Characterisation, modelling and optimisation of smart technical textiles and metamaterials

Key information

Lead supervisor: Dr Federico Bosi
Application deadline: ongoing
Project start date: TBC
Project duration: 4 years

PhD project description

One of the most important consumer needs of the future will be energy. The technical textiles sector is dynamic, and its share is constantly growing. Therefore, technical textiles and metamaterials have the potential to enable a new generation of materials that contribute to the current and future needs of energy management and its renewable production, with an impact on different sectors, from buildings to robotics. The work is part of an international research project (https://subbimatt.eu/) to develop bio-based and bio-inspired sustainable smart technical textile materials and metamaterials.  

The project aims to characterise, model, design and optimise smart textile materials and lightweight metamaterials with mechanical actuation, energy harvesting and tunable properties.Their functionalities will be proven by their implementation in engineering demonstrators, such as shape-morphing building envelopes, automotive interiors, and adaptive garments.

The PhD research will be conducted by characterising and modelling the thermomechanical and multifunctional response of the constituent materials, smart textiles and metamaterials, developing a robust and efficient computational framework that includes finite element analysis and machine learning to design and optimise their behaviour before the final implementation in at least one demonstrator.

The research objectives will be achieved using a combination of advanced modelling, computational analyses (including machine learning), and quasi-static and dynamic thermomechanical experiments. The research will be performed within an international project and in collaboration with several international universities, research centres and SMEs.

As a PhD student at UCL, you will benefit from research training (in mechanical engineering, solid and structural mechanics), high-performance computing, and experimental methods. Furthermore, you will be encouraged to publish your work in leading peer-reviewed journals and present your findings at the most important national and international conferences.

Person specification

• Applicants must have a UK-equivalent first degree in solid mechanics, structural, mechanical, materials engineering or a related discipline with a high technical/mathematical content.
• Experience in one, or more, of the following: material and structural modelling; numerical and finite element simulations; machine learning; experimental characterisation.
• Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communication skills, along with an interest in interdisciplinary research, are essential.
• Background in Abaqus, MATLAB and Python is desirable. Proficient in programming.
• Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English in accordance with UCL English requirements.

Eligibility

Please note that the available funding supports tuition fees at the Home/UK rate. Students who are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate are welcome to apply. Please refer to our website for further information about Home tuition fee eligibility.

International students who are eligible to pay tuition fees at the Overseas rate are also welcome to apply, however the tuition fees covered by the studentship will be limited to the Home/UK level. International students will be required to find additional funding for the remaining Overseas tuition fees.

Please refer to this webpage for full eligibility criteria: Mechanical Engineering MPhil/PhD

How to apply

Eligible applicants should first contact Dr Federico Bosi (f.bosi@ucl.ac.uk). Please enclose the following documents:

• a one-page statement outlining suitability for the project,
• a two-page CV (including contact details of two referees),
• a maximum two-page research proposal that addresses the research topic, demonstrates an understanding of the background and outlines the research questions, and
• academic transcript(s) (listing all subjects taken and their corresponding grades).

After discussing the project with Dr Bosi, eligible applicants should also submit a formal PhD application via the UCL website.

The supervisory team will arrange interviews for short-listed candidates.