PhD student position in Solid and Structural Mechanics

You are hereby invited to apply for the PhD position “Digital twin with life cycle cost optimization for more efficient maintenance of railway switches & crossings”.
Switches and crossings (S&C, turnouts) constitute key components in railway networks as they allow for trains to change track. This functionality comes at a cost however as the rail discontinuities in switches and crossings induce greater loading and faster degradation compared to plain line. S&C are therefore often characterized as “hungry assets” and it is of great interest for infrastructure managers to improve maintenance decisions for S&C. With the increased availability and reduced costs for sensors that allow for continuous remote condition monitoring of S&C and other track components, there is a potential for more accurate maintenance decisions to be made with the right tools compared to what is possible if only intermittent track inspection data is used.

Project description
The goal of this project is to develop a method that can determine the maintenance and reinvestment efforts that minimize the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of an individual S&C. The method is intended to consist of two parts. First, a Digital Twin that describes the physical condition of the S&C using a simulation model that is continuously updated with data from remote monitoring, in-track inspections, and inspection cars. The simulation model should also have the ability to predict future conditions. It is part of the project to determine the most suitable model type, and both physics-based and a combination of physics-based and data-driven modelling (machine learning) will be evaluated. The second part consists of a cost optimization where the S&C's LCC is evaluated for different maintenance and reinvestment strategies using the Digital Twin.
The project will be carried out within the competence centre CHARMEC (Chalmers Railway Mechanics, https://www.chalmers.se/en/centres/charmec ) with supervision from Chalmers and VTI (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute). The project is carried out in close collaboration with industry partners Trafikverket (The Swedish Transport Administration) and infrastructure company NRC Group.
The overall goals of CHARMEC are to achieve increased quality in railway transportation while reducing production, maintenance, operational and environmental costs via improved understanding of the mechanical behavior of railway systems. CHARMEC was formally established in 1995 and has produced 54 PhDs since. CHARMEC is primarily active in national and EU-level research projects but has a global outreach and recognition in scientific publications and conferences.

Information about the division and the department
https://www.chalmers.se/en/departments/m2/research/dynamics/
Major responsibilities
Your major responsibilities as PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies. This includes developing scientific concepts and communicating research results verbally and in writing. In addition to research project activities, you will also take courses on the advanced level adequate for the project following the syllabus of the Graduate School Solid and Structural Mechanics. The position is a full-time temporary employment limited to 4.5-5 years including teaching or other departmental duties corresponding to 10-20% of working hours. You will be employed by Chalmers and will receive a salary according to current salary agreements.

Mandatory educational qualifications:
Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Engineering Physics, Engineering Mathematics or similar with emphasis on solid mechanics and structural dynamics or vehicle engineering.

Mandatory experiences and skills: The position requires good communication skills in the English language, both oral and written.

Meritorious experiences and skills: Experience in econometric modeling, statistics and machine learning.
Experience in the use of commercial finite element or multibody dynamics software.
Knowledge of the Swedish language.

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg .
Read more about working at Chalmers  and our benefits  for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence . Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
The application should be marked with Ref 20230222 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV:(Please name the document: CV, Family name, Ref. number)
• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust.
• Two references that we can contact.

Personal letter:(Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number)
1-3 pages where you:
• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:
• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis.
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g. TOEFL test results.

Please use the button at the foot of the page to reach the application form. 

Application deadline: 7 May 2023

For questions, please contact:
Docent Björn Pålsson, Dynamics, [email protected]  +46 31 772 1491
PhD Kristofer Odolinski, VTI, [email protected] , +46 8 555 367 83

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***

Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our six Areas of Advance; Energy, Health Engineering, Information and Communication Technology, Materials Science, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!
 

URL to this page
https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/work-with-us/vacancies/?rmpage=job&rmjob=11657&rmlang=UK