Prof M Rivas Casado, Prof P Leinster, Dr T Waine
Applications accepted all year round
Funded PhD Project (European/UK Students Only)
About the Project
Start Date: Sept 2017
Duration of award: 3.5years
Ref: CRAN1196
Sponsored by EDF Energy and EPSRC, this studentship will provide a bursary of up to £18,500 p.a. (tax free) plus fees* for three and a half years. There is also £15k+ of investment on consumables/training.
This project concerns the use of recent advances in drone technology and algorithms for automated feature recognition to enable early detection of severe blooms of jellyfish and seaweed before they arrive at the cooling water intakes of critical coastal infrastructure such as power stations. It builds upon recent work in the Institute for Resilient Futures at Cranfield University concerned with automated habitat feature identification from high resolution UAV aerial imagery and UAV based catastrophe mapping and assessment.
Jellyfish and seaweed cause severe damage to coastal nuclear power stations. Filters which are designed to prevent seaweed and marine fauna entering the cooling systems are regularly blocked by large numbers of jellyfish. Safety regulations require the nuclear reactors to shut down suddenly when blooms occur, resulting in significant losses to the energy sector. The objectives of the project are to:
1. Develop a set of algorithms for the automated detection of jellyfish and seaweed blooms from high resolution aerial imagery captured with drones.
2. To collate this detection capability with complementary data sets (e.g., satellite) to advance bloom behaviour understanding.
3. Extend work from the previous two objectives to develop a drone based framework for early detection of jellyfish and seaweed blooms near nuclear power plants.
Outcomes from this project will contribute to EDF Energy financial planning through the adjustment to electricity prices once the operational monitoring framework and associated warning systems become operational. The research will empower EDF Energy to continue providing services to the public with reduced outages.
The student will be based at Cranfield University (Institute for Resilient Futures) with short stays at EDF Energy when required. The student will have the opportunity to attend a range of specialised courses offered as part of the MSc programmes at Cranfield University. This includes for example, courses on remote sensing, UAV technology, energy and marine ecosystems. The student will be inducted into the theme doctoral training centres offering a range of cohort centric training and development for students across a wide range of engineering and environmental disciplines. The student will work in close collaboration with EDF Energy.
Applications welcome, start date ASAP.
Entry requirements:
Applicants should have a first or second class UK honours degree or equivalent in a related discipline, such as geography, environmental sciences, engineering, or computer science. The ideal candidate should have some understanding in the area of environmental processes, remote sensing, programming, and/or numerical modelling. The candidate should be self-motivated, have good communication skills for regular interaction with other stakeholders, with an interest for industrial research.
How to apply:
For further information please contact: Dr. Monica Rivas Casado, E: [Email Address Removed]; T: (0) 1234 750111 Ext: 2706
If you are eligible to apply for this research studentship, please complete the online application form
For further information contact us today:
School of Water, Energy and Environment
T: 44 (0)1234 758082
E: [Email Address Removed]
Funding Notes
* Applicants must be a UK national. Under no restrictions regarding how long they can stay in the UK i.e. have no visa restrictions or applicant has “settled status” and has been “ordinarily resident” in the UK for 3 years prior to start of studies and has not been residing in the UK wholly or mainly for the purpose of full-time education. (This does not apply to UK or EU nationals). Due to funding restrictions all EU nationals are eligible to receive a fees-only award if they do not have “settled status” in the UK.