Location: Streatham Campus, University of Exeter, EX4 4QJ

Project Description:
Today, it is a major challenge for power intensive industries to optimize their energy strategy in order to ensure long-term sustainable economic growth. Strategies for engineering systems to improve their energy efficiency are timely and vital. This project intends to unravel a practical question: can we improve the energy efficiency of engineering systems through judiciously switching between their coexisting states?
The proposed research aims to develop a novel control strategy for multistable engineering systems in order to maintain their performance within a satisfactory level by implementing an energy-optimal steering. This will be achieved by studying a novel non-smooth dynamical system, namely the vibro-impact capsule system through both theoretical development and experimental validation. In the long term, this project will be fundamental for the realization of energy efficient control, which will provide safe, reliable, and efficient operations for future engineering systems.

The approach to realize this PhD project is:
(1) to study multistability in the vibro-impact capsule system and its basins of attraction numerically and experimentally;
(2) to develop a new control strategy for switching between different coexisting attractors; and
(3) to verify the proposed control strategy experimentally using the experimental rig of the capsule system.

For more information about the project and informal enquiries, please contact the primary supervisor, Dr. Yang Liu (y.liu2@exeter.ac.uk).

Academic Entry Requirements:

You should have or expect to achieve at least a 2:1 Honours degree, or equivalent, in control engineering. Experience in numerical analysis and experimental work is desirable.

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements (IELTS 6.5 with individual mark not less than 6.0)

Application deadline:        23rd April 2017

Value: UK/EU/International tuition fees plus an annual maintenance allowance at current Research Council rate. Current rate of ￡14,296 per year

Duration of award:        3.5 year studentship 返回小木虫查看更多