Acoustics, Bioengineering & Human factors and Materials & Surface Engineering

A project is offered to investigate a next-generation device that cleans floors using ultrasound. The inability to clean floor appropriately today presents problems in numerous areas:

• Floors in hospitals, farms, and the food industry can harbour numerous bacterial and fungal infections, particularly in hospitals, where they contribute to the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance: the University has a major multidisciplinary initiative (NAMRIP) to combat the global catastrophes in healthcare and food production that face us if we do not reduce the threat of microbe resistance to antibiotics and other agents;
• Concrete floors in many industries (nuclear, chemical etc.) become impregnated with hazardous particulate contaminants that cannot be removed.

Funding is available for a student from EU/UK to undertake a PhD to join a world leading team for the specific purpose of generating exciting new ultrasonic floor cleaning technologies. First class degrees covering relevant backgrounds (Engineering, Chemistry or Physics) would be appropriate. We have secured an industrial partner who will test prototypes in their industry. There will also be opportunities for the successful prototypes to be tested by biomedical and life sciences members of NAMRIP for their efficacy in healthcare and food production environments.

The ultrasonics aspect, and project lead, will be Professor Tim Leighton, FREng FRS, who has had considerable success and awards for previous ultrasonic cleaning systems (http://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/research/projects/starstream.page? ). The cleaning (and build-up prevention) will be assessed using the suite of world-class optical and non-contact measurement systems provided by the National Centre for Advanced Tribology (nCATS). The staff of nCATS are specialists in surface science including cavitation, corrosion and erosion damage mechanisms. The student will gain cross-disciplinary experience of acoustics, materials and surface science.

The supervising team for project:
Prof. Tim Leighton CPhys CEng FInstP FIOA FASA FREng FRS
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/about/staff/tgl.page#research
Dr Nicola Symonds CEng, MRAeS

http://www.southampton.ac.uk/engineering/about/staff/ns2k06.page?

If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Professor Tim Leighton FREng FRS, Acoustics Research Group, Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, Email: tgl<στο>soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 2291.