Mechanical Engineering Sciences

Location:  Guildford
Salary:  £36,024 to £39,347 per annum
Post Type:  Full Time
Closing Date:  23.59 hours BST on Wednesday 21 August 2024
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Reference:  025124-R

The University of Surrey is a global community of ideas and people, dedicated to life-changing education and research.

We are ambitious and have a bold vision of what we want to achieve - shaping ourselves into one of the best universities in the world, which we are achieving through the talents and endeavour of every employee.  

Our culture empowers people to achieve this aim and to collectively, and individually, make a real difference.  

The role

Applications are invited for a Research Fellow position that focuses on designing and developing advanced control algorithms to enhance the energy efficiency and safety of the next generation of vehicles with electrified powertrains, with validation via test rigs and vehicle demonstrators. This role also includes modeling and simulating electric vehicles and their components, such as active suspension systems, for control-oriented applications and real-time implementation of the control solutions.

The position is part of the HiPE Horizon Europe project and focuses on developing control solutions aimed at improving vehicle performance by leveraging innovative power electronics technology and predictive health models of the components. The control strategies will target vehicle powertrain control and chassis control, including active suspension, to improve vehicle performance in terms of safety, energy consumption, and comfort.

Thanks to the presence of industrial partners and universities from across Europe within the consortium, the project will have the opportunity to test its proposed solutions using vehicle demonstrators.

Working under the leadership of Dr. Umberto Montanaro, Dr. Davide Tavernini, Dr. Yinglong He, and Prof. Patrick Gruber, you will be responsible for the day-to-day research tasks in accordance with the project plan. This will include: i) Developing and implementing advanced vehicle control algorithms to enhance vehicle performance, safety, energy saving, and comfort; ii) Supporting advanced simulations and modeling to optimize vehicle efficiency, safety, and performance; iii) Collaborating with a team of experts in various fields, including electrical/electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, and computer science; iv) Participating in project meetings, presenting research findings, and contributing to project reports and publications.

About you

The successful candidate will have a strong background in experimental testing, programming (MATLAB/SIMULINK), and control, and should have a PhD in a relevant discipline such as mechanical, automotive, electrical/electronic, or control engineering. Additionally, experience in the following areas is highly desirable:

• Control development and implementation, including neural networks
• Real-time rapid control prototyping systems (e.g., dSPACE)
• Vehicle dynamics control
• Instrumentation and data logging
• Digital twins and predictive health management
• Electric powertrains and active suspension

Our Centre specialises in cutting-edge research areas, with a particular focus on vehicle dynamics and the control of autonomous systems. Initial contract for the Research Fellow position is set for a duration of 12 months, with extensions subject to thorough performance assessments, availability of project funding, and specific project requirements.

How to apply

Please apply with a CV and cover letter on the University website.

For informal enquiries please contact Dr Umberto Montanaro at u.montanaro@surrey.ac.uk.

Further details:    Job Description    

Please note, it is University Policy to offer a starting salary equivalent to Level 3.6 (£34,980) to successful applicants who have been awarded, but are yet to receive, their PhD certificate.  Once the original PhD certificate has been submitted to the local HR Department, the salary will be increased to Level 4.1 (£36,024).