PhD Studentship: Ultrasonic inspection of a new generation of composite materials

University of Bristol - Mechanical Engineering

Qualification type:	PhD
Location:	Bristol
Funding for:	UK Students, EU Students
Funding amount:	£14,057 (2015/16) with an annual top-up of £4.5k
Hours:	Full Time

 

Placed on:	2nd June 2015
Closes:	19th June 2015

The project: 

Composite materials are making structures stronger and lighter, but they are expensive. A new generation of cheaper composite materials are emerging which offer a much more cost effective solution and are likely to see widespread use in the future: in applications as diverse as aircraft wings and wind turbine blades. However, it is currently not known how best to non-destructively test these new materials and that is the key question that this PhD project will address. If these materials are to be used in safety critical applications, such as those in the aerospace industry, then this ability to prove that the material is of high quality is incredibly important. Indeed, aircraft cannot fly until such proof exists. The PhD will explore the use of high resolution ultrasonic imaging to characterise the internal structure of these new materials. The complex nature of their internal structure means that novel imaging techniques will be needed which can, for example, overcome the bending of the ultrasonic waves that will occur due to their anisotropic stiffness. However, the propagation of ultrasonic waves in these materials is not well understood and so a core aspect of the project will be to accurately model these effects. The concept is that a good model will lead to improved imaging. The project will therefore involve research on ultrasonic waves, imaging, and new materials. This project, is in partnership with BAE Systems a leading manufacturer of composite aerospace structures. They will give the student full access to these new materials.

The student will be based in the Ultrasonics and Non-Destructive Testing (UNDT) Research Group in the Department of Mechanical Engineering [www.ndtatbristol.com] which is world-leading in the areas of array imaging, guided wave structural health monitoring and ultrasonic particle manipulation. The group currently comprises 5 academic staff, 7 postdoctoral research staff and 18 postdoctoral students. It has a well-equipped laboratory and has a sustained track record of research funding from a variety of sources. The UNDT group was also a founding member of the UK Research Centre in Non-Destructive Evaluation [http://www.rcnde.ac.uk/], which comprises 5 other universities and has a core industrial membership of 15 major companies, including Rolls-Royce, Airbus, BAE Systems, National Nuclear Laboratory and EDF Energy.

How to apply: 

Please make an online application for this project at http://www.bris.ac.uk/pg-howtoapply. Please select <Mechanical Engineering> on the Programme Choice page and enter details of the studentship when prompted in the Funding and Research Details sections of the form

Candidate requirements:  

First class or upper second class degree in any Engineering discipline or Physics.

Basic skills and knowledge required:

Essential: good mathematical/analytical skills; basic knowledge of elasticity; experience of programming.

Desirable: Matlab.

Funding: 

Starting stipend (tax-free) per annum is the EPSRC stipend of £14,057 in 2015/16 plus an annual industrial “top-up” of £4.5k. The Scholarship covers PhD tuition fees for UK applicants and for EU applicants who have been resident in the UK for 3 years prior to application. EU nationals resident in the EU may apply but will only qualify for PhD tuition fees.

Contacts: Professor Bruce Drinkwater (b.drinkwater@bristol.ac.uk)   APPLY

Research Fellow in the Large Scale Testing of Electrical Machines

University of Bristol - Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering

Location:	Bristol
Salary:	Not specified
Hours:	Part Time
Contract Type:	Contract / Temporary

 

Placed on:	3rd June 2015
Closes:	10th June 2015
Job Ref:	ACAD101460
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Language: English (UK)
Division / School: Merchant Venturers' School of Engineering

Applications are invited for above post in the Electrical Energy Management Group within the Faculty of Engineering. The Group's research explores the challenges of high efficiency electrical energy conversion systems for applications in aircraft, hybrid vehicles and renewable power generation. Much of this research involves theoretical analyses combined with concept demonstration and test. 

To support its research the group has established a range of hardware-in–the-loop test facilities with ratings up to 1MVA. We are seeking to appoint Research Fellow to manage the larger of these facilities. The primary activities of the role will be:

• To manage the operation of the large scale rotorcraft electric drive test facility. This includes operational resources, finances relating to the running and maintenance of the facility, and health and safety. 
• To liaise with academic, researchers and technical staff to ensure support and successful operation of rotorcraft electric drive test facility. 
• To arrange/run relevant training for researchers and support staff operating the facility to ensure safe working practices 
• To manage the delivery of tests against an agreed timetable and report the principal findings of the tests internally and to external industry sponsors. This includes regularly updating of any test plans and reporting these at program management meetings. 

You will join an interdisciplinary team of post-doctoral researchers and postgraduates investigating advanced electrical machine and power conversion concepts. You will be encouraged and supported to attend international conferences, and to publish research findings in high-impact journals.

This post is offered on a fixed term 40% FTE (2 days per week) initially for a fixed term period ending September 2015, with the potential of a further six month extension to the project.

