UK : PhD Scholarship Numerical And Experimental Study Of 3-D Strain/Stress Fields In Engineering And Life Sciences

Loughborough University

PhD scholarship jointly funded by the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, UK, and the Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM), Châlons en Champagne, France. The successful candidate will spend 18 months in Châlons en Champagne and 18 months in Loughborough, aiming for a dual doctorate degree.

Up to £12,600 per annum tax free plus tuition fees.

Ref: PDR031109

Loughborough University has a world-leading reputation in the development and application of optical interferometric techniques for measuring strain fields on the surfaces of engineering components. The Mechanics and Manufacturing Laboratory at ENSAM has extensive expertise in the area of inverse identification of material properties from full-field measurements. This project aims to extend novel tomographic optical techniques to allow the mapping of strain fields and mechanical properties inside the volume of weakly scattering materials, in a non-contact way and with high sensitivity and high spatial resolution. Specific problems that will be addressed as part of a broader research platform include:

Inverse problem solution: Extraction of depth-resolved distributions of material properties inside weakly scattering materials by means of Finite Element Updating and the Virtual Fields Method from experimentally measured displacement fields using optical methods.

Medical applications: Evaluation of elastic modulus distributions from displacement measurements through-the-thickness of the human eye cornea to numerically predict corneal behaviour after laser ablation in refractive surgery.

Engineering applications: Measurement of 3-D displacement fields inside polymers and composite materials under known loads to evaluate structural damage and extract constitutive parameters.

Further info on research project at:

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/mm/staff/ruiz-files/FG2006_CFS.pdf

http://www.camfit.fr/index.php

The ideal candidate will hold, or be expecting, a 1st class or 2:1 honours degree in mechanical engineering or physical science subject, preferably with proven experience in Finite Element Analysis. Strong theoretical and numerical analysis skills, proven ability to undertake experimental projects and proficiency in MATLAB/C++ computer programming language are also required.

At Châlons en Champagne, a scholarship grant of 13,200 € p.a. will be paid by the Champagne Ardenne Regional Council. At Loughborough University, a scholarship grant of £12,600 p.a. plus PhD student fees will be paid by the Wolfson School for EU applicants; in all other cases the student will be responsible for £4,600 towards the cost of the full overseas rate.

Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact Dr. Pablo D. Ruiz, Loughborough University, at P.D.Ruiz@lboro.ac.uk or Prof. Fabrice Pierron, ENSAM, at fabrice.pierron@chalons.ensam.fr. Please contact Ms Jo Mason, Research Administrator (J.R.Mason@lboro.ac.uk) for further information and an application form. Please quote the reference PDR031109 on your initial enquiry to Ms Mason and on the application form.

The closing date for applications to this post is 30^th November 2009.