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Research on flexible heat pump technology

Funding
Funded
Study mode
Full-time
Apply by
Start date
Year round
Subject area
Engineering
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Overview

In the UK, heat constitutes about half of energy consumption. The government plans to install 19 million heat pumps in homes over the coming decades to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. However, the current adoption rate of heat pumps in the UK is low, with only 240,000 operational units as of 2020.

About this opportunity

Challenges persist for heat pump technologies, particularly in the UK. Most of UK homes are connected to the gas grid, relying on gas boilers as the primary heating method. This poses a challenge as most available heat pumps operate at temperatures lower than what is typically required by the existing high-temperature heat emitters, necessitating costly retrofitting. Addressing these challenges requires innovations to enhance the cost-effectiveness of heat pump products, especially those designed for high temperatures.

The newly developed flexible heat pump technology integrates a heat storage into a conventional vapour compression heat pump cycle to recover, store and reuse the waste heat generated by the heat pump operation. As a result, it can achieve energy efficiency than conventional heat pumps.

In this PhD project, the student will have the opportunity to work on the modelling and experimental research on the flexible heat pump technology. The student will also benefit from close collaboration with industrial partners.

Who is this opportunity for?

Candidates will have, or be due to obtain, a master’s degree or equivalent from a reputable University in an appropriate field of Engineering. Exceptional candidates with a First Class Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate field will also be considered.

This studentship is not available to students with an international fee status.

We want all of our staff and students to feel that Liverpool is an inclusive and welcoming environment that actively celebrates and encourages diversity. We are committed to working with students to make all reasonable project adaptations including supporting those with caring responsibilities, disabilities or other personal circumstances. We believe everyone deserves an excellent education and encourage students from all backgrounds and personal circumstances to apply.

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How to apply

  1. 1. Contact supervisors

    Professor Zhibin Yu.

  2. 2. Prepare your application documents

    Please provide:

    • Degree certificates and transcripts
    • An up-to-date CV
    • A covering letter/personal statement
    • Two academic references.
  3. 3. Apply

    Finally, register and apply online. You'll receive an email acknowledgment once you've submitted your application. We'll be in touch with further details about what happens next.

    You should complete and submit an application for Mechanical Engineering PhD.

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Funding your PhD

The funded studentship will cover full tuition fees of £4,786 per year and pay a maintenance grant for 3.5 years, starting at the UKRI minimum of £19,237 pa. for 2024-2025. The studentship also comes with access to additional funding in the form of a research training support grant.

If you have a disability you may be entitled to a Disabled Students’ Allowance on top of your studentship to help cover the costs of any additional support that a person studying for a doctorate might need as a result.

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Contact us

Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

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