UK 2014 PhD Studentship in Mechanical Engineering at University of Leicester

The Department of Engineering is pleased to offer this fully-funded studentship for January 2014 entry to its Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programme. The studentship will pay UK/EU tuition fees for three years and includes an annual stipend worth £13,726 each year.

Early Application is Encouraged- The Studentship will remain open until filled.

Research Area & Supervision:

Powder flow is critical in the field of science and engineering of particulate materials. The Mechanics of Materials Research Group has pioneered the development of a range of experimental characterization methods for powder flow and compaction and constitutive model development for granular and porous materials.

The studentship will develop a multi-scale numerical modeling strategy whereby the mechanical response of the granular skeleton is coupled with a flow model of air in the inter-particulate space. The project will receive technical input from the pharmaceutical industry which uses dense and dilute particulate flows in engineering processes involving powder handling, mixing, transport, granulation, etc. The numerical framework developed in this project has far reaching applications ranging from space exploration to environmental engineering and sport.

Entry Requirements:

• This is a novel and ambitious project requiring an applicant with a strong academic background and interests in materials modeling and computer programming.
• Applicants must have a first-class or high upper second-class honors degree (or equivalent qualification) in engineering and/or applied mathematics. Applicants must meet the University’s Standard English language entry requirements.
• This studentship is open to suitable UK/EU and International (i.e., outside the EU) applicants. Please note though that the award covers tuition fees at the UK/EU rate only. International applicants (and those not eligible to pay UK/EU tuition fees) must demonstrate at the time of their application that they can fund the difference in tuition fee rates.
• The studentship is for full-time study only and applicants must be able to commence their studies in January 2014 or earlier.