Project details
EPSRC CDT in Engineering Hydrogen Net-Zero
With the transition to alternative fuels, there is an increase in demand for new sources. Considering hydrogen, current production and supply strategies need to adjust to continue to service the needs of its expanding customer base. This PhD will be conducted in collaboration with BOC, working closely with the Remote Operating Centre who operate and optimise all their H2 plants, bulk distribution and the supply chain.
Reaching global net-zero emissions targets, to tackle climate change and pollution, needs rapid growth in sustainable hydrogen technologies. This rapid growth needs many existing challenges, including production cost, supply chain development and social requirements to be addressed.
Our fully funded EnerHy Centre for Doctoral Training program will provide you with the key skills needed for a career, whether in industry, policy, or academia, in the hydrogen economy. EnerHy will meet the challenges of a global hydrogen strategy as well as aligning many of the United Nations Sustainability goals. You will study in a supportive cohort undertaking intellectually challenging and industrially relevant projects to accelerate the affordability, scalability, and sustainability of green hydrogen.
Led by Loughborough University and partnered with Cranfield and Strathclyde universities with the insights and knowledge of over 60 industrial and civil partners, the CDT will provide a holistic understanding of the emerging hydrogen economy, equipping graduates with the skills and knowledge they need to accelerate their career.
The CDT research cuts across the challenges identified to meet net-zero, offering a range of research projects in; renewable energy, low cost and rapid uptake of hydrogen, production on demand, low-cost production at scale, new materials to facilitate the hydrogen economy, and performance monitoring and management.
Project summary
This CDT studentship will focus on researching new optimisation strategies to meet supply and demand, improving efficiencies in transportation, reducing costs and CO2 emissions. The operational constraints, including production and supply of hydrogen gas from multiple sites, alongside various production rates and efficiency levels need to be considered. Supply is affected by several factors, including but not limited to, volumes available, plant production rate, trailer demand, maintenance schedules, driver availability, customer location and customer specifications/requirements. Delivery schedules are dynamic and must be continually updated to account for variations, yielding a complex optimisation / scheduling problem requiring solution.
The outputs of this research will be:
- Identifying the optimisation complexities spanning the production and supply of hydrogen from multiple sites, varying demand profiles, maintenance management strategies, resource and scheduling constraints, capacity restrictions, efficiency measurement and key performance indicators.
- Develop multi-objective optimisation models that map to the complexities of the industrial collaborator challenge identified.
- Analysis of the proposed methodology on business service levels under varying scenarios, with predictions for future supply and demand predictions.
Engineering has seen 100% of its research impact rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’ (REF, 2021)
Supervisors
Primary supervisor: Professor Lisa Jackson
Secondary supervisor: Dr Xiangjie Chen
Entry requirements
Our entry requirements are listed using standard UK undergraduate degree classifications i.e. first-class honours, upper second-class honours and lower second-class honours. To learn the equivalent for your country, please choose it from the drop-down below.
Entry requirements for United Kingdom
Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2:1 Honours degree (or equivalent) in the relevant subject areas and have a genuine interest in sustainable hydrogen technologies.
Studentships are available for home and international students; however, due to UKRI funding rules, the number of available international studentships are limited. For details on eligibility see the UKRI website.
English language requirements
Applicants must meet the minimum English language requirements. Further details are available on the International website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees for 2024-25 entry
UK fee
Fully funded Full-time degree per annum
International fee
Fully funded Full-time degree per annum
2024-25 tuition fees are applicable to projects starting in October 2024, January 2025, April 2025 and July 2025.
Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, IT equipment and other support services. University fees and charges can be paid in advance and there are several methods of payment, including online payments and payment by instalment. Fees are reviewed annually and are likely to increase to take into account inflationary pressures.
The studentship is for 4 years full-time or 8 years part-time and provides a tax-free stipend of £19,237 per annum (full-time) for the duration of the studentship.
How to apply
Applications will be reviewed at the start of each month for shortlisting and successful applicants invited to interview.
Please visit this project on the EnerHy CDT website where you will find details on submitting an application at the bottom of the page.
