About the Project
Non-exhaust emissions from brake wear represent a major environmental and health concern, becoming tightly regulated under new Euro 7 standards. This PhD research aims to develop and validate an intelligent Electro-Mechanical Braking (EMB) control system to actively suppress brake particulate emissions.
Key Objectives:
- Develop control-oriented multi-physics models capturing brake dynamics, friction, thermal behaviour, and wear mechanisms.
- Design, construct, and instrument a scaled EMB prototype with embedded sensing and actuation.
- Build the Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) bench integrating the control system.
- Formulate predictive/adaptive control strategies to modulate real-time clamp force, actively suppressing micro-slip and thermal hotspots.
- Experimentally quantify reductions in PM2.5/PM10 emissions alongside braking safety and efficiency.
This research delivers short-term academic and industrial impact through low-cost HIL validation frameworks and EuroBrake/UKACC conference presentation. In the long term, mitigating PM2.5/PM10 emissions accelerate commercial EMB deployment with partners, influencing future legislation and driving sustainable, net-zero mobility.
Funding Notes
A highly competitive EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award (DLA) providing full academic fees, together with a tax-free maintenance grant at the standard UKRI rate (currently £21,805 in academic session 2026/27) for 3.5 years and rising annually, in line with standard UKRI rates. Training and support will also be provided. This opportunity is open to UK applicants only.
Project supervisors
Dr Saikat Dutta
Dr Saikat Dutta is a lecturer at the School of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Leeds, specialising in Automotive Engineering. He is a Chartered Engineer and a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Dr Dutta completed his doctoral research at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India, and has held academic positions at various universities in the UK and South Korea. His research focuses on vehicle dynamics and mechatronics, where he aims to solve engineering problems with innovative approaches. Dr Dutta's expertise includes developing adaptive controllers for smart automotive suspension, steering systems, torque vectoring of electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles. He has participated in collaborative research projects funded by RSSB and Shift2Rail, concentrating on innovative actuation and control strategies. His work encompasses a range of research projects on automotive and railway mechatronic systems, with a recent emphasis on the dynamics and control of automotive suspension systems, vehicle handling, and connected and autonomous vehicles. Additionally, he is interested in applying machine learning techniques to automotive systems.
Professor David Barton
Professor David Barton was awarded a First Class Honours Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Bristol in 1974. After completing a student apprenticeship with GEC Machines Ltd and gaining further industrial experience at Chubb Lock & Safe Company, he received his MSc in Applied Mechanics from the University of Manchester in 1978, followed by a PhD in composite materials for pressure vessels in 1981. Prior to joining the University of Leeds as a lecturer in 1985, Professor Barton accumulated five years of experience as a structural analyst in the nuclear power industry, focusing on high temperature and aseismic assessment of reactor structures. At Leeds, his research interests have centred on the experimental derivation and numerical implementation of complex models of material and structural behaviour, particularly concerning high strain rate deformation, durability assessment, and tribological interfaces in automotive engineering and biomedical applications. He has published over 200 works on these topics and was awarded a Chair in Solid Mechanics in 1999. Professor Barton served as the Pro-Dean for Learning and Teaching in the Faculty of Engineering at Leeds from 2004 to 2006 and was Head of the School of Mechanical Engineering from 2006 to 2016. His current teaching responsibilities include design/manufacture and solid mechanics for product designers.
Dr. Krzysztof Kubiak
Dr. Krzysztof Kubiak began his journey in engineering with a first degree in Material Science, followed by a PhD in Tribology and Fretting from the Laboratoire de Tribologie et Dynamique des Systemes (LTDS) at Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France in 2006. He further pursued a DSc dissertation in Material Science and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) from the University of Valenciennes in France in 2012. Dr. Kubiak has held various academic positions, including Senior Lecturer in Automotive Engineering at the University of Huddersfield, Lecturer in Manufacturing at the University of Liverpool, and Visiting Professor at the University of Valenciennes. He is a Chartered Engineer of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK, as well as a member of the Polish Academy of Science. His research interests encompass automotive engineering, surface metrology, and fluid dynamics, with a focus on modern developments in hybrid, electric, and self-driving vehicles. Dr. Kubiak is actively involved in educating future automotive engineers and is the Programme Manager for Automotive Engineering at the University of Leeds.
