Project Rationale and Description
Transportation is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and other harmful emissions such as nitrogen oxides. The rate of production of these gases is not only linked to the total distances travelled by vehicles but also other factors such as vehicle speeds, road gradients, congestion, acceleration and deceleration, empty kilometres, fleet vehicle mixes and many more [1].
Artificial intelligence algorithms are increasingly used to design routes, select fleet mixes and model networks but they traditionally focus on maximising efficiencies and minimising costs. An emerging direction is to also consider environmental impact, greener solutions and their benefits to organisations and society [2,3,4,5].
This PhD project is an exciting opportunity to develop solutions, which will not only have a direct beneficial impact on the environment and society but also offer significant commercial advantages for transportation, logistics and marketing operations.
This PhD project will focus on two emerging challenges. Firstly, congestion data and road gradients are now readily available, but it is not being fully utilised in vehicle fleet routing [6]. New optimisation models and algorithms which incorporate all details of the road networks and the types of vehicles are needed. This includes multiple objective models to better visualise the conflicts between various objectives. Secondly, as fleets transform to electric and other alternatively powered vehicles, new research questions have appeared. The project will research and develop solutions to 1) Identify optimal fleet mixes to fulfil an organisation’s operations whilst minimising excess capacity and costs. 2) Optimise fleet route plans and schedules for electric and next generation vehicles which have limited range, fewer re-charging locations and longer re-charging times. 3) Design more efficient networks which locate hubs, depots and re-charging points to maximise the efficacy of electric fleets.
Eligibility and How to Apply:
Please note eligibility requirement:
- Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
- Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
- Applicants cannot apply for this funding if currently engaged in Doctoral study at Northumbria or elsewhere.
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please note: Applications that do not include a research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), or that do not include the advert reference (e.g. RDF21/BL/MOS/QU) will not be considered.
Deadline for applications: 29 January 2021
Start Date: 1 October 2021
Northumbria University takes pride in, and values, the quality and diversity of our staff. We welcome applications from all members of the community.
For informal enquiries, please contact Dr Yi Qu ([Email Address Removed])
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