PhD Studentship in Automotive Power Electronics

Reference ENG1425

Closing Date Sunday, 28th February 2021

Department Engineering

The UK aims to cut carbon emissions by at least 68% from the 1990 level by the end of 2030. New cars and vans solely powered by diesel and petrol will be banned for sale from 2030. Electric vehicles will take the leading role in achieving this emission target as the latest models provide a number of advantages including superior driver comfort and lower emissions. However, there are a number of technical challenges which still impede their widespread adoption such as the cost, range anxiety and charging infrastructure.

Power electronics is one of the enabling technologies for electric vehicles. The aim of this project is to develop new power electronics converter topologies and new control strategies for a range of automotive applications. Wide bandgap power semiconductors, particularly Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN) which have advanced electrical properties compared to Silicon (Si) will be used in these converters. The target is to ensure a step improvement in terms of efficiency, power density, operating limits, and reliability. 

Applicants are invited to undertake a full-time PhD programme to investigate the design and development of high-power-density converters for electric vehicles. The research will focus on: high frequency converter topologies with reduced size magnetic and capacitor components, improved digital control, more compact fabrication techniques and enhanced thermal management. 

The successful candidate will be based at the Power Electronics, Machines and Control (PEMC) Group, within the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Nottingham. The group has state of the art experimental facilities for power electronics and electrical drives and is renowned for its ability to conduct pure and applied research at realistic power levels (up to 1MW continuous). Depending on how eligibility criteria are met, Home/EU candidates may be entitled to full award (stipend at the EPSRC rate and full tuition fees) and International candidates may be entitled to a partial award (full or partial PhD tuition fees).

Candidate requirements:  

The successful candidate is expected to be highly motivated and must hold/achieve a minimum of a Masters degree (or international equivalent) in Electrical or Electronic Engineering or a related discipline and with good knowledge of Power Electronics Converters, Semiconductor Devices, Magnetic Components and Control. It is desirable that the candidate has good knowledge of circuit design software (SPICE, PCB layout etc.), programming skills (MATLAB, Simulink, C etc.) and DSP / FPGA based control.

Please contact Dr Rishad Ahmed for further information. Email: Rishad.Ahmed@Nottingham.ac.uk

Please apply here https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/pgstudy/how-to-apply/apply-online.aspx

When applying for this studentship, please include the reference number (ENG1425 and Dr Rishad Ahmed) within the personal statement of the application. This will help in ensuring your application is sent directly to the academic advertising the studentship.