Engineering
| Location: | UK Other |
| Closing Date: | Saturday 30 September 2023 |
| Reference: | ENG1696 |
Applications are invited for a fully funded PhD studentship (3 years) within the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham.
Background of the Pulse technique
The building sector is responsible for a significant proportion of final energy consumption in the global context (40%-50%). Fundamentally determined by the building airtightness, the infiltration accounts for a considerable amount of energy losses in building’s space conditioning. Therefore, measurement of building airtightness not only helps us minimise the infiltration-caused energy loss, but also enables us to understand buildings’ fabric quality and develop effective ventilation strategy.
Approved by the UK building regulation, the low-pressure Pulse technique is an alternative method for measuring building airtightness at representative pressures. Implemented by releasing air pulses within a building, it offers a dynamic measurement while maintaining the building integrity. However, due to its nature of being short and dynamic, the Pulse technique is unable to establish steady conditions for the leakage detection to be performed using the conventional diagnostic methods. Such disadvantage limits the Pulse method to the applications where the location detection of leakage pathways is not needed, thereby inhibiting wider applications.
We aim to overcome such disadvantage by exploring the possibility of pinpointing the location of leakage pathways in the building envelope utilising a dynamic acoustic method, which is facilitated during the Pulse test. In this research, a standardised testing sequence and mathematical model for mapping the air leakage distribution at a room level will be investigated and developed alongside to provide an improved understanding of the building envelope leakage and complement the main objective of this research to gain in-depth insights into the fabric quality.
In addition to good work ethic and academic integrity, the ideal candidate will also have knowledge and experience in building science and technology, and be interested in low carbon buildings, indoor air quality and general sustainability. Good writing and communication skills are essential. Strong skills in using ANSYS fluent, Python, Matlab or similar coding software are desirable. The studentship offers exciting research based in the Department of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Nottingham.
Eligibility
•Both home and International students are welcome to apply. For home students, a full home studentship is available (£18,622 per annum). For international students, full international fees are provided, no stipend.
•Candidates must possess or expect to obtain, a 2:1 or first-class degree in an Engineering or Physical Sciences related discipline, or equivalent for international students.
•Preferred start date is 1st February 2024, but this is negotiable for the right candidate.
How to apply
Please send a copy of your covering letter, CV and academic transcripts to Dr Xiaofeng (Ken) Zheng at xiaofeng.zheng@nottingham.ac.uk referring to the project title. Informal inquires can also be sent to this email address.
Closing date: 30th September 2023