Five (5) PhD Positions, University of Strathclyde, UK (2015-2016)

5 Early Stage Researcher (PhD) posts in the European Industrial Doctorate (EID) APESA: Advanced Pump Engineering in Severe Applications

Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK.
Weir Minerals Netherlands, Venlo, Netherlands.

Applications are invited for five 36 month Early Stage Researcher (ESR) positions in the Marie Skłodowska Curie EID APESA, researching structural integrity, materials science/engineering and flow characterisation in industrial pumps operated in a hostile environment. The ESRs will be initially based at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, for 18 months followed by an 18 month period at Weir Minerals Netherlands in Venlo. The ESRs will register for a PhD (36 months) in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of Strathclyde.

Weir Minerals Netherlands, a member company of The Weir Group PLC, designs and manufactures industrial pumps for the mining, minerals processing, energy, waste processing and salt industry sectors under the brand name GEHO. These pumps are designed for a long service life in aggressive operating environments, in which the equipment may experience severe material damage through complex mechanisms involving mechanisms such as corrosion, erosion and fatigue. Improving the performance of the GEHO product range requires better understanding of how these mechanisms combine to limit the working life of pumps and components. In the APESA EID, each ESR will undertake an individual PhD research project related to damage characterisation and mitigation in key technology areas:

- Computational and experimental structural integrity/corrosion-fatigue analysis
- Computational and experimental analysis of flow in positive displacement slurry pumps
- Experimental investigation of erosive-corrosive wear of pump materials
- Corrosion protection systems, including coatings and cathodic protection

The ESRs will work in an industry-centred research environment and will be equipped with a range of scientific, engineering, business and underpinning transferable skills through a comprehensive training programme. This will include opportunities for international travel to operational sites, global conferences and other Weir Group businesses. The holistic nature of the research and training program will give the ESRs direct experience of working in a global industry and will prove an excellent basis for future careers in industry or academia, including technical and business career pathways within Weir Minerals Netherlands and the wider Weir Group.

Further details:
http://academicpositions.eu