Sunday, December 6, 2015

PhD: Wheel force estimation and control allocation using strain gauge measurements

Eligibility: UK/EU/International
Award Details: Tuition Fees + Bursary
Duration: 3 years Fixed Term (Studentships are available to commence during academic year 15/16 - start date will be specified to successful candidates)
Application deadline: December 15th
Informal enquiries are essential before application; contact Stratis Kanarachos to discuss this opportunity.
Congratulations on taking your first steps toward a Research Degree with Coventry’s Faculty of Engineering and Computing. As an ambitious and innovative University, we’re investing an initial £100m into our new research strategy, ‘Excellence with Impact’. Through original approaches from world-leading experts, we’re aiming for our research to make a tangible difference to the way we live. As a research student you are an integral part of Coventry’s lively and diverse research community and contribute to our reputation for excellence. With our exceptional facilities and superb support mechanisms you are afforded every opportunity for academic success.

The Project

In recent years, in the automotive industry, there has been a significant turn towards the development of model based active safety and advanced driver assistance systems with the aim to reduce development costs and improve the communication channels between OEMs departments as well as tier suppliers. Furthermore, as this has become recently possible, one of their main targets now is to virtually homologate as many active safety systems as possible. However, as a study by Cranfield University and Volvo has shown, one of the identified bottlenecks is the lack of accurate and reliable tire models especially when needed to describe the behaviour at the limits of handling and for combined loading conditions. The interaction between tyre and road is complex, and different tyres and roads have different characteristics. Tire pressure and/or temperature can influence significantly the behaviour. Even when only considering the longitudinal stiffness the experimental values differ considerably between tyres, and the variability can typically be 20–100%. Researchers attempted to measure tire forces using smart tires but this solution is extremely complex, expensive and not appropriate for real time applications. In the proposed PhD program we propose to eliminate this bottleneck by measuring directly the tyre forces and thus circumvent the need to model them.

About the Centre/Department

Our research in Mobility & Transport works across our faculties and focuses on the design and engineering of future transport systems, including the growing influence of the internet and connectivity. The focus is on inclusive, sustainable and safe transport integrating the strongest research elements in design and engineering.
The team will offer a holistic approach, integrating the best of our Transport Design and Engineering Research developing for example, specific applications around autonomy and durability in vehicle electrification. The research will also extend our existing work in crash protection to investigate new advanced driver assistance and active safety systems that communicate with the infrastructure and with other vehicles to avoid or mitigate the consequences of accidents. Our existing strengths in road based transport systems will be extended taking our work in light-weighting, wireless sensing, occupant protection/comfort and cyber security into new transport sectors that include not only rail, aerospace and marine but also the emergency services.
This area brings together a number of established and growing areas of research expertise and focused themes. These include: vehicle design and styling, vehicle electrification, user centred design, human factors and ergonomics, structural optimisation and light-weighting, wireless sensing, vehicle dynamics and safety, aerospace engineering, autonomous systems, connectivity and cyber security and human systems integration.

Successful Applicants

Successful applicants will have:
  • A minimum of a 2:1 first degree in a relevant discipline/subject area with a minimum 60% mark in the Project element or equivalent with a minimum 60% overall module average, or
  • A Masters Degree in a relevant subject area will be considered as an equivalent. The Masters must have been attained with overall marks at merit level (60%). In addition, the dissertation or equivalent element in the Masters must also have been attained with a mark at merit level (60%), or
  • A taught Masters degree in a relevant discipline, involving a dissertation of standard length written in English in the relevant subject area with a minimum of a merit profile: 60% overall module average and a minimum of a 60% dissertation mark.
  • The potential to engage in innovative research and to complete the PhD within a three-year period of study.
  • A minimum of English language proficiency (IELTS overall minimum score of 7.0 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component)where applicable.

Eligibility & Application Procedure

Application Procedure:
Application information can be found in our how to apply section. Before completing the application please contact Stratis Kanarachos (cc'ing admissions.ec@coventry.ac.uk when you do) for an initial informal discussion about the opportunity.
Eligibility:
All UK/EU/International students are eligible to apply that meet the academic requirements, the eligibility criteria can be found here.

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