About the Project
The mechanical properties of hot-rolled flat steel are determined almost entirely by the microstructure formed during run-out table (ROT) cooling - the phase transformation from austenite to ferrite, bainite, or martensite, together with the resulting grain size. Despite its centrality, ROT cooling is currently controlled in an entirely open-loop manner: fixed laminar flow recipes are applied with no real-time measurement of the microstructure being produced. Grade transitions generate off-grade…
material, and within-coil property scatter is systematic and uncontrolled.
Electromagnetic (EM) sensing offers a principled, non-contact route to real-time microstructure monitoring. The transition from paramagnetic austenite to ferromagnetic ferrite produces a large, detectable change in eddy current sensor impedance. WMG has developed models linking phase fraction and grain size to magnetic properties and EM sensor signals.
This PhD closes the full loop: using the EM signal to infer microstructure state in real time and command the cooling system accordingly - a capability not yet demonstrated in the open literature.
The project builds a four-layer signal chain on the WMG pilot run-out table:
- A composition-parameterised EM forward model valid at 500–950°C across industrial steel grades
- A multi-frequency eddy current sensor validated against real ROT measurements
- A physics-constrained real-time state estimator integrating JMAK transformation kinetics with the EM forward model;
- A model predictive controller commanding the laminar cooling banks - delivering the first demonstrated closed-loop EM microstructure control.
Essential criteria
Essential:
- 2:1 or higher Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgy, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or a closely related discipline
- Strong mathematical background, including differential equations, linear algebra, and signals and systems
- Experience with programming (MATLAB, Python, or equivalent) for data analysis or modelling
- Good written and oral communication skills in English
Desirable:
- Familiarity with electromagnetic theory, eddy current sensing, or non-destructive evaluation
- Experience with physical modelling, finite element methods, or state estimation (Kalman filtering)
- Knowledge of steel metallurgy, phase transformations, or thermomechanical processing
- Experience with experimental work in a laboratory or industrial setting
