Thermal-Fluid-Dynamics of Multi-Component Substrates through Fusion and Vapourisation State Transitions

About the project

About the Project High energy density lasers now sit at the heart of advanced manufacturing, joining and materials processing, and underpin a growing range of defence and energy applications. When a focused beam meets a surface, the material can melt, flow, vapourise and eject within microseconds, while the expanding vapour plume alters how the remaining energy reaches the substrate. Predicting this tightly coupled behaviour from first principles remains one of the open problems in computational thermal-fluid dynamics. This project offers the chance to work at the leading edge of that problem using laserbeamFoam, an open-source OpenFOAM-based toolbox developed in Manchester with international collaborators and now adopted by research groups worldwide. laserbeamFoam couples volume-of-fluid interface capture to a ray-tracing heat source, in which the incident beam is discretised into individual rays, tracked through the domain via their multiple reflections, with the energy deposited at each encounter determined through the Fresnel equations. Melting and solidification, latent heat, Marangoni-driven flow, buoyancy and momentum damping in the mushy zone are all resolved directly. You will work primarily with compressibleLaserbeamFoam, the highest-fidelity solver in the suite. Rather than approximating vapourisation through a phenomenological recoil pressure, it resolves (2N+1)-component systems in which each species may exist in both condensed and vapourised form, capturing the mass transfer and volumetric dilation between those states explicitly, alongside Fickian interdiffusion between miscible components. Very few frameworks anywhere are able to represent the vapour phase, and its feedback on beam delivery, at this level of detail. The research The project will apply and extend these solvers to two material classes that remain poorly served by existing models: multi-component alloys, where preferential loss of volatile species can alter local composition during processing, and thermoplastics, whose optical and thermal response under intense irradiation differs markedly from that of metals. The broad goal is to build genuine predictive capability for how such materials behave under high energy density irradiation, and to release that capability back to the community as open-source code. The specific direction will be shaped together with you, around your own interests and strengths as the work develops. The project is linked to a DSTL Centre of Excellence programme, connecting you to a wider research community, to experimental data for model validation, and to opportunities to present your work to both academic and industrial audiences. What you will gain Strong skills in C++ and OpenFOAM solver development, high-performance computing, and the numerical treatment of multiphase, compressible and reacting flows, together with a publication record and contributions to a code base used internationally. Who we are looking for We welcome applications from people with a background in materials science, physics, mechanical or chemical engineering, applied mathematics, computer science or a related discipline. What matters most is curiosity about physical modelling and an appetite for scientific programming. Prior experience with OpenFOAM, C++ or HPC is useful but not expected; training and support are provided, and you will join a friendly, collaborative group. We are committed to an inclusive research culture and particularly encourage applications from people belonging to groups currently under-represented in computational engineering. Informal enquiries are very welcome, and we are happy to discuss flexible or part-time study arrangements. Eligibility Applicants should have, or expect to achieve, at least a 2.1 honours degree or a master’s (or international equivalent) in a relevant science or engineering related discipline. Before you apply We strongly recommend that you contact the supervisors for this project before you apply. Please include details of your current level of study, academic background and any relevant experience and include a paragraph about your motivation to study this PhD project. How to apply Apply online through our website: https://uom.link/pgr-apply-2425 When applying, you’ll need to specify the full name of this project, the name of your supervisor, if you already having funding or if you wish to be considered for available funding through the university, details of your previous study, and names and contact details of two referees. Your application will not be processed without all of the required documents submitted at the time of application, and we cannot accept responsibility for late or missed deadlines. Incomplete applications will not be considered. After you have applied you will be asked to upload the following supporting documents: Final Transcript and certificates of all awarded university level qualifications Interim Transcript of any university level qualifications in progress CV Supporting statement: A one or two page statement outlining your motivation to pursue postgraduate research and why you want to undertake postgraduate research at Manchester, any relevant research or work experience, the key findings of your previous research experience, and techniques and skills you’ve developed. (This is mandