Research Associate in urban cooling systems including energy storage

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Research Associate in urban cooling systems including energy storage
Cardiff School of Engineering

The Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Generation and Supply (CIREGS), one of the research groups within Cardiff School of Engineering, is looking to recruit a Research Associate for an exciting project on the decarbonisation of heating systems with an emphasis on cooling.

The successful candidate will contribute to research within urban cooling systems and their technologies, including thermal energy storage. The Research Associate will conduct work leading to the publishing of research outputs in high-quality journals, pursue excellence in research, and inspire others to do the same.

The successful candidate will be actively collaborating with colleagues from the UK and China and contribute to the EPSRC-funded projects MC2 and Flex-Cool-Store. To find out more, go to:

https://www.mc2project.org/

Eleven projects launched to decarbonise heating and cooling – UKRI

About the project

Decarbonisation of the energy sector to mitigate climate change is a crucial ambition worldwide. Even though a significant emission reduction has been already achieved in the electric power sector, progress has been limited in other areas, such as heating (including space cooling). Heating and cooling are central to our lives not only for comfort and daily activities, but also to facilitate productive workplaces and to run a variety of industrial processes.

Although the driving forces and the development of urban energy systems may be different from country to country (for example, between the UK and China), the sustainable, cost-effective and reliable urban power supply is a key research topic. The UK has legacy urban energy infrastructure and decarbonisation is a priority. Decarbonising heating and cooling and reducing emissions from buildings are thus paramount to meet net-zero targets in the UK. Cooling decarbonisation has not previously received significant attention, but this is rapidly changing.

The main objective of this project is to investigate the potential impacts of a growth in cooling demand and how this growth can be managed through proactive and optimised design and flexible operation of the cooling supply system and energy storage, and how the new demand can be served by an increasingly decarbonised electricity system.

This project mainly comprises five tasks, which are:

The School of Engineering conducts internationally renowned research alongside teaching that places students at the centre of the learning experience.

The Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Generation and Supply (CIREGS) was established in 2008 as a small multidisciplinary engineering research group with international expertise in both the supply and transmission of energy. CIREGS now has 11 academic staff members (including an EPSRC Fellow), 12 Post-Doctoral Research Associates, 4 International Training Network Marie Curie researchers and 29 PhD students. To find out more go to:

Centre for Integrated Renewable Energy Generation and Supply - Research - Cardiff University

https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/centre-for-integrated-renewable-energy-generation-and-supply-ciregs-

Job details

The post is full-time, available immediately and fixed term until 31 March 2024.

Salary: £34,304 - £40,927 per annum (not higher than £36,382 per annum Grade 6.32).

Job ref: 12421BR

For informal enquiries about the post please contact Dr Carlo Ugalde Loo- [email protected]

For further details about working at Cardiff School of Engineering please contact Mrs Karen Baldwin, [email protected]

Date advert posted: Thursday, 30 September 2021

Closing date: Thursday, 28 October 2021

This post has previously been advertised to employees of Cardiff University only.  We now invite external applications.

The School of Engineering holds an Athena SWAN Bronze Award that recognises good employment practice and a commitment to develop the careers of women working in science. Cardiff University is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. For this vacancy we actively encourage women to apply. We will also consider proposals for flexible working or job share opportunities.  About us - School of Engineering - Cardiff University

Please NOTE: Cardiff University reserves the right to close this vacancy early should sufficient applications be received.

“Cardiff University is a signatory to the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions we will evaluate applicants on the quality of their research, not publication metrics or the identity of the journal in which the research is published. More information is available at: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/research/our-research-environment/integrity-and-ethics/responsible-research-assessment”

Job Description

Research

• To conduct research on thermal energy storage for urban cooling systems and contribute to the overall research performance of the School and University by the production of measurable outputs including bidding for funding, publishing in international academic journals and conferences, and the recruitment and supervision of postgraduate research students. 
• To develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research including research funding proposals
• To attend and or present at conferences/seminars at a local, national and international level as required
• To undertake administrative tasks associated with the research project, including the planning and organisation of the project and the implementation of procedures required to ensure accurate and timely reporting
• To prepare research ethics and research governance applications as appropriate
• To review and synthesise existing research literature within the field
• To participate in School research activities.
• To build and create networks both internally and externally to the university, to influence decisions, explore future research requirements, and share research ideas for the benefit of research projects

• To engage effectively with industrial, commercial and public sector organisations, professional institutions, other academic institutions etc., regionally and nationally to raise awareness of the School’s profile, to cultivate strategically valuable alliances, and to pursue opportunities for collaboration across a range of activities. These activities are expected to contribute to the School and the enhancement of its regional and national profile.
• To undergo personal and professional development that is appropriate to and which will enhance performance.
• To participate in School administration and activities to promote the School and its work to the wider University and the outside world
• Any other duties not included above, but consistent with the role

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Qualifications and Education
1.    Postgraduate degree at PhD level in Mechanical Engineering with content on thermodynamics, energy or energy systems.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience
2.    An established expertise and proven portfolio of research within the following research fields:
a.    Heat transfer, thermal energy storage and phase change materials.
b.    System optimisation.
c.    Use of MATLAB and relevant software for computational fluid dynamics (e.g. ANSYS, Aspen, COMSOL,                     SolidWorks) to model, simulate and optimise energy systems and their components.
3.    Knowledge of current status of research in thermal energy storage and energy systems.
4.    Proven ability to publish in international journals and international conferences.
5.    Knowledge and understanding of competitive research funding to be able to develop applications to funding bodies.

Communication and Team Working
6.    Proven ability in effective and persuasive communication.
7.    Ability to supervise the work of others to focus team efforts and motivate individuals.

Other
8.    Proven ability to demonstrate creativity, innovation and team-working within work.
9.    Proven ability to work without close supervision.

Desirable Criteria

1.    Relevant professional qualification(s).
2.    Evidence of collaborations with industry or relevant industrial experience.
3.    Proven ability to adapt to the changing requirements of the Higher Education community.
4.    Proven teaching experience.
5.    Evidence of ability to participate in and develop both internal and external networks and utilise them to enhance the research activities of the School.

Additional Information

IMPORTANT: Evidencing Criteria
Candidates should evidence that they meet ALL of the essential criteria as well as, where relevant, the desirable criteria.
As part of the application process you will be asked to provide this evidence via a supporting statement. Please ensure when submitting this document / attaching it to your application profile you name it with the vacancy reference number, in this instance, 12421BR.  

Job Category

Academic - Research