Hydrogen Storage in Porous Materials for Energy Applications

An opportunity is available in the Mays Research Group in the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Bath, UK, for a full-time, PhD project (between three and four years duration) in the area of hydrogen storage in porous materials for sustainable energy applications. These applications include fuel-cell vehicles and storage of intermittent renewable electricity. Projects cover experimental, theoretical and computational aspects leading to improved storage designs. The project will link with the multi-disciplinary EPSRC SUPERGEN Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research Hub (http://www.h2fcsupergen.com/) of which Mays is a Co-director, and also with two associated challenge projects. There will be significant opportunities to network with the Hub’s academic and industrial partners in the UK and internationally. The project aligns with the Department’s Centre for Advanced Separation Engineering, where there will be further support and networking opportunities. The University provides an established skills development programme for PhD students.

Please contact Tim Mays for further information (Email: [Email Address Removed], Tel: +44 1225 386528). The following papers will be useful as background reading:

1. V P Ting, et al. Direct evidence for solid-like hydrogen in a nanoporous carbon hydrogen storage material at supercritical temperatures. ACS Nano 9, 8249-8254 (2015).
2. C Stockford, et al. H2FC SUPERGEN: An overview of hydrogen and fuel cell research across the UK. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy 40, 5534-5543 (2015).
3. N Bimbo, et al. Analysis of hydrogen storage in nanoporous materials for low carbon energy applications. Faraday Discussions 151, 59-74 (2011).

Applicants should have at least a II.i masters level undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science or a closely-related discipline and, for applicants whose first language is not English, an appropriate lELTS qualification. Government, scholarship and other funded applications are particularly welcome. Applicants are not expected to be self-funded.

The Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Bath is currently ranked third of 26 university departments in this subject in the UK (2016 Complete University Guide).