PhD position with a research focus on digitalisation of energy storage systems.

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We have a vacancy for a PhD researcher at The Department of Energy and Process Engineering focusing on energy storage system digitalisation. The electrification of our society with renewable energy systems results in a discrepancy between energy production and demand due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. As a result, the area of electrochemical energy storage is becoming increasingly important in reaching climate goals. Lithium-ion batteries are already playing a large role in providing electrochemical energy storage, as shown by the rapid increase in demand electrified transport globally.

Despite this, there are still significant research gaps in Lithium-ion battery technologies, and the experimental research is a limiting step in development of Lithium-ion battery technologies. Therefore, the digitalisation of a Lithium-ion battery will open opportunities for applying modelling-based approaches (e.g., electrochemical, electrical equivalent, physical and data-driven models) and machine learning to fast-track the development of Lithium-ion battery technologies. This approach will also allow the production of a digital twin of a Lithium-ion battery, which may allow further insight into the functional parameters of a Lithium-ion battery.

The objective of this PhD project is to design and develop a digitalised Lithium-ion battery. This project will investigate whether modelling and machine learning approaches can be applied to Lithium-ion batteries to enhance the development of technologies, and focusing our experimental research on computationally optimised theories and hypotheses. By developing a digital twin of a Lithium-ion battery, the process of testing theories and hypotheses can be performed faster than in the laboratory, reducing the time spent on theories and hypotheses that do not yield satisfactory results. Furthermore, it may be possible to integrate machine learning approaches to the digital twin to develop theories and hypotheses further with focus on improving specific parameters of the Lithium-ion battery technology (e.g., faster charging and discharging kinetics).

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

The prospective candidate will work in the Sustainable Energy Systems Research Group.

The main supervisor of the PhD candidate will be Associate Professor Jacob J. Lamb.

You will report to the Head of the Department of Energy and Process Engineering.