University of Sheffield Aerospace Engineering PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Optimal Control of Dynamical Systems with Hysteresis

Hysteresis describes the phenomenon in which the value of a physical property lags behind changes in the effect causing it. Hysteresis loops arise in many engineering fields and pose interesting challenges to the control of the underlying systems. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Optimal Control of Next Generation Aircraft

Green aviation and Net-zero targets call for significant reductions in the use of conventional fossil fuel as the energy source for aviation activities. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Nonlinear Model Predictive Control

Optimization-based control explores the use of optimization algorithms for feedback control of dynamical systems. For example, model predictive control (MPC) is a widely used optimization-based control method, allowing systematic and optimal handling of constraints, nonlinearities and uncertainties. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Efficient and Reliable Numerical Solution of Dynamic Optimization

Dynamic optimization is integral to many aspects of science and engineering, commonly found in trajectory optimization, optimal control (e.g. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Application of predictive control to fast systems

Predictive control is relatively unwieldy and therefore does not lend itself to applications requiring fast sample rates. However many recent developments have looked at how the algorithm can be implemented both more efficiently in time and with relatively simple coding requirements. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Predictive control of non-linear and/or robust systems

Predictive control is by now a well established methodology whereby one bases the design of the control law on the optimisation of system predictions. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Multi-rate and/or non square systems and/or decentralised control

In many chemical processes there are limitations on the sampling rates and the number of inputs and outputs may not match. This affects the structure of the control law as one ends up with a so called multi-rate or non-square system , for which conventional control design is not applicable. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Identification and classification of coherent flow structures in the plasma of the Sun’s photosphere

The Sun is a star with a cyclic magnetic activity that can impact all the solar system. Thus, the solar magnetic field can interact with the Earth's magnetic field, permitting the entrance of energetic particles in the upper atmosphere, affecting technological devices, telecommunications and human health. Read more

Supervisor: Prof V Fedun

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only

University of Sheffield Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Computational efficiency in predictive control

Predictive control requires the online solution of an optimisation problem which carries both a large online computation as well as the overhead of substantial code. Read more

Year round applications PhD Research Project Self-Funded PhD Students Only