Faculty of Engineering
Candidate Requirements
Essential: First-class or upper second-class honours degree or equivalent in relevant subject areas of Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering. Applicants need to meet the Universityâs English language entry requirements.
Desirable: Matlab; dynamic system analysis, optimization and structural control.
Start date: September 2013
This research aims to develop a new class of fluid-based devices with energy regeneration suitable for control of vibrations. Reconfigurable fluid-mechanical networks with dissipative and non-dissipative elements enabling adaptation, control and reuse of available energy will be studied. The attainment of the semi-active performance with resistive and propulsive control forces is the main objective of this research.
Of particular interest in this project are the applications with rotating blades such as helicopters or wind turbines. The project will look more closely at the possibility of blade dynamics tailoring for vibration control and load alleviation in rotors. Various other industrial communities will benefit from this project due to its generic application potential. Examples of potential future applications include novel vehicle suspension in automotive industry or seismic protection in civil engineering.
This research theme has significant analytical and experimental component. The analytical framework will be based on fluidic network synthesis and multi-physical modelling with further optimization and possibly control studies. Experimental component will be completed in the Bristol Laboratory for Advanced Dynamics Engineering (BLADE) and ACTLab. The state-of-the-art test facility developed for recent high profile research for a major UK aerospace company will be used throughout the project.
If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Dr Brano Titurus, Email: Brano.titurus@bristol.ac.uk , Tel: +44 (0)117 3315552
For general enquiries, please email gsen-pgrs@bristol.ac.uk
Funding and eligibility:
The studentship covers full UK/EU PhD tuition fees (equivalent to £3400 p.a. and a tax-free bursary of £13,590pa for a duration of 3.5 years.
UK citizens or EU citizens who have been resident in the UK for at least 3 years are eligible for full funding. Non-EU applicants should contact the department for further information about funding.
How to apply:
To apply for this studentship submit a PhD application using our online application system via the Apply link below
Please select âAerospace Engineering (PhD) in the Programme Choice section and ensure that in the Funding section you tick âI would like to be considered for a funding award from the Departmentâ and specify the title of the scholarship in the âotherâ box below. Please also complete the funding details requested in the Research Details section.
The position will remain open until filled and will start in September 2013.