Sustainable Laser Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace Applications
A fully funded PhD studentship in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
This PhD studentship is open to UK and international students. Funding is provided for living costs and tuition fees at the Home/UK rate. Overseas candidates are welcome to apply but will be required to find additional funding for the remaining Overseas tuition fees.
Key information
Supervisors: Prof Peter D. Lee (UCL), Dr Chu Lun Alex Leung (UCL).
Application deadline: 15 July 2025
Project start date: 01 October 2025
Project duration: 4 years
Studentship funding: Home tuition fees (currently £6,215/year) and maintenance stipend (currently £22,780/year) provided for 3.5 years
PhD project description
Additive Manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, has been identified as a key technology enabler for sustainable manufacturing and repair of components for commercial aircraft to applications on the moon.
This project aims to develop more sustainable laser-based AM manufacturing methods for applications from new component to repair applications. In situ monitoring techniques and Machine Learning (ML) algorithms will be explored to ensure quality. This project will focus on using our unique in situ synchrotron x-ray imaging blown powder Directed Energy Deposition AM (DED-AM) machine to observe laser-matter interactions, defect formation, and the application of external forces. You will use your results to inform and validate multiphysics numerical models of DED-AM.
Depending on the direction in which the project progresses, the work will be collaborative with companies including the European Space Agency (ESA) and Rolls Royce plc.
Person specification
- Applicants should ideally have a first-class, or equivalent, undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, or a related discipline.
- A passion for space research is essential.
- Excellent organisational, interpersonal, and communication skills, along with a stated interest in interdisciplinary research, are essential.
- Ideally you will have experience in one or more of the following:
- Natural science (e.g. Chemistry and Physics)
- Image analysis
- Matlab and Python programming
- Machine Learning
- Additive manufacturing
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Fluency and clarity in spoken English as well as good written English in accordance with UCL English requirements (TOEFL>92 or IELTS>6.5).
Eligibility
Please note that the available funding supports tuition fees at the Home/UK rate (currently £6,215 per year). Students who are eligible to pay fees at the UK rate are welcome to apply (e.g. UK students or EEA or Swiss nationals who are “settled” or “pre-settled” within the UK in accordance with the EU Settlement Scheme). 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 (currently £33,000 per year) 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.
Applicants whose first language is not English are required to meet UCL's English language entry requirements.
Please refer to this webpage for full eligibility criteria: Mechanical Engineering MPhil/PhD
How to apply
To apply, please email Prof. Peter Lee (peter.lee@ucl.ac.uk) and enclose the following documents:
- A one-page statement outlining your motivation for the project
- A two-page CV (including contact details of two referees)
- A copy of your university transcripts.
The supervisory team will arrange interviews for short-listed candidates. This PhD studentship is available on a first come, first served basis, closing on 15 July 2025.
