Nanoparticle-reinforced coatings for leading edge protection of offshore wind turbine blades

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.  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 Loughborough University, supported by industry partner, Trelleborg.

Offshore wind turbine blades are continually exposed to harsh marine environments, where rain, salt spray, and high-speed particle impacts can erode blade leading edges and reduce aerodynamic efficiency. This doctoral studentship aims to revolutionise blade protection through the development of advanced nanoparticle-reinforced polyurethane coatings.

Current leading-edge protection (LEP) technologies, such as tape-based systems, offer limited durability and are costly to maintain or replace offshore. Liquid-applied coatings present an opportunity for seamless, self-healing protection that can be applied both during manufacture and in situ. This project will formulate a new generation of ceramic nanoparticle-enhanced polyurethane coatings that deliver exceptional toughness, erosion resistance, and long-term adhesion under real offshore conditions.

The research will combine advanced materials formulation, microstructural and mechanical characterisation, and accelerated environmental testing. A novel rain erosion simulator, designed to replicate the complex dynamics of offshore exposure—including saltwater droplets, oblique impacts, and cyclic loading—will be used to evaluate coating performance.

Working closely with Trelleborg, the project will generate new scientific insight into nanoparticle–polymer interactions while providing industry-ready data on durability and performance. The outcomes will inform scalable, low-maintenance solutions to extend turbine lifespan, reduce operational costs, and improve the resilience of offshore wind energy systems worldwide.

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.

In addition, the successful candidate will receive training in safe laboratory work, formulation methods, and characterisation techniques.

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 materials science/engineering, chemical engineering, polymer science/engineering, or a relevant engineering or science degree, we would like to hear from you.

If your first language is not English, or you require Tier 4 student visa to study, you will be required to provide evidence of your English language proficiency level that meets the requirements of the Aura CDT’s academic partners. This course requires academic IELTS 7.0 overall, with no less than 6.0 in each skill.

If you have any queries about this project, please contact Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani via i.martin-fabiani@lboro.ac.uk

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

Watch our short video to hear from Aura CDT students, academics and industry partners:

Funding

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

Research Council funding for postgraduate research has residence requirements. Our CDT scholarships are available to Home (UK) Students. 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). For full eligibility information, please refer to the EPSRC website.

We also allocate a number of scholarships for International Students per cohort.

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.

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Interviews

The first-round interview panel for shortlisted candidates will comprise the project supervisory team members from the host university where the project is based, plus a representative of the CDT.  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 application documents will be shared with them (with the guaranteed interview scheme section of the supplementary application form removed).

If you are successful, you will progress to a second interview. This will be with key academics from the CDT from across our four partner institutions (Durham University, University of Hull, Loughborough University, University of Sheffield) and your application documents will be shared with them (with the guaranteed interview scheme section removed from the supplementary application form).

If you have any queries about this project, please contact Dr Ignacio Martin-Fabiani via i.martin-fabiani@lboro.ac.uk

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

References & Further Reading

Wind energy in Europe: 2024 Statistics and the outlook for 2025-2030, Feb 2025, Wind Europe.

A. Castorrini et al. Renewable Energy 218 (2023), 119256.

H.M. Slot at el. Renewable Energy 80 (2015), 837-848.

P. Kinsley et al. Wind 5 (2025), 3.