Research projects
- Research area
Develop a resilient net-zero energy system
- Institution
University of Hull
- Research project
Efficient and Sustainable Offshore Wind Turbine-driven Green Hydrogen production
- Lead supervisor
- PhD Student
- Supervisory Team
Prof Masamichi Nishihara, Kyushu University, Japan
Prof Stephen Lyth, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
Dr Michael Smailes, Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult
Project Description:
This PhD scholarship is offered by the EPSRC CDT in Offshore Wind Energy Sustainability and Resilience, a partnership between the Universities of Durham, Hull, Loughborough and Sheffield. This project is co-sponsored by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. The successful applicant will undertake six-months of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at Hull. The project is part of a PhD Research Cluster focusing on Hybrid Offshore Wind Energy Solutions.
Green hydrogen, produced from renewable sources such as offshore wind energy, plays a vital role in decarbonising hard-to-electrify sectors such as shipping, aviation, and heavy industry. This project will look to develop more sustainable and cost-effective catalysts to boost the affordability, sustainability and lifetime of the green hydrogen conversion technologies.
The UK actively supports wind-to-hydrogen projects such as Dolphyn and Gigastack. Polymer electrolyte water electrolysers (PEWEs) are a preferred choice for these projects due to their high efficiency and responsiveness compared to alkaline electrolysers. PEWEs rely on sulfonated fluoropolymer electrolytes such as Nafion, which are high-performance materials with excellent ionic conductivity. However, these electrolytes pose challenges as they are both prohibitively expensive and contain perfluorosulfonic acids, known as “forever chemicals”, with adverse ecological effects due to their persistence in the environment. Furthermore, the sulfonated fluoropolymer electrolytes exhibit relatively low durability, being more susceptible to chemical degradation caused by free radical attacks. Given these concerns, it becomes imperative to explore more sustainable, cost-effective, and durable polymer electrolyte alternatives.
Hydrocarbon electrolytes are often cost-effective, readily synthesised, and environmentally friendly. Notably, a hydrocarbon-based electrolyte, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane, has exhibited enhanced durability compared to Nafion membrane electrolytes (this study has been led and published by Prof Nishihara and Prof Lyth, co-supervisors for this PhD project). However, its ionic conductivity is less than of Nafion membrane electrolyte, and it is susceptible to water solubility. Consequently, there is a need to chemically and mechanically enhance PVA-based membrane electrolytes to boost their ionic conductivity and water stability. This project marks the first time that the focus is on developing considerably more sustainable and cost-effective PVA-based membrane electrolytes. This will ultimately boost the affordability, sustainability and lifetime of the green hydrogen conversion technologies including the PEWEs.
This project is co-sponsored by the Offshore Wind Energy Catapult, the UK’s leading technology innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy.
Below are the specific objectives of the project:
- Construct a physical model for the hydrogen electrolyser to optimise the properties of the newly developed membrane electrolyte theoretically.
- Employ computational results to guide experiments, thereby expediting design iterations, and conserving time and resources.
- Validate the theoretical models using empirical data generated from experiments.
- Utilise advanced characterisation techniques to gain insights into ionic conduction, gas permeation, and degradation in PVA-based membrane electrolytes.
- Investigate the impact of chemical and mechanical agents on the ionic conduction, gas permeation, and degradation of the proposed electrolytes.
- Test the developed membrane electrolytes in lab-scale hydrogen electrolysers.
The core concept of the PhD project: Employ wind energy to power green hydrogen electrolysers featuring affordable and eco-friendly polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) membrane electrolytes.
Training and development
You will benefit from a taught programme, giving you a broad understanding of the breadth and depth of current and emerging offshore wind sector needs. This begins with an intensive six-month programme at the University of Hull for the new student intake, drawing on the expertise and facilities of all four academic partners. It is supplemented by Continuing Professional Development (CPD), which is embedded throughout your 4-year research scholarship.
If required, the student will be given training in using the COMSOL Multiphysics software, enabling them to proficiently utilise the simulation software for constructing the physical model of the hydrogen electrolyser. Regarding the experimental aspect of the project, the student will gain hands-on experience in fabricating, characterising, and testing the membrane electrolytes for the hydrogen electrolyser.
