Supervisors: Dr Yanping Du, Professor Jianqiao Ye, School of Engineering, Professor Crispin Halsall, Lancaster Environment Centre

A fully funded PhD studentship is available for a motivated candidate to undertake advanced applied research in the field of Clean Energy and Decarbonization.

Coal burning is one of the main energy supply methods in the world. The excessive consumption of fossil fuels represented by coal burning produces carbon dioxide (CO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions that have an adverse and irreversible impact on the global climate. This project aims to simultaneously convert CO₂ and SO₂ to secure a more sustainable energy and environment. Applicants for this studentship must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a First or Upper Second-Class UK Honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in appropriate areas of Energy Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering. If English is not your first language you will need to meet the required level (Profile A) as per our guidance for English language requirements for overseas students. The research project has a broad range of opportunities and will be tailored on the background and interest of the successful candidate. The PhD studentship is based at Lancaster University.

Qualifications and experience

• Candidates should have a relevant first class degree or an equivalent overseas degree in Energy Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering.
• A background in catalysis and nano-fabrication with relevant experimental and simulation skills. Specific training will be provided.
• Good oral and written communication skills with the ability to prepare presentations, reports and journal papers to the highest levels of quality.
• Good interpersonal skills to work effectively in a team consisting of PhD students and postdoctoral researchers.
• Non-UK students are welcome to apply, however, the studentship only covers UK home fees. Overseas applicants should submit IELTS results (minimum 6.5) if applicable.

Funding Notes

This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers the tuition fee and a standard tax-free RCUK stipend (£18,622 per annum for 23/24 academic year) for 3.5 years for UK applicants. Non-UK candidates are welcome to apply but the funding will only cover the overseas tuition fee for three years and the applicant would need to self-fund their living cost. The living costs can be financially supported by government-funding (i.e. CSC scholarship for Chinese) or others.

In the application process you will be asked to upload several documents:

• CV
• Letter of application (outlining your academic interests, prior research experience and reasons for wishing to undertake the project).
• Research proposal (no more than two page)
• Transcript(s) giving full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained (this should be an interim transcript if you are still studying)
• Names of two referees familiar with your academic work. You are not required to obtain references yourself. We will request references directly from your referees if you are shortlisted.
• If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country you will need to submit evidence of your proficiency in English.

The successful candidate can start as soon as possible on one of the typical cohort dates which are April 2024, October 2024 and January 2025.

If you have any general enquiries about the application process please email engr-pgr@lancaster.ac.uk. For more information about this position please contact the main supervisor Dr Yanping Du at: y.du17@Lancaster.ac.uk. Candidates interested in applying should forward a copy of their CV to Dr Du.

About the Project

This 4 year PhD project will support the NDA mission to clean up the UK’s earliest Nuclear Sites safely, securely and cost effectively by developing a predictive model for the release of radiogenic helium from plutonium oxide powders, both during storage and in any processing of the powders for use as a fuel or disposal. The model will exploit the rapid development of available computational resources to perform molecular dynamics simulations of realistically sized PuO2 powder particles. Initially, the project will explore the diffusivity within the powder crystallites and reproduce the experimentally observed relationship between the specific surface area of the powder and the helium release fraction. The project will then explore the interaction between powder particles and determine whether crystallite growth provides a pathway for helium release. Following this, the role of radiation will be studied by performing cascade simulations within the crystallites. These simulations will be used to identify the most important processes contributing to helium release and the parameterisation of a mechanistic release model.

This project is offered through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training): https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

SATURN_Nuclear_CDT

Funding Notes

Supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UKRI/EPSRC and Lancaster University through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training), this studentship is available to start from 1st October 2024. For UK applicants the studentship is fully funded for 4 years, covering fees and a maintenance grant (£19,237 for 24/25 academic year) (all tax free). Note for this project there will be reporting requirements to the NDA in addition to those of the CDT and therefore, there is scope for a modest uplift in the stipend.

Informal queries and how to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr. Samuel Murphy (samuel.murphy@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should first send an email expressing interest to saturn@manchester.ac.uk as soon as possible and by the closing date: 31st May 2024.

For further information: https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

For further information: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/engineering/

About the Project

This project addresses the requirement to detect and quantify beta-emitting activity in contaminated land and liquid effluents. Strontium-90 and hence its daughter product yttrium-90 feature prominently as products of fission and pose significant radiological consequences due to the relatively high mobility of strontium and its similarity to calcium in terms of uptake in biological systems. Further, whilst these nuclides have no discernible gamma-ray signature to enable stand-off characterisation directly, it is nonetheless important that their presence in-situ can be quantified because yttrium is relatively insoluble compared to strontium and hence presents a different dynamic in aqueous environments to strontium. The aim of this project is to determine whether these nuclides can be discerned in-situ via their bremsstrahlung emissions. A good degree in Engineering, Physics or related discipline is required, comprising ideally a significant experimental component.

