Additive manufacturing of functional materials for electrical machines

With the planet facing an environmental crisis, and a target to hit net zero by 2050, innovative research is needed to achieve our targets. To decarbonize our airways, we need high power density, efficient and fault tolerance electrical machines.

Additive manufacturing has impacted many industries, but it’s use in electrical machines is still limited, despite a wide scope for improvements. This PhD project will focus on exploiting the power of additive manufacturing to deliver high performing functional materials to allow increases in performance of electrical machines. Both soft magnetic materials and conductive materials are required for electrical machines, and additive manufacturing can process them both successfully and with performance benefits such as reduced eddy current losses, higher slot fill factors and complex cooling integration. However one of the issues preventing additive manufacturing being utilized more is the surface roughness of the components, which can effect resistivity and loss behaviour. 

Within this PhD project, the aim will be to reduce surface roughness both in the as-built condition, and by using several post processing methods. The impact of this will then need to be quantified on both a materials level, but also on a machine level.

This PhD project will offer an exciting experience with hands on use of metal additive manufacturing, along with the development and build of demonstrator materials and/or motors. A degree in Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or Materials Science would provide the correct background for this role.

Further questions can be addressed to agoodal3@ed.ac.uk

Applications should be submitted via the university’s online application system. Start date for this PhD is flexible, but this advert will be removed as soon as a suitable candidate is found.