Entry requirements
If you have received a First-class Honours degree, or a 2:1 Honours degree and a Masters, or a Distinction at Masters level with any undergraduate degree (or the international equivalents) in engineering, chemistry, computer science or physics, we would like to hear from you.
Project Co-sponsor & Industry Supervision
The deadline for applications is Friday 9 May 2025.
If you have an queries about the research project please contact Dr Mohammed Ismail via m.s.ismail@hull.ac.uk. You may also address enquiries about the CDT to auracdt@hull.ac.uk.
Watch our short video to hear from Aura CDT students, academics and industry partners:
Funding notes
The CDT is funded by the EPSRC, allowing us to provide scholarships that cover fees plus a stipend set at the UKRI nationally agreed rates. These have been set by UKRI as £20,780 per annum at 2025/26 rates and will increase in line with the EPSRC guidelines for the subsequent years (subject to progress).
Eligibility
Our funded Doctoral Scholarships are available to UK Students. The advertised CDT scholarships in this current recruitment round are available to Home (UK) Students only as the CDT has reached the annual cap, set by the funding council (UKRI EPSRC), on international student recruitment for the 2025 intake. To be considered a Home student, and therefore eligible for a full award, a student must have no restrictions on how long they can stay in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least 3 years prior to the start of the scholarship (with some further constraint regarding residence for education).
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
The CDT is committed to generating a diverse and inclusive training programme and is looking to attract applicants from all backgrounds. We offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for home fee status candidates who identify as Black or Black mixed or Asian or Asian mixed if they meet the programme entry requirements. This positive action is to support recruitment of these under-represented ethnic groups to our programme and is an opt in process.
How to apply
Recruitment is open until Friday 9 May for CDT Scholarships beginning study in September 2025.
Please ensure that you familiarise yourself with the Aura CDT website before you apply to give you a good understanding of what a CDT is, our CDT’s research focus and the training and continuing professional development programme that runs alongside the CDT. The Frequently asked questions page and Candidate resources page are essential reading prior to applying.
Applications to this project are made via the University of Hull admissions system. If you have not applied to the University of Hull before, you will need to set up an account to enable you to track the progress of your application and upload supporting documents.
Follow these links to apply for this CDT project at the University of Hull:
With your application, you need to upload copies of the following supporting evidence:
- Complete transcripts (and final degree certificate(s) where possible). If your qualification documents are not in English, you will need to supply copies of your original language documents as well as their official translation into English.
- Your Curriculum Vitae (CV).
- A completed Supplementary Application Form (upload when asked to add a Research proposal).
Please download the Supplementary Application Form here.
Ensure you complete all sections of the Supplementary Application Form in font and size Calibri 11pt, specify the research project you are applying for.
When you have completed the form, please save it as a pdf format and labelled as follows:
Last name_first name PhD application form
Upload the form as part of your application documents through the University of Hull student application portal, when asked to add a Research Proposal. The Form replaces the Research Proposal and so you do not need to add a Research Proposal. Please do not send your form directly to the Offshore Wind CDT.
Interviews will be held online with an interview panel comprising of project supervisory team members from the host university where the project is based. Where the project involves external supervisors from university partners or industry sponsors then representatives from these partners may form part of the interview panel and your supplementary application form will be shared with them (with the guaranteed interview scheme section removed). Interviews will take place during early and mid-June.
If you have an queries about the research project please contact Dr Mohammed Ismail via m.s.ismail@hull.ac.uk. You may also address enquiries about the CDT to auracdt@hull.ac.uk.
References:
[1] https://gigastack.co.uk/
[2] https://www.dolphynhydrogen.com/
[3] M Zaton, J Raziere, D.J. Jones, Sustainable Energy and Fuels 1 (2017) 409-438, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/C7SE00038C
[4] Z.A.R. Gautama, Y.A. Hutapea, M. Nishihara et al., J. Membrane Science, 658 (2022) 120734, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2022.120734
