The below projects are for a January 2025 start date, if you are interested in applying to start in October 2025, please complete this form. We can then contact you when projects for this start date become available in the new year!
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Current projects
Electrical Engineering and Electronics
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High Power Density Converter Topologies for Pulsed Power Applications, University of Strathclyde
Deadline: 31st December 2024
More information and apply here: High Power Density Converter Topologies for Pulsed Power Applications | University of Strathclyde
You'll explore advanced converter topologies that can handle high peak power levels and maintain efficiency while delivering short-duration pulses. Invaluable expertise in the fast-moving domains of EMT modelling and hardware-in-the-loop experimentation, power systems, pulsed power, and marine systems will be developed during the studentship, enhanced by specialist training including summer schools and industry placements.
Power-Dense Power Electronic Conversion Topologies for Laser Energy Transfer Systems, University of Strathclyde
Deadline: 31st December 2024
More information and apply here: Power-Dense Power Electronic Conversion Technologies for Laser Energy Transfer Systems | University of Strathclyde
This PhD project will focus on making key advances in complementary areas of DC-DC power converter design (potentially including integrated thermal architectures) in order to further improve the potential power density beyond the current state of the art aerospace technologies.
Materials, Design and Manufacturing Engineering
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High Power Laser Development, University of Liverpool
Deadline: 31st December 2024
More information and apply here: High power laser development - University of Liverpool
The project will focus on creating high-energy, high-repetition-rate lasers. It will involve the student working with optical fibre lasers operating at 1mm and combining the output of these systems using polarisation combination to create one output beam. The project aims to harness the major advantages of chirped pulsed amplifier Yb fibre lasers over other solid-state systems by using combination technologies to increase the low (nJ – mJ) energy output into J level pulses at kHz repetition rates. This performance is unobtainable with current systems and the project involves working at the forefront of laser technology to drive innovative development and performance.
Physics
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Propagation of RF/ microwave signals in plasma, University of Strathclyde
Deadline: 31st January 2025
More information and apply here: Propagation of RF/microwave signals in plasma | University of Strathclyde
The project will be concerned with the Propagation of RF and Microwave Signals in non-linear and dispersive plasma media. Plasma is a complex environment for EM waves, presenting many challenges. The challenging effects can manifest in a range of practical environments, including the delivery of energy to a fusion plasma, interaction of radio wave in the ionosphere (with applications for communication and space weather).
Sideband Suppression on High Power Microwave Antenna, University of Strathclyde
Deadline: 31st January 2025
More information and apply here: Sideband Suppression on High Power Microwave Antenna | University of Strathclyde
The project will be concerned with the management of antenna sidelobes for applications in high power microwave systems. High power microwave transmitters increasingly are required to operate in complex environments where other nearby electronics, typically operating at much lower power levels, may be subject to undesirable interference. All antenna will form sidelobes, undesired secondary beams typically at rather lower power than the primary beam, but potentially still of moderate absolute power. Since these beams may make quite large angles to the intended primary beam, there is risk of problematic exposure to relatively nearby components. The project will explore schemes to mitigate these secondary signals.
Aligned Studentships, start date of January 2025
We are also currently recruiting for two aligned students in Electrical Engineering. As a student aligned to the Hub, you will benefit from the community, and partake in some of our training and social activities. These PhDs are also fully funded.
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High Speed Laminar Flows for Laser and Hypersonic Applications, University of Liverpool
Deadline: 31st December 2024
More information and how to apply: High speed ‘laminar’ flows for laser and hypersonic applications - University of Liverpool
This project will aim to develop plasma actuator-type devices capable of producing high velocity ‘laminar’ flow which could be used to better understand the interactions of lasers with fast moving plasma flows or could be used to create a static hypersonic test bed reactor. Through both modelling and experiments, we will examine the potential for plasma actuators to be designed and used in such a way as to create laminar and high velocity conditions which could be potentially useful in a number of energy transfer technologies.
Machine Learning for LDEW Target Recognition and Line-of-Sight Stabilisation, University of Liverpool
Deadline: 31st December 2024
More information and how to apply: Machine Learning for LDEW target recognition and line-of-sight stabilisation. - University of Liverpool
The aim of this project is to apply machine learning techniques to identify air targets from high-frame rate (and low contrast) imagery that is representative of LDEW tracking systems. In this project the student would be expected to develop Machine Learning based algorithms to process fast-frame rate imagery and identify air-based objects to determine potential threats. There will be a requirement to do this in time scales that are relevant for the stabilisation the aim point of the LDEW tracking system, and it should be robust to confounding factors, such as smoke and visible countermeasures. This will involve using image processing techniques and appropriate processing of sequences of images of the same object to ascertain key identifiers and comparing these to known objects. This may include the use of 3D object models and/or large image databases.
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