This PhD studentship is an exciting, fully funded opportunity to work as part of an internationally renowned scientific and engineering team to develop a new innovative technology to meet and overcome the serious challenges of increasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the UK’s drinking water supplies.
Background
In the UK, and elsewhere, climate change is causing increased concentrations of DOC in peatland-fed raw waters. DOC can react with chlorine to produce carcinogenic disinfection by-products. This project aims to develop a new, effective, proof-of-concept process for removing DOC from raw drinking waters, using novel magnetic composite materials.
Objectives
The student will be directly involved in both the synthesis of the novel magnetic materials (in collaboration with Professor Barbara Maher, Lancaster Environment Centre and Dr James Byrne, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol), and, in collaboration with an Engineering-based supervisor (Dr Farid Aiouache) and a dedicated Research Assistant, tailoring the use of the new materials in the water treatment process. Specifically, the PhD project will address the following objectives:
- Develop cost-effective, controlled processes for production of novel magneto-composites, with selected compositions, particle sizes and exchange properties.
- Demonstrate DOC removal using the new materials, at various experimental scales (with the aim of reaching pilot-scale demonstration by end of Year 3)
- Develop understanding of the underlying chemistry and associated transport phenomena inside the engineered flow process unit.
- With our business specialist (Dr Alan Gilchrist), help to develop business and service models from technical and economic perspectives to support process scale-up and expansion.
Qualifications and experience
- Candidates should be highly motivated, well-organised and have a relevant degree at 2.1 minimum in chemistry, environmental chemistry, chemical engineering, or related disciplines.
- Previous experimental experience in water processing and analytical chemistry techniques (e.g. ICP-OES/MS; UV-vis spectroscopy, etc.) is not essential but would be beneficial.
- Excellent skills in project management, practical laboratory knowledge, data processing, record keeping and organisation, and professional working attitude with a multidisciplinary project team.
- Excellent communication skills, including preparing oral presentations, reports etc.
Funding
This project is fully funded by OFWAT and Lancaster University’s Environment Centre and the School of Engineering and covers the tuition fee and a standard tax-free stipend at UKRI rates for three years for UK applicants (£19,237 for 24/25 academic year). The successful candidate, who will start no later than October 2024, will have the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious project of one of the UK's most research-intensive universities.
Enquiries
For informal enquiries to learn more about the PhD project candidates would be welcome to contact Professor Barbara Maher (b.maher@lancaster.ac.uk) and/or Dr James Byrne (james.byrne@bristol.ac.uk). Interested applicants may contact Dr Farid Aiouache (f.aiouache@lancaster.ac.uk) with a copy of their CV and a covering letter explaining their suitability for the project.
About the Project
A student is sought for a PhD study on the development of the superconducting RF crab cavities for the Electron Ion Collider (EIC) being constructed in New York, US. The electron ion collider is a large particle accelerator that will, collide electrons with protons and nuclei to produce snapshots of those particles' internal structure. In order to align bunches for collision, transverse RF cavities are used provide a time-varying kick to the beam, known as crab cavities. Lancaster are building on expertise on developing similar structures for the Large Hadron Collider.
The crab system will be designed and constructed by a collaboration of Lancaster University, Daresbury Laboratory and Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory. The student will join an internationally leading team of experts on one of the world’s most exciting engineering projects. The students will also be joining the Cockcroft Institute and will take part in a world leading PhD training program on particle accelerators.
The RF system is made of a superconducting radiofrequency cavity, operating at a temperature of 4.2 K, and a cryostat to support and cool the cavity to that temperature. The student will design the superconducting RF structure, including all RF couplers, and then work with industry to manufacture those cavities before testing them at high field. Due to the high beam currents the students will perform critical research in the use and impedance management of high frequency crab cavities. The student will be based at either Lancaster or Daresbury. The applicant will be expected to have a first or upper second class degree in in physics, electronics or nuclear engineering and should have a good understanding of electromagnetism.
Funding Notes
Funding and eligibility: Upon acceptance of a student, this project will be funded for 3.5 years including both stipend and fees; UK and US citizens are eligible to apply.
How to Apply
Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Prof Graeme Burt (graeme.burt@cockcroft.ac.uk) for more information. This position will remain open until filled.
The student would ideally start in October 2025. 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.
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.
About the Project
Proposed here is the development of an automated detection and fingerprinting method using machine learning and spectra unfolding techniques for the real-time, in-situ monitoring and determination of weak beta-emitting radionuclides found in groundwater around nuclear sites without the need for sampling. This will utilise state-of-the-art technology recently developed by the research team capable of detecting beta-emitting radionuclides in water.
Remote monitoring of groundwater sites is notoriously difficult owing to the array of chemical and physical contaminates that can potentially be found due to the varied past uses of sites, such as Sellafield, including non-nuclear activities. Detection and identification of beta-emitting radionuclides such as 3H, 40K, 90Sr, 125Sb, etc. in boreholes is a complex but important task due to the emission of ionising radiation which can be hazardous to human health. Hence the requirement to monitor groundwater to ensure it meets national and international legislation. This task is difficult as the beta particles emitted have broad, over-lapping energy spectra, and are absorbed within a very short distance from creation in water. Currently, the assay of radionuclides producing weak beta radiation is undertaken via the sending of samples to 3rd party labs for extraction and analysis – a costly and time-consuming method.
This project will build on a previous successful NDA bursary funded project ‘In-situ Real-time Monitoring of Waterborne Low Energy Betas’ (NNL/UA/006) led by the research team here. In this project, a prototype system was developed [1, 2] capable of detecting weak beta-emitting radionuclides, such as tritium, in groundwater. The detectors developed were designed to fit in boreholes and detect radionuclides in water without having to remove samples from the borehole. An efficient data management system [1] was also developed to facilitate extended testing and communications required for deployment.
The proposed project will use this technology directly but extend the functionality to automatically detect and quantify the concentrations of individual weak beta-emitting radionuclides, such as tritium and 14C, in the presence of 90Sr, which is the dominant high-energy beta-emitting radionuclide in groundwater on site at Sellafield. The research will focus on developing machine learning algorithms to extend total beta analysis to individual weak beta-emitting radionuclides, automating the analysis, and negating the need for sampling and laboratory separation and chemical analysis. It hence will become far cheaper to screen boreholes frequently.
SATURN_Nuclear_CDT
Funding Notes
The project will be part of the EPSRC-supported Centre for Doctoral Training in SATURN (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear). This is a fully funded PhD studentship, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the NDA. The funding covers tuition fees and provides an enhanced annual tax-free stipend for 4 years commencing at £23,349. It is available for a student from the United Kingdom or from the European Union with 3 years residency in the UK. There will also be a £29,300 research support and training grant over the lifetime of the award.
References
[1] Compact Back-End Electronics with Temperature Compensation and Efficient Data Management for In Situ SiPM-Based Radiation Detection. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23084053
[2] Laminated Flow-Cell Detector with Granulated Scintillator for the Detection of Tritiated Water. https://doi.org/10.3390/radiation3040017
Informal enquiries and how to apply
Interested candidates are strongly encouraged to contact the project supervisor Dr David Cheneler (d.cheneler@lancaster.ac.uk) to discuss their interest in and suitability for the project prior to submitting an application, and also register their interest with the EPSRC CDT SATURN (Saturn@manchester.ac.uk) for this project.
Applicants should have a minimum of an upper second-class honours degree in electronic engineering, mechatronic engineering, computer science, or a related technical subject.
