Design and experimental investigation of a microchannel heat pump system

We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC-funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2024. Applications are invited for the project titled Design and experimental investigation of a microchannel heat pump system.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of £21,237, including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years).

You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than three) of studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency.

You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Brunel Design School research and PhD programmes | Brunel University London

The Project

This project will design and build a test rig for a domestic hot water system using state-of-the-art microchannel heat exchangers as heat transfer devices, advanced nanofluids as heat transfer working fluids, and a heat pump. The microchannel design technologies involved in the heat pump system are innovative methods to increase the heat pump performance and reduce the physical size for domestic applications. In addition, the project will develop detailed transient simulation models for the heat pump and components and validate the models with experimental results.

Please contact Dr Liang Li at liang.li@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentships.

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Engineering, Computer Science, Design, Mathematics, Physics or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.

Skills and Experience

Applicants will be required to demonstrate the following skills;

  • Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills, along with a stated interest in thermodynamic and fluid mechanics research, are essential,
  • Experience/background in CFD, system modelling, programming and experimental skills would be desirable.

You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.

 

How to apply

There are two stages of the application:

 

1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link

https://brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/epsrc-dtp-24-25-pre-application-form-brunel-university-lon

by 16.00 on Friday 5th April 2024.

2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to cedps-studentships@brunel.ac.uk within 72hrs.

  • Your up-to-date CV;
  • Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) essential;
  • Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;
  • Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable;
  • Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Applicants should therefore ensure that they have all of this information in case they are shortlisted.

Interviews will take place in April/May 2024.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Liang Li - Dr Liang Li has extensive expertise in both academic and industrial settings, specialising in energy storage and conversion systems, heat exchanger design, and advanced thermodynamic power cycles. He has successfully secured research funding from prominent UK and international organisations, including the Royal Society and Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowships, to advance innovation in sustainable energy technologies. His research includes developing and validating heat pump systems incorporating microchannel heat exchangers and innovative nanofluids, solar-powered energy storage solutions, and nano-enhanced phase change materials for thermal energy storage. Dr Li actively supervises PhD students, leading research projects in drag force modelling, building energy efficiency, and renewable energy harvesting technologies. His considerable publication record in esteemed journals such as Applied Thermal Engineering and Applied Energy highlights his influential contributions to sustainable energy research. Dr Li is a Chartered Engineer (CEng), a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), and an active member of prominent professional organisations, including the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE).

Related Research Group(s)

Design and Manufacturing

Design and Manufacturing - Developing products, services and manufacturing processes that will deliver economically and environmentally sustainable solutions, based on design principles derived from an understanding of human capabilities and limitations.

Design for Sustainability

Design for Sustainability - We focus on developing the theory and practice required to design solutions that foster environmental, socio-ethical and economic sustainability in areas ranging from materials and manufacturing to products, services, business models, bottom-up initiatives and socio-technical systems.