10/07/2018 Research Scholarships

Research Scholarships

Aerospace Engineering: Fully Funded PhD Scholarship: Digital Twins

for Aircraft Gust Load Alleviation
Closing date: 23 July 2018

Key Information
Start date: October 2018

The subject of this PhD study is the design of passive and active robust control systems for aircraft gust load alleviation
using morphing wing tip devices. In practice, the variability in the structural parameters of aircraft structures and gust loads
will be considerable which makes it essential to select the controller parameters in an optimal manner to ensure the
reduction of loads even when the nominal conditions change. Different concepts such as nonlinear springs and
unsymmetrical stiffness have been introduced for the morphing winglet. They have been mainly designed to enable higher
aspect ratio aircraft with less induced drag. This PhD project will focus on the development of computational models to
enable the design and optimisation of passive and active actuation mechanisms for morphing winglets to alleviate dynamic
loads. Robust design methods for the passive/active winglet design will also be developed. Both structural and aerodynamic
uncertainties will be considered in the design, and the models will be validated using wind tunnel tests in the Swansea
University wind tunnel.

This project is funded by the College of Engineering and linked to the EPSRC Programme Grant on Digital Twins for
Improved Dynamic Design. The project has been developed in close collaboration with Airbus at Bristol, and the student will
be expected to spend significant time at Airbus. The student will be supervised by Dr Hamed Haddad Khodaparast, Dr
Marinos Manolesos and Professor Michael Friswell.

Eligibility
Candidates should have an MEng or equivalent in Aerospace Engineering.

Some knowledge of aeroelasticity and some experience in the aerospace industry would be desirable.

There are no restrictions on nationality of candidates however please note that the scholarship only covers UK/EU tuition
fees.

We would normally expect the academic and English Language requirements to be met by point of application. For details
on the University’s English Language entry requirements, please visit –
http://www.swansea.ac.uk/admissions/englishlanguagerequirements/

Funding
The scholarship covers the full cost of UK/EU tuition fees, an annual stipend of £14,777 and other research expenses.

There are no restrictions on nationality of candidates however please note that the scholarship only covers UK/EU tuition
fees.

How to Apply
To apply please submit the following documents to Professor Michael I Friswell (m.i.friswell@swansea.ac.uk):

CV
Covering letter

International applicants may apply, but the funding source to cover the fee difference must be guaranteed and detailed in the
covering letter.

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10/07/2018 Research Scholarships

Informal enquiries before the deadline for formal applications are welcome by emailing Dr Hamed Haddad Khodaparast
(h.haddadkhodaparast@swansea.ac.uk) or Professor Michael I Friswell (m.i.friswell@swansea.ac.uk).

Make a postgraduate enquiry

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