Multi-scale modelling of new materials and microstructure for offshore wind turbines

Project Description:

This project is closed to new applicants

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. The successful applicant will undertake six-month of training with the rest of the CDT cohort at the University of Hull before continuing their PhD research at the University of Sheffield.

Are you passionate about solving the critical material challenges facing sustainable energy? We are seeking an exceptional PhD candidate for a project at the intersection of materials discovery and engineering design. 

High-performance magnets, such as Nd₂Fe₁₄B and SmCo₅, are the heart of modern wind turbines, but their reliance on costly and environmentally sensitive rare-earth elements (REEs) creates significant global challenges. This project tackles this problem with an innovative, dual-pronged approach. 

This project will use a high-throughput computational search for entirely new magnetic materials. Using ab-initio simulations (e.g. density functional theory), you will rapidly screen novel, multi-component, and REE-free alloy compositions to identify candidates with ideal magnetic properties, such as high anisotropy and magnetisation. 

Second, you will challenge conventional design by asking: what if we could engineer the perfect magnet from the ground up? You will explore revolutionary “combinatorial magnets,” strategically combining different materials. Working with others in the group, you will be able to then simulate your materials using finite element analysis to determine the performance of these composite magnets within virtual 2D and 3D generators. 

This research will directly aid the discovery and development of next-generation magnetic materials, reducing our dependence on critical elements. As part of a dynamic research cluster with strong industrial sponsorship from our partners Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, one of the largest manufacturers of wind turbine original equipment in the world, your work will have a direct path to real-world impact. 

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.

You will be given training in the use of the atomic scale software packages . The technical aspects of the generator design and performance will be supported through the SGRE R&D engineering team who are also assisting in supervising the project. 

If you have any queries about this project, please contact Dr Colin Freeman (c.l.freeman@sheffield.ac.uk) 

You may also address queries about the CDT to auracdt@hull.ac.uk.

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