar road and study their degradation, durability, safety, and reliability mechanism. In addition, it is a requirement to apply different machine learning models to learn, identify patterns, and make suitable decisions on fault classification and detection associated with the developed technology.

For more information about the PhD project, please contact Dr Mahmoud Dhimish: [Email Address Removed]

Academic entry requirements:

Candidates must have (or expect to obtain) a minimum of a UK upper second-class honours degree (2.1) in an Engineering discipline (Electronics, Electrical, or Energy), Physics, or in a related subject.

Candidates with prior knowledge or experience in handling any techniques such as photovoltaics (PV) characterisation, power electronics device fabrication, PCB design, LabVIEW, or MATLAB will be desirable, although it is not an essential requirement.

How to Apply:

Applicants must apply via the University’s online application system at https://www.york.ac.uk/study/postgraduate-research/apply/. Please read the application guidance first so that you understand the various steps in the application process. To apply, please select the PhD in Electronic Engineering for October 2022 entry. Please specify in your PhD application that you would like to be considered for this studentship.

Applications for this studentship will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis and the position will be filled as soon as a suitable applicant is identified.