Postdoctoral, PhD and Project Opportunities

Research Associates

SUPERGEN Hydrogen as an Energy Vector: Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen

We are pleased to invite applications for a four-year Research Associate position, fully funded by EPSRC

The Research Associate will be working as part of a large consortium of 14 university research groups on the Delivery of Sustainable Hydrogen, a project under EPSRC's Sustainable Power Generation and Supply (SUPERGEN) initiative exploring hydrogen as an energy vector. The hydrogen economy needs large volumes of hydrogen to be produced with a much lower carbon footprint than conventional steam methane reforming (SMR). This programme primarily focuses on lower cost and improved efficiency advanced catalytic and electrocatalytic processes, and aims to deliver sustainable, clean, low-cost hydrogen in a scaleable process using new membrane-based technologies. Our role in the programme is to research liquefaction, storage and combustion technologies, complementing the multi-chemical hydrogen production techniques developed by the other consortium partners to enable the use of hydrogen as an energy vector.

This project, to be conducted in the University of Cambridge, involves the development and assessment of devices for the liquefaction of hydrogen, hydrogen storage, and thermo-acoustic combustion. The ideal candidate will therefore have experience with the design and operation of cryogenic systems and hydrogen combustion processes. Applicants with a background in engineering or physics are welcome.

Funding and salary

This project is fully funded by EPSRC. Candidates with a Ph.D. will be appointed on grade 7 on the university's salary scale.

Start date

The project begins on 1 October 2008 and runs for 48 months. Applications are welcome immediately.

Eligibility

UK, EU and international graduates with a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in a relevant subject are invited to apply.

Application procedure

Please contact Dr Bartek Glowacki for more details.

EFECTS: Ink-jet Printing for Electro-Ceramic Applications

We are pleased to invite applications for a three-year Research Associate position, fully funded by EU FP7

EFECTS (Efficient Environmentally-Friendly Electro-Ceramics Coating Technology and Synthesis) is a collaborative European project including both academic and industrial partners, aiming to establish economical and environmentally-friendly deposition of large-area electro-ceramic layers and films. Ambient-pressure chemical solution deposition and ink-jet printing will be used to prepare perovskite and functional oxide films, structures and devices for a wide range of applications.

The work in Cambridge will focus on the preparation of multi-layer functional oxide films and devices by ink-jet printing using sol-gel methods. In particular, we will develop structures of insulating and conductive layers for solid oxide fuel cells, nanostructured coatings for biomedical applications, and superconducting coated conductors. Experience in at least one of these areas, and an understanding of sol-gel processing, is strongly preferred. This interdisciplinary project may interest materials scientists, physicists and chemical engineers.

Funding and salary

This project is fully funded by the EU's Seventh Research Framework Programme (FP7). Candidates with a Ph.D. will be appointed on grade 7 on the university's salary scale.

Start date

The project begins on 1 October 2008 and runs for 36 months. Applications are welcome immediately.

Eligibility

UK, EU and international graduates with a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in a relevant subject are invited to apply.

Application procedure

Please contact Dr Bartek Glowacki for more details.

PhD Projects

Structure and Superconducting Properties of High Field MgB₂ Composite Conductors for MRI Applications

A PhD project fully funded by Siemens Magnet Technology

Since superconductivity in MgB₂ was first reported in 2001, wires and tapes have been developed which show great promise for use in magnetic applications at temperatures above 4.2 K. Industrial applications have so far been hindered by several limitations: critical current density in wires remains too low at high magnetic fields (> 5 T), and the engineering current density is even lower, as the volume fraction of the superconducting phase in stabilised wires is often very low. Copper is needed for stabilisation but, because of the reaction between magnesium and copper and the relatively low strength of copper, much of the wire cross-section is usually occupied by iron- or nickel-based materials.

A copper-matrix MgB₂ wire, recently developed by ASCG through international collaboration, with a coaxial in situ/ex situ architecture has addressed many of these problems. An outer layer of ex situ MgB₂ suppresses reaction with copper and maximises superconducting volume fraction. After HIPing, the SiC-doped MgB₂ core provides excellent high-field superconducting performance.

To provide adequate mechanical strength and minimise AC losses in magnet coils, however, research is required to determine the optimum reinforcement, cabling and insulation approach. This project will investigate reinforcement both by the strengthening of individual strands, and by cabling. Tensile and flexural mechanical testing, at room temperature and with liquid nitrogen cooling, will be used to assess the effectiveness of bonding and reinforcement.

Critical current characterisation by pulse techniques, on straight samples and small coils, will be used to determine the critical current performance which can be achieved as a function of temperature, magnetic field and strain. Optimisation of the reinforcement and cabling approach will use the conductor specifications of Siemens Magnet Technology for MRI applications as a target. An experimental study of AC and transient losses in model coils will also be undertaken to verify adequate performance for MRI and other magnetic applications, in collaboration with Siemens Magnet Technology.

Funding

This project is fully funded by Siemens Magnet Technology.

Start date

Applications for this project are welcome immediately. The preferred start date is October 2008.

Eligibility

UK, EU and international students are all welcome to apply. You must also meet the university's criteria for eligibility. Offers are subject to approval from the industrial sponsor and successful completion of the university's application for graduate study.

Application procedure

Please contact Dr Bartek Glowacki for more details.

Other Subjects

Motivated students with excellent first degrees in physics, materials science, engineering or related subjects are invited to apply for PhD projects contributing to several of our other research areas. UK applicants may be eligible for EPSRC funding from the department's annual allocation.

Modelling and Measurement of the Response of Superconductors to Pulsed Magnetic Fields and Currents

ASCG has developed a Cryo-BI-Pulse pulse measurement system in collaboration with Metis, Belgium for the measurement of critical currents for superconducting materials and conductors using pulsed currents and magnetic fields. The voltage response of a sample can in many cases be straightforwardly interpreted to extract a critical current, but the detailed behaviour is strongly dependent on the type of sample. A fuller understanding of this response could be used to obtain more information about samples under investigation, improve the method used for routine critical current measurements, and consider other applications of pulsed techniques. A research student with good knowledge of, and experience with, electromagnetism and finite element modelling is sought to lead this project, which requires a combination of modelling and experimental work.

If you are interested in applying or you have any questions, please contact Dr. Bartek Glowacki.