Funding Notes

This project is fully-funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (fees and maintenance) for eligible UK students.

Informal enquiries and how to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Malcolm Joyce (m.joyce@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV together with a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project to Professor Joyce as soon as possible and by the closing date: 30th April 2024.

Supervisors

Professor Colin Boxall, email: c.boxall@lancaster.ac.ukProfessor Malcolm Joyce, email m.joyce@lancaster.ac.ukDr Luke Townsend, NWS Ltd
Mr David Hambley, NNL

About the Project

The expected remaining lifetime of the UK’s Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors (AGRs) will result in the generation of ~5,000t of AGR Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF). The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA’s) preferred option for managing AGR SNF is consignment to a geologic disposal facility (GDF). Many thousands of years in the future, the engineered barriers within the GDF may fail, resulting in groundwater ingress into which radionuclides may leach from the SNF. A central issue for the safety assessment of a GDF, the leach rate must be measured, usually by laboratory-based batch or flow dissolution tests. This presents three problems:

1. Study of highly radioactive SNF requires use of specialised, access-constrained ‘hot cell’ laboratories;

2. Due to the low solubility of UO2-based materials, such dissolution tests must be conducted for extended periods (>1 yr) to observe measurable U release.

3. Due to problem 2, dissolved uranium analysis is commonly conducted using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectroscopy based techniques. Use of such techniques with high ionic strength groundwaters is challenging due to detector saturation/interferences by the high ion content.

Thus, using SIMFUELs (non-radioactive UO2-based SNF simulants, addressing problem 1) our aim is to develop a rapid, high-throughput electrochemical technique for measurement of SNF dissolutions rates (addressing problem 2), capable of deployment in a wide range of groundwaters, including high salinity/ionic strength media (addressing problem 3).

This project, a collaboration between Lancaster and Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) Ltd aims to address these knowledge gaps.

Experimental work will be conducted primarily in Lancaster’s UTGARD (Uranium-Thorium beta-Gamma Active R&D) Lab (https://www.nnuf.ac.uk/utgard-laboratory ), with Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) measurements to be conducted in Lancaster’s AMS facility.

This project is offered through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training): https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

Funding Notes

Supported by Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) Ltd., UKRI/EPSRC and Lancaster University through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training), this studentship is available to start from 1st October 2024. For UK applicants the studentship is fully funded for 4 years, covering fees and a maintenance grant (£19,237) (all tax free).

Informal enquiries and how to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Colin Boxall(c.boxall@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should first send an email expressing interest to saturn@manchester.ac.uk as soon as possible and by the closing date: 31st May 2024.

For further information: https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

For further information: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/engineering/

Supervisors

Professor Colin Boxall, email: c.boxall@lancaster.ac.ukDr Fabrice Andrieux, email : f.andrieux@lancaster.ac.ukMatthew O’Sullivan, Sellafield Ltd.
Tom Bainbridge, Sellafield Ltd.

About the Project

The safe storage of the UK’s nuclear legacy is one of the key aims for Sellafield. Part of that legacy, Magnox reactors were fuelled using uranium metal rods clad in a magnesium-aluminium alloy. Up until 2022 the fuel from the Magnox reactors was reprocessed for further use in the reactors. Since then, the remaining fuel has been wet stored at Sellafield in cooling ponds. This has the unintended consequence of corroding the cladding of the fuel. It is planned that the remaining fuel will be dried in preparation for disposal in a geological disposal facility.

This PhD will investigate the corrosion of Magnox fuel cladding in representative conditions for both the pond storage and the expected conditions of a dry storage or disposal environment.

The student will conduct experiments to corrode cladding in the high pH environments (11-13) in order to underpin the short-term corrosion rate. This will include exploration of the mechanism behind the observed difference in short- and long-term rate and definition of the timescale across which this transition takes place. The project will also include a scientific underpinning of the corrosion extent at which the cladding loses its integrity and investigation of the mechanisms for this.

Corrosion of the cladding material in dry storage conditions will also be studied. This is intended to inform decisions on the most appropriate strategy for future storage and disposal of Magnox clad fuel.

