Advanced Modelling of Frictional Interfaces in Renewable Energy Structures

About the Project

These projects are open to students worldwide, but have no funding attached. Therefore, the successful applicant will be expected to fund tuition fees at the relevant level (home or international) and any applicable additional research costs. Please consider this before applying.

Friction is crucial to the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines, hydroelectric power, and wave energy systems. However, a significant amount of energy is lost due to inadequate interface design and modelling, with friction serving as one of the primary contributors to global energy dissipation.

When frictional interfaces are present (as is the case with assemblies of components), additional damping and stiffness are also introduced at the interfaces. The major challenge in structural dynamics at present is the treatment of contact interfaces, as the complexity of frictional interfaces is simply not accounted for in dynamics models. The complex characteristics of frictional interfaces make it difficult to predict the vibration characteristics of assemblies and energy dissipation.

This project will develop a Finite Element (FE) modelling tool to accurately describe the interface, with the aim of significantly improving the accuracy of structural vibration models. The first level of success is to achieve an FE interface capable of mimicking experimentally measured mechanical interface responses (e.g., contact stiffness versus pressure curves, among others). A higher level of success will allow the user to input core material and surface properties, enabling the tool to calculate the required responses. Validation tests will be carried out to check the performance of the new interface model in making predictions for specially chosen ‘test-case’ assembled dynamic structures.

The developed computational tools will serve to accurately predict frictional behaviours of structural interfaces in renewable energy applications to optimise material properties and achieve high-performance, energy efficient, and reliable designs.

Decisions will be based on academic merit. The successful applicant should have, or expect to obtain, a UK Honours Degree at 2.1 (or equivalent) in Mechanical/Materials/Aerospace/Marine Engineering or Materials Science.

Application Procedure:

Formal applications can be completed online: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/pgap/login.php.

You should apply for PhD in Engineering to ensure your application is passed to the correct team for processing.

Please clearly note the name of the lead supervisor and project titleon the application form. If you do not include these details, it may not be considered for the studentship.

Your application must include: A personal statement, an up-to-date copy of your academic CV, and clear copies of your educational certificates and transcripts.

Please note: you do not need to provide a research proposal with this application.

Informal enquiries can be made by contacting Dr M Kartal at m.kartal@abdn.ac.uk. If you require any additional assistance in submitting your application or have any queries about the application process, please don't hesitate to contact us at researchadmissions@abdn.ac.uk

Funding Notes

This is a self-funding project open to students worldwide. Our typical start dates for this programme are February or October.

Fees for this programme can be found here Finance and Funding | Study Here | The University of Aberdeen

References

1. Brake M.R.W (2018) ‘The mechanics of jointed structures’, Springer
2. Fanetti et al. (2019) ‘ The impact of fretting wear on structural dynamics’ Tribology International, 138, 111-124.
3. Kartal et al. (2011) ‘Measurements of pressure and area dependent contact stiffness between two rough surfaces using digital image correlation’, Tribology International, 44(10), 1188-1198.
4. Staino and Basu (2015) ‘Emerging trends in vibration control of wind turbines: a focus on a dual control strategy, Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc. A. Vol 373(2035).