PhD in Development of a Carbonate-Based Direct Air Capture Approach

Start date: 3 Oct 2022     

Eligibility & Related Project Details:

Any Fee Status (UK/EU & RoW)

Duration: 3 years

Supervisors - 1st Supervisor: Dr Ali Nabavi

Opportunity Reference No: SWEE0192

Sponsorship:

Sponsored by EPSRC - Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council through the Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) scheme, and Origen Power. This PhD studentship will cover full Cranfield University tuition fees and Stipend of approximate £18,000 per year (tax-free) for three years.

Main Content:

Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD studentship to be undertaken in the Centre for Climate and Environmental Protection at Cranfield University, in collaboration with Origen (https://origencarbonsolutions.com/ ) in the field of atmospheric carbon dioxide removal using carbonate-based material. Carbon capture is one of the key building blocks of energy decarbonisation and transition towards the UK net-zero target. This project aims to develop a potential approach to removing carbon dioxide from ambient air. The approach involves use of lime (CaO) in a range of different applications which results in carbon dioxide being permanently removed from the atmosphere. Origen, the commercial partner. Further information can be found in our previous work published in https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118330 .  

The successful candidate will design experiments to characterise and advance the performance of lime-based sorbents for direct air capture and develop new understanding of sorption mechanisms. Explore the economic co-benefits of the approach and perform a resource mapping to evaluate optimum locations for potential commercial development.

The student will be expected to define the research questions and plan the programme of work, review literature, conduct independent research, and report progress and disseminate results in high-impact journals, conferences and workshops. The student will work closely with project partner and have an opportunity to explore carbon capture in industrial scale. Moreover, Funding is available for the student to attend international conferences, workshops and network meetings.

Entry requirements

Applicants should have a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or equivalent in a related discipline (such as chemical engineering and material sciences), with prior experience in gas sorption and purification, and ideally sorbent development, characterisation, and performance evaluation. A track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals is advantageous. The successful candidate should be innovative and creative, have a high degree of personal motivation, have a good command of oral and written English, and be able to work independently and in a team. Please note that the successful application should be available to start the programme by the beginning of October 2022.

Funding:

To be eligible for this funding, applicants can be UK or International.

How to apply:

For further information please contact:
Name: Dr Ali Nabavi
Email: [email protected]
T: (0) 1234 750111 Ext: 4225

If you are eligible to apply for this studentship, please complete the online application form .

For further information contact us today:
Admissions
T: +44 (0)1234 758082
E: [email protected]