Finally, the impact of chloride salts will be investigated. This will focus in particular on the role of chloride induced pitting corrosion in wet and dry storage. This project, a collaboration between Lancaster and Nuclear Waste Services (NWS) Ltd aims to address these knowledge gaps.

Experimental work will be conducted primarily in Lancaster’s UTGARD (Uranium-Thorium beta-Gamma Active R&D) Lab (https://www.nnuf.ac.uk/utgard-laboratory ).

This project is offered through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training): https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

Funding Notes

Supported by Sellafield Ltd., UKRI/EPSRC and Lancaster University through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training), this studentship is available to start from 1st October 2024. For UK applicants the studentship is fully funded for 4 years, covering fees and a maintenance grant (£19,237) (all tax free).

Informal enquiries and how to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Colin Boxall(c.boxall@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should first send an email expressing interest to saturn@manchester.ac.uk as soon as possible and by the closing date: 31st May 2024.

For further information: https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

For further information: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/engineering/

Supervisors

Professor Colin Boxall, email: c.boxall@lancaster.ac.ukProfessor Ben Robinson, email : b.j.robinson@lancaster.ac.ukPaul Cook, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)

About the Project

The UK has a substantial inventory of separated plutonium from its historical reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel. The Government’s preferred option for this is re-use as a Mixed uranium-plutonium OXide (MOX) fuel. However, 5% is not suitable for re-use and is recommended for disposal in a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) after having first been immobilised in a ceramic wasteform.

The NDA is evaluating processes for plutonium immobilisation. One option being considered is ‘Disposal MOX’ which is the manufacture of regular MOX but intended for disposal to GDF not irradiation. Regular MOX is manufactured by heterogeneous blending of uranium and plutonium feed powders and then forming fuel pellets through a technologically-mature cold-press and sinter process, yielding a heterogenous MOX product.

For Disposal MOX production this may be modified by increasing the plutonium loading and introducing neutron poisons into the material for criticality safety/safeguards purposes. Alternatively, advanced manufacturing technologies such as Flash and Spark Plasma Sintering may provide routes to higher quality, denser Disposal MOX.

Thus, underpinning the UK’s policy on the direct disposal of plutonium, this project will aim to use plutonium simulants to:

1. Explore modifications to existing manufacturing routes and advanced manufacturing technologies described above to develop novel Disposal MOX pellets or wasteformes; and

2. Determine the stability and robustness of the resultant Disposal MOX materials under disposal conditions through use of simple static leaching trials, accelerated electrochemical corrosion experiments and advanced scanning probe mircroscopy studies.

Particular attention will be paid to the effect of the processing parameters explored during Aim 1 on the microstructure of the resultant candidate Disposal MOXs, and how that microstructure influences the material robustness and corrosion susceptibility determined during Aim 2.

Experimental work will be conducted primarily in Lancaster’s UTGARD (Uranium-Thorium beta-Gamma Active R&D) Lab (https://www.nnuf.ac.uk/utgard-laboratory ) and Materials Science Lancaster’s Scanning Probe Microscopy Labs (https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/media/lancaster-university/content-assets/documents/fst/3D-Nano-MappinginSPM_release.pdf )

This project is offered through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training): https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

Funding Notes

Supported by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), UKRI/EPSRC and Lancaster University through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training), this studentship is available to start from 1st October 2024. For UK applicants the studentship is fully funded for 4 years, covering fees and a maintenance grant (£19,237) (all tax free).

Informal enquiries and how to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Colin Boxall(c.boxall@lancaster.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should first send an email expressing interest to saturn@manchester.ac.uk as soon as possible and by the closing date: 31st May 2024.

For further information: https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

For further information: http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/engineering/

For further information: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/materials-science/

Supervisors:

Primary supervisor: Dr Naval Singh, School of Engineering (Chemical Engineering)
Secondary supervisor: Dr John Hardy, Department of Chemistry

A fully funded PhD studentship is available for a motivated candidate to undertake advanced applied research to investigate transport mechanisms for colloidal particles in complex fluids in microfluidic devices for various applications including drug delivery and point-of-care diagnostics.

You will be member of a vibrant research group with state-of-the-art microfabrication facilities and will receive full support and training for developing your research. During the project, the candidate will collaborate with multidisciplinary researchers from University College London, Loughborough University, and Institute Lumière Matière at the University Claude Bernard Lyon 1.

Project Detail

The rapidly evolving field of microfluidics, in which fluids are manipulated at a microscopic scale, finds many applications in industries, ranging from the pharmaceutical to the oil industry. Most ubiquitous fluids are non-Newtonian and complex such as paints, blood, inks and personal-care products are just a few examples. It also raises curiosity to understand the behaviour of micro- and nano-particles in confinement and under flow that is widely used in various industrial applications, including drug delivery, cosmetics, food, medical diagnostics, environmental remediation, energy and agro-based industries. The technique of controlled manipulation of colloidal particles using microfluidics as a tool in lab-on-a-chip has unlocked opportunities to overcome many limitations of conventional technologies such as the requirement of multiple preparation steps, long processing times and large sample volumes.

The project aims to develop and optimise innovative strategies to control the motion and spatio-temporal distribution of micro/nano-particles in complex fluids in a microfluidic environment. The candidate will design and fabricate microfluidic devices and characterise the flow/particle interaction through optical microscopy methods. There will be exposure to several experimental techniques for the synthesis and characterisation of functional particles and undertaking proof-of-concept studies to identify prospective applications of the developed microfluidic systems - especially for drug delivery and point-of-care diagnostics.

The research project has a broad range of opportunities and will be tailored on the background and interest of the successful candidate. The PhD studentship is based at Lancaster University. Details of the supervisors’ can be accessed here:

Dr Naval Singh

Dr John Hardy

Qualifications and experience

• Candidate will have, or expect to have, a UK Honours Degree (or equivalent overseas degree) at 2.1 or above in Chemical/ Mechanical/ Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, or related discipline.
• Experience in any of the listed areas - Microfluidics/Microfabrication, colloidal and interface science, surface chemistry, polymers, rheology, and data analysis/modelling are desirable although not a requisite.
• Good oral and written communication skills with the ability to prepare presentations, reports, and journal papers.

Non-UK students are encouraged to apply, however, the studentship only covers UK home fees. Overseas applicants should submit IELTS results (minimum 6.5) if applicable.

Funding Notes

This project is funded by Lancaster University. The funding covers the cost of the tuition fee for UK students and a standard tax-free UKRI stipend (£18,622 per annum for 23/24 academic year) for 3.5 years for UK applicants. Stipends typically undergo a small increase each year. Non-UK candidates are encouraged to apply but the funding will only cover the overseas tuition fee and the applicant would need to self-fund their living cost. Living costs could be financially supported by government funding (i.e. CSC scholarship for Chinese, Commonwealth Scholarships) or other scholarships.

Informal enquiries and how to apply

For any informal enquiries or more information about this position, candidates are encouraged to contact the main supervisor Dr Naval Singh n.singh1@lancaster.ac.uk for enquires. Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV and a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project to Dr Singh.

Early applications are strongly encouraged. The successful candidate can start as soon as possible on one of the typical cohort dates which are April 2024, October 2024 and January 2025. The position will remain open, and applications will be considered until a suitable candidate is appointed.

About the Project

A student is sought for a PhD study on the development of high efficiency RF amplifiers for the Muon Collider design study at CERN. Current particle accelerators use huge amounts of energy but not all of it goes into the beam, a significant fraction is lost as heat due to the inefficiency of the RF amplifiers, known as klystrons. This additional energy must be delivered from the electrical grid and hence leads to higher CO2 emissions. Future colliders will need to be more sustainable and a collaborative program at CERN and Lancaster University has been developed to develop higher efficiency klystrons to meet future needs of a number of future projects. One such project is the muon collider which is a large particle accelerator that will collide muons to study high-energy physics at scales beyond the LHC. Lancaster University is leading the development of the klystron for the muon collider design study.

The PhD student will use state-of-the-art simulation codes and high power computing to study the different technology options for the muon collider RF amplifier, working in synergy with the development of klystrons for other projects at CERN and the Cockcroft Institute, and will investigate how the achievable efficiency and power scales with different frequency choices. Novel methods of further increasing efficiency will be innovated looking at the full amplifier system including power supplies, magnetic focusing, electron sources, and the spent beam collector. This project is a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of the move to more sustainable and socially responsible solutions to big science.

The applicant will be expected to have a first or upper second class degree in physics, electronics or nuclear engineering and should have a good understanding of electromagnetism. The student will also be joining the Cockcroft Institute and will take part in a world leading PhD training program on particle accelerators.

Funding Notes

Upon acceptance of a student, this project will be funded (including both stipend and fees) for 3 years; UK citizens are eligible to apply. A full package of training and support will be provided by the Cockcroft Institute, and the student will take part in a vibrant accelerator research and education community of over 150 people.

Informal enquiries and how to apply

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Graeme Burt (graeme.burt@cockcroft.ac.uk). Candidates interested in applying should send a copy of their CV together with a personal statement/covering letter addressing their background and suitability for this project to Professor Burt.