OtaskiES and the university of Northumbria are looking for a PhD student to work on a project supported by the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Renewable Energy Northeast Universities (ReNU) entitled “Evaluating the network stability using probabilistic modelling of the future e-mobility ecosystem in urban areas”.

Environmental concerns about greenhouse gas emissions from transportation sector along with advancements in battery technologies has led to massive private and public investment into electrification of the sector (buses, vehicles, scooters, bikes). In this paradigm shift, managing e-mobility charging and overcoming range anxiety are known as the key factors to unlock widespread adoption of the technologies.

Correspondingly, in this project:

  1. A techno-economical optimal planning strategy to design the charging network infrastructure for the future e-mobility ecosystem in urban areas by modelling electricity networks and transportation system (modelling roads, popular stopping points, parking lots, on-street parking, driving patterns, etc.).

  2. An optimum number of charging facilities with different technologies will be outlined for green transportation expansion in the presence of both vehicle-to-grid and grid-to-vehicle operation.

  3. A stochastic programming will be proposed to handle uncertainty sources, including local traffic patterns, and drivers' behaviour.

  4. An expansion model considering reliability, resiliency, and financial aspects of the distribution system will be achieved by e-mobility integration.

  5. A user-friendly software package will be developed based on the proposed design methodology that can be used for any urban area.

This is an industrial project in collaboration with OtaskiES company in Newcastle, the UK. Also, successful candidate will work at the Catalonia Institute for Energy Research (IREC) for three months in Barcelona.

The position is available immediately and the duration of the appointment is 4 years. We are looking for a person who poses some or majority of the following qualifications:

·       Possess a recognized MSc degree or equivalent in Electrical Engineering, Operations Research, Applied Mathematics, and Computer Science.

·       Strong research experience and/or coursework background in classical stochastic/robust optimisation;

·       Strong programming skills in Python and/or MATLAB;

·       Have excellent publication record in internationally peer-reviewed journals and be able to write scientific reports and research papers

·       Experience in development of graphical user interface and visualisation tool is a plus;

·       Excellent interpersonal skills, and successful teamwork experience. 

   Deadline for applications: 28 March 2021

   PhD start date: 01 October 2021

If you are interested and eligible, please contact mousa.marzband@northumbria.ac.uk 

Please note that applications must include all of the following to be considered:

-       A research proposal of approximately 1,000 words (not a copy of the advert), and include the advert reference (e.g. ReNU21/…).

-       You must upload with your application at least 2 reference letters

-       You must read our privacy notice about how we use your data and acknowledge this in your application by including in your personal statement the following : ‘ I confirm I have read and agreed to the privacy policy in https://renu.northumbria.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/2021-ReNUPrivacyNotice_01_03_21.pdf‘.