Integrated Vessel Health Management (IVHM) for the Maritime Autonomous Surface Ship (MASS)

Project ID: 2228cc1457 (You will need this ID for your application)

Research Theme: Engineering

UCL Lead department: Mechanical Engineering

Lead Supervisor: Yuanchang Liu

Industry partner: MarRI-UK

Stipend enhancement: £1,000 pa

Closing date: 13:00 UK time on 06 May 2024

The UCL EPSRC DTP (Doctoral Training Partnership) is recruiting 70 outstanding students to undertake fully-funded four-year PhD (including EngD) studentships at UCL. These studentships are open to Home fee status students only.

For full details about eligibility requirements and how to apply, please visit the UCL EPSRC DTP Studentship website.

Funding

This PhD studentship is fully funded for 4 years and provides:

• 4 years tuition fees (Home rate).
• A maintenance stipend at the UCL EPSRC DTP enhanced rate (this was £21,622 in 2023/24, and rises each year). 
• A stipend enhancement of £1,000 per year from the industry partner.
• A Research Training Support Grant (RTSG) of £4,800. This is to cover additional costs of training, courses, project costs, conferences and travel.

We welcome applications for full-time or part-time study. Part-time students will be funded pro-rata for up to 8 years. 

Project Summary:

Maritime Autonomous Surface Systems (MASS) have the potential to revolutionise the maritime industry by increasing efficiency and reducing operational costs. However, their successful deployment relies heavily on the seamless functioning of various components and systems. To ensure the sustained availability and functionality of MASS, a robust maritime strategy is required. This proposal outlines a project aimed at developing such a strategy through the integration of sensing capabilities, advanced communication systems, and AI algorithms, to achieve enhanced awareness, improved maintenance efficiency and reduced human errors for MASS. Partially funded by MarRI-UK and its industry member, Lloyds’ Register, this DTP-CASE project will provide a strong link with a leading maritime industry, and a unique opportunity to interact with experienced engineers via joint research exploration and validation.

The project will involve the design and implementation of sensors and communication systems on MASS, the development of AI algorithms for data analysis and decision-making, and the establishment of an optimised logistics framework. Field tests and simulations will be conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

The research is expected to result in a comprehensive maritime strategy for MASS that reduces operational costs, enhances system availability, and minimises the impact of human error. This strategy will contribute to the wider adoption of MASS in the maritime industry, promoting efficiency and sustainability.

By developing critical engineering skills in autonomy and automation, data acquisition, calibration and processing, a next generation autonomous shipping specialist will be trained from this project. Key research skills including analysis & problem-solving, project management & organisation, interpersonal & leadership, written & oral communication, etc. will be trained by the supervision team as well as UCL doctoral school training courses. The project will also be working closely with MarRI-UK and its industry members and industry supervision and internships opportunities will be provided.

Eligibility

This PhD studentship is available to Home status candidates only. Full details of eligibility status are below, but in most cases to be eligible you need to be in one of these categories: UK nationals; Irish nationals resident in Ireland or UK; EU nationals with pre-settled or settled status; those with indefinite leave to remain or enter the UK.

An official fee status assessment by UCL admissions will be required for all successful candidates. However, the following guidance is provided to help you determine whether you will be Home or International category for EPSRC funding:

• UK nationals are Home category, provided they meet residency requirements.
• EU nationals with settled status are Home category.
• EU nationals with pre-settled status are Home category, provided they meet residency requirements.
• Irish nationals living in UK or Ireland are Home category
• Those who have indefinite leave to remain or enter are Home category.
• All others are classified as International category.

Residency requirements for UK nationals:

• living in UK, EEA, or Switzerland on 31-Dec-2020 and lived in UK, EEA, Switzerland, or Gibraltar for at least 3 years immediately before the studentship begins
• lived continuously in UK, EEA, Switzerland, or Gibraltar between 31-Dec-2020 and the start of the studentship

Residency requirements for EU, EEA, or Swiss nationals with pre-settled status:

• living in UK by 31-Dec-2020 (a requirement to receive pre-settled status)
• living in UK, EEA, Switzerland, or Gibraltar for at least 3 years immediately before the studentship begins