Doctoral student in industrial electrical engineering - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Div. of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation

The doctoral student will be employed at the Div. of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation (IEA). The research conducted at IEA focuses on electric power systems, electric drives and wastewater systems. All research aims at a sustainable society, in line with EU climate goals and UN Agenda 2030 for sustainable development. In practice, scientific methods for modelling, analysis and control are applied to systems of industrially relevant complexity. These methods are usually validated using laboratory measurements and real-life data.

Industrial electrical engineering focuses on technology and systems for electrical and electromechanical energy conversion. The subject is cross-disciplinary by nature, with a strong connection to electromagnetism, power and signal electronics, material science, electrical machine design, automatic control, as well as real time systems, automation, and electric measurement technology.

The subject is also coupled to industrial automation since research questions at a more comprehensive system level are also addressed. The research in industrial electrical engineering is usually inspired by real industrial problems.

Project

The research education subject is industrial electrical engineering.

The project is carried out in collaboration with Volvo Cars and Chalmers University of Technology. AB Volvo as well as an electric machine supplier, an electromagnetic steel manufacturer and experts from processing industries are involved.

It is well known that various methods to shape electrical sheets have a deteriorating effect on the magnetic properties of the material. Furthermore, the stator core stacking and assembling can lead to unwanted effects of reduced machine efficiency. The rapid expansion of industrial production for electromobility requires improved confidence in the core quality assessment and the predictability based on electro-magnetic calculations. This requires methods for determining magnetic induction as well as prediction of specific losses.

The main goal of the project, manufacturing effects in electrical machines, is to investigate not only the impact of material degradation, in particular of the ferro-magnetic laminations, when producing E-machines for vehicle propulsion applications, but also to analyse how this deterioration depends on various production choices and processes. Both analysis of dedicated electrical sheet parts and dedicated test specimens as well as analysis of whole stator stacks, and possible full electrical machines, will be a part of the work.

Work duties

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%), in which case the position is prolonged accordingly.

The role also includes:

• Ability to work in a challenging lab environment, to propose and develop test systems suitable for analysing and evaluating the impact of production of a soft magnetic core.
• Ability to propose and develop appropriate assemblies and assessment models as well as other analysing methodologies will form an important part of the work.
• Interaction with researchers in adjacent research projects. The work is carried out in a group with several doctoral students and senior researchers in the same or related field.

Admission requirements

To meet the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes the applicant must:

• have been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• have satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third-cycle studies in industrial electrical engineering if the applicant has:

• at least 30 second-cycle credits of relevance to the field of study

Additional requirements

• very good oral and written proficiency in English

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills.
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria

• Experience of laboratory work
• Experience in numeric field modelling (FEM)
• Experience in lab instrumentation, such as NI-cRio and LabView programming
• Good knowledge in Swedish is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience of modelling complex systems in e.g. Matlab, Python or similar.

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment

Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. If the student is involved in teaching and other departmental duties, the appointment will be extended accordingly, although to a maximum of 5 years (i.e. max 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §.

Instructions on how to apply

You can apply to this position via the link at the end of this announcement. Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

Welcome with your application!