Informal enquiries can be made to: Professor Phil Mellor (p.h.mellor@bristol.ac.uk)

Interviews will take place shortly after the closing date APPLY

Universities in the United Kingdom

The University of Bristol utilises the UNESCO definition of Education for Sustainable Development.  This encompasses not just environmental sustainability but also economic and social issues.  It also includes knowledge, skills and values that students should be equipped with to be future fit.  As part of Bristol European Green Capital 2015 the University has pledged to ensure that all students encounter sustainability during their time studying as well as signing up to a UNESCO GAP Commitment. This wiki will provide you with detailed information to support the inclusion of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) materials in the formal curriculum, tailored on a subject by subject basis and also inform you of ESD activities at the University. 

Universities that were originally Polytechnics, Further Education Colleges, Teacher Training Colleges, University Colleges etc that were granted full University status as part of the Education reforms of the 1980s and 1990s. Most of these have elements that date back several hundred years - whilst their University degree awarding status may be 'new', their establishment is often older than some of the Civics and Red Brick Universities. This article explains the various routes to university status of the list below.

In the years following the end of the Second World War, local education authorities (LEAs) paid student tuition fees and provided non-mature^{[clarification needed]} students with a maintenance grant. Under the Education Act 1962 a national mandatory award of student maintenance grant was established, payable by the LEAs to students on most full-time courses. In 1980, the level of grant increased from £380 to £1,430.^[1]

As the university population rose during the 1980s the sums paid to universities became linked to their performance and efficiency, and by the mid-1990s funding per student had dropped by 40% since the mid-1970s, while numbers of full-time students had reached around 2,000,000 (around a third of the age group), up from around 1,300,000.

The universities in the United Kingdom (with the exception of The Open University) share an undergraduate admission system operated by UCAS. Applications must be made by 15 October for admissions to Oxford and Cambridge (and medicine, dentistry and veterinary science courses) and by 15 January for admissions to other UK universities.^[3]

British universities tend to have a strong reputation internationally for two reasons: history and research output. The UK's role in the industrial and scientific revolutions, combined with its imperial history and the sheer longevity of its ancient universities, are significant factors as to why these institutions are world renowned. The University of Cambridge, for example, has produced 90 Nobel Laureates to date - more than any other university in the world.^[6] The reputation of British institutions is maintained today by their continuous stream of world-class research output. The larger research-intensive civic universities are members of the Russell Group, which receives two-thirds of all research funding in the UK.

Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme

Last updated 22 May 2015

The Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) allows those who are already qualified lawyers in other jurisdictions to qualify as a solicitor of England and Wales without having to complete the full education and training requirements currently specified in the SRA Training Regulations 2014.

The scheme also applies to barristers qualified in England and Wales who have completed pupillage and want to qualify as a solicitor. The route to qualification is set out in the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme Regulations 2011.

Transitional provisions

Since January 2014 the system of QLTS assessments has been modified slightly. The Multiple Choice Test remains unchanged. However the OSCE and the TLST has combined into a single assessment known as the OSCE. 

If you passed at least one of the QLTS assessments before January 2014, the following transitional provisions will apply to you:

• Candidates who have passed the MCT before January 2014 but not the old OSCE or the TLST will be required to sit the new OSCE in its entirely (Parts 1 and 2). They will pay the fee for the new OSCE.
• Candidates who sat the old OSCE before January 2014 and passed the old OSCE but have not passed the TLST will be required to sit the new OSCE Part 2 only. They will pay the fee for the old TLST only.
• Candidates who sat the TLST before January 2014 and passed the TLST but have not passed the old OSCE will be required to sit the new OSCE Part 1 only. They will pay the fee for the old OSCE only.

Please see the Kaplan website for further details.

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Law is a system of rules that are enforced through social institutions to govern behaviour

The adjudication of the law is generally divided into two main areas referred to as (i) Criminal law and (ii) Civil law. Criminal law deals with conduct that is considered harmful to social order and in which the guilty party may be imprisoned or fined. Civil law (not to be confused with civil law jurisdictions above) deals with the resolution of lawsuits (disputes) between individuals or organizations. These resolutions seek to provide a legal remedy (often monetary damages) to the winning litigant. Under civil law, the following specialties, among others, exist: Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus ticket to trading on derivatives markets. Property law regulates the transfer and title of personal property and real property. Trust law applies to assets held for investment and financial security. Tort lawallows claims for compensation if a person's property is harmed. Constitutional law provides a framework for the creation of law, the protection of human rights and the election of political representatives. Administrative law governs what executive branch agencies may and may not do, procedures that they must follow to do it, and judicial review when a member of the public is harmed by an agency action. International law governs affairs between sovereign states in activities ranging from trade to military action. To implement and enforce the law and provide services to the public by public servants, a government's bureaucracy, military, and police are vital. While all these organs of the state are creatures created and bound by law, an independent legal profession and a vibrant civil society inform and support their progress.