Aircraft systems and Icing protection - improving the understanding of ice adhesion and shedding on state of the art and novel materials

Applications are invited for a PhD in the Centre for Propulsion Engineering, Cranfield University, in the field of aircraft icing and material science. The topic of the study is to improve the understanding of the ice adhesion and shedding on state of the art and novel materials.

Icing in aircraft is an important factor to safety, and thus requires to be carefully considered at the design stage. This project relates to the potential improvement of an air-cycle machine (ACM) already installed in the aircraft fleet. The industrial goal is to reduce the power cost of anti-icing/de-icing of the ACM while maintaining the reliability and safely level. This ACM presents many challenges with respect to the icing issue:

- Recreate representative icing conditions within the ACM machines
- Develop means of testing
- Understanding ice adhesion characteristics on metallic and polymeric surfaces

The applicant will have access to icing wing tunnel facilities to perform experiments and will be key to achieve the industrial goals.

Applicants should have a first-class or upper second-class degree in engineering or a related area. A material science background would be a distinct advantage as would experience of conducting experiment in a laboratory environment as well as mechanical knowledge. The candidate should be self-motivated, have good communication skills for regular interaction with other stakeholders, with an interest for industrial research.