Materials and design of wind turbines for preserving total product value through life sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC)

Wind energy is a key enabler to a post-fossil fuel energy mix, however wind turbine blades themselves are large constructions of many materials, including glass fibre and carbon fibre composites, all requiring significant sums of energy and capital to produce. Generally, they are designed for lifespan is 25 years, but extending the lifespan is an attractive means to reducing through-life cost and preserving the product value and in the context of sustainability is particularly important because wind turbine blades are presently difficult to re-use or recycle. Hence this EngD project will:

• Investigate designs and materials that facilitate disassembly, and support recyclability, reuse and repair
• Examine the introduction of recyclable resins in key locations in the blade architecture
• Employ smart digital technologies to introduce sensing to monitor degradation
• Enthuse your interest in creating clean energy and derisking the enabling technologies for a sustainable future by determining new avenues for wind blade life extension
• Be part of a large cohort of EngD CDT students that conduct their research at NCC and offer benefit from conducting research in an organisation that supports the entire UK composites sector.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

To apply please submit a personal statement, outlining your experience and why you are interested in the EngD project, your CV and transcript of results to https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/. Please do not submit a project description; this is unnecessary as the project is already defined and select EngD in Composites Manufacture. Please enter Professor Janice Barton the Director of the CDT as the 2^nd supervisor (janice.barton@bristol.ac.uk) and indicate that the funding is provided by the CDT in Innovation for Sustainable Composites Engineering.