Mechanical Engineering: Fully Funded UKRI and Enserv PhD Scholarship at Swansea University

Mechanical Engineering: Fully Funded UKRI and Enserv PhD Scholarship: Manufacturing sustainable electrodes for ultracapacitors Funding providers: UKRI and Enserv Group Subject areas: Engineering, Energy storage Project start date: 1 October 2022 (Enrolment open from mid-September) Project supervisors: Professor D. Deganello Professor S Margadonna Dr C. O. Phillips Aligned programme of study: PhD in Mechanical Engineering Mode of study: Full-time Project description: Sustainable large scale manufacture of electrode matched with advanced electrolytes is a key challenge for the future of ultracapacitors as large-scale energy storage solutions. The PhD will focus on a fundamental understanding of how formulation and rheology affect the deposition, performance of advanced active carbon coatings as electrodes in interaction with advanced electrolytes. Development of high solid content advanced carbon coating, matched with low environmental impact solvents, will allow development of low impact manufacturing processes reducing solvent exhaust management issues and thermal processing cost, delivering sustainable scalable solution for manufacture of electrode. Candidate will interact with sponsor company Enserv, ensuring knowledge exchange and transfer. PhD is experimental laboratory based, particularly suited to candidates with knowledge and possible experience in ink formulation, material characterisation and electrochemical testing.