School of Engineering, University of Warwick and CSIRO, Australia

Start date: 5th October 2015
Duration: 3 years

The project: Desiccant wheel innovations for solar air conditioning systems

This PhD studentship is available for a highly motivated student interested in a collaborative project that will work with CSIRO, Australia's National Science Agency and is part funding a scholarship to research heat and mass transfer in novel desiccant wheel designs that offer lower cost solar powered air conditioning. The student will spend the first three months at Warwick carrying our background research, then transfer to CSIRO’s research centre in Newcastle (Australia) for the following 2 years (approx.) where the practical research will be carried out supervised by CSIRO staff. The final 6 months of the project (writing up etc) will be carried out at Warwick.

The research is into the absorption and desorption of water vapour from process and conditioned air into novel desiccant coated structures that allow the desiccant to be cooled externally, thereby improving efficiency and cost effectiveness. The research is part of a programme developing solar air conditioners. The work will involve both experimental research and numerical modelling using packages such as Comsol Multiphysics.

Eligibility:
Due to funding restrictions this award is available for well-qualified UK or EU students. Candidates are required to hold a 1st or 2.1 UK honours degree or equivalent in Engineering or other relevant discipline. The admission process will also require two supporting academic references and an English qualification if your first language is not English.

Funding Details:
The Scholarship will pay an annual stipend at the standard rate (currently £13,863) and tuition fees at the Home/EU rate for three years. International students may apply and, if successful, would be required to make up the difference in fees between the home and the overseas rates.

How to apply:
To apply for this post you must complete the online application form and quote scholarship referenceCSIRO.

As soon as you have a University ID number you will be invited to upload your degree certificate, transcripts, CV and a personal statement that explains your specific research interests and why you should be considered for this award.

Application Form Course Details:
Department: School of Engineering
Course Type: Research
Course: Engineering (PhD)

Application form: http://www.go.warwick.ac.uk/pgapply