Research Studentship in Large Wind Farms Aerodynamics

Research Studentship in Large Wind Farms Aerodynamics

4-year D.Phil. (PhD) studentship starting October 2023

Project: Large Wind Farms Aerodynamics

Supervisor: Dr Christopher Vogel

Offshore wind energy is becoming an increasingly important part of the UK’s energy mix thanks to a steady reduction in cost of energy, and ambitious targets have been set for the deployment of offshore wind turbines to meet net-zero targets by 2050. The growing size of turbines, coupled with the large numbers being deployed in farms and the additional complexity of floating turbines mean that the interactions occurring between turbines, farms, and the offshore resource are increasingly important in evaluating energy yield and turbine loads. This studentship will use Computational Fluids Dynamics modelling to understand the aerodynamic interactions between turbines, farms and the atmosphere and how the effects of these interactions can be incorporated into engineering design tools.

Suitable applicants could come from a range of backgrounds (e.g. engineering, physics, applied mathematics) provided that they have interests in numerical methods, fluid mechanics and offshore renewable energy.

The successful applicant will be a member of the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Wind and Marine Energy Systems and Structures (WAMESS CDT), which is a collaboration between the Universities of Strathclyde, Oxford and Edinburgh. Further details of the WAMESS CDT programme can be found on the course page on the University’s graduate admissions website. The CDT is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and is keen to attract applicants from a wide variety of backgrounds.

You will also be a member of the Environmental Fluid Mechanics group and will work as part of a team of fluid dynamicists with diverse interests spanning renewable energy and offshore fluid mechanics. Further information on the group can be found at https://eng.ox.ac.uk/efm/

Eligibility

This studentship is funded by the WAMESS CDT and is open to both UK and international applicants, although fees will only be covered at the Home rate. For an outstanding international applicant it may be possible to have Overseas fees discounted to Home level, but there is extremely limited flexibility for this. Further details about fee status can be found here under the “Fee Status” tab.

Candidate Requirements

Prospective candidates will be judged according to how well they meet the following criteria:

·        A first class honours, or strong upper second class degree in Engineering, Physics, Applied Mathematics or a related field,

·        Strong understanding of fluid dynamics,

·        Ability to undertake scientific programming in Matlab, Python, Fortran, C/C++, etc,

·        Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English.

The following skills are desirable but not essential:

·        Experience in computational fluid dynamics

Application Procedure

Informal enquiries are encouraged and should be addressed to Dr Christopher Vogel ([Email Address Removed]).

Formal applications should be made using the online Graduate Application Form that is accessible through the WAMESS CDT course page (click the “Apply” button on the “How to Apply” tab).

When filling out the fields of the Graduate Application Form, please observe the following guidance.

On the “Course” tab:

·        Proposed field and title of research project: Large Wind Farm Aerodynamics

On the “Funding” tab:

·        Are you applying for an advertised studentship competition(s): Yes

·        Advertised reference code: 23ENGCI_CV

Application deadline: noon on 9^th December 2022.

Start date: 25^th September 2023