This PhD studentship will be jointly funded by EPSRC CASE and the National Structural Integrity Research Centre (NSIRC), jointly run by TWI and Brunel University. The main objective of this 3-year PhD project is to study thermal fatigue failures of specimens containing a dissimilar weld (austenitic stainless steels). The student will also perform finite element analysis of the stress states in the weld under thermal cyclic loading, especially near the fusion lines. The student will also examine the existing methods recommended in standards/codes for assessing dissimilar welds and may develop a new method based on the research findings.

Thermal fatigue damage is a common problem in pressure vessels where components are subject to fluctuations of service temperatures. Welded joints often represent the critical locations. Although a considerable number of investigations have been carried out on the thermal fatigue behaviour of welds, the study on dissimilar welds is limited and relevant data is sparse. There is a strong demand in industry to understand thermal fatigue behaviour of dissimilar welds and to develop a generic method for fatigue life assessment under thermal cyclic loading.

This studentship will cover both tuition fees and living expenses for a duration of three years. The candidates should be UK home students in possession of at least 2i degree (or 2ii with MSc) in mechanical engineering, preferably with knowledge/skill in FE modelling or materials engineering. A good background knowledge in material testing is desirable. He/she will work at TWI in Cambridge and will be supervised by both staff at TWI and academics at Brunel University.

Applications should be made with a full CV and a covering letter which includes a personal statement, your interest in the research and any supporting information to Dr Bin Wang at Brunel University (bin.wang<στο>brunel.ac.uk) Informal enquiries can be obtained from the same contact.