School of Engineering

Location:  Boldrewood Campus
Closing Date:  Tuesday 31 August 2021
Reference:  1303820DA
Supervisory Team:    Dr. D.J.J. Toal & Prof. A.J. Keane

Project description

How will the future design engineer interact with their computer systems? Speaking to the computer? Virtual Reality? Automatic storage of design rules/styles, which the designer assembles? Real time CFD to permit ‘sculpting’ the flow field, stress field, etc.? This project will examine the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence to support hint based creation of new parts and products. It will incorporate value driven design ideas with state of the art optimization and analysis automation to accelerate the new product design process while also allowing automated documentation of the decisions lying behind design choices.

Combined with the latest GPU hardware, Deep Learning, Data Mining and AI methods this will allow advanced designer – machine interaction, providing insights into the next generation of engineering design software.

This project is funded by Rolls-Royce plc as part of their support to the R-R University technology Centre for Computational Engineering at Southampton. In addition to the basic tax free student stipend of £15,141 pa R-R will provide a further tax free stipend increment of £9,000 pa which brings the total stipend to a level equivalent to a taxable salary of just over £29,000 pa and therefore in line with their graduate recruitment schemes. The stipend will rise in subsequent years. Funding for travel to international conferences will be available.

 If you wish to discuss any details of the project informally, please contact Prof Andy Keane, Computational Engineering and Design Research Group, Email: ajk@soton.ac.uk, Tel: +44 (0) 2380 59 2944.

 Entry Requirements

A very good undergraduate degree (at least a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent).

 Closing date: applications should be received no later than 31 August 2021 for standard admissions, but later applications may be considered depending on the funds remaining in place.

 How To Apply

 Applications should be made online, please select the academic session 2021-22 “PhD Eng & Env (Full time)” as the programme. Please enter David Toal under the proposed supervisor.

 Applications should include: 

Curriculum Vitae
Two reference letters
Degree Transcripts to date

Apply online: https://www.southampton.ac.uk/courses/how-to-apply/postgraduate-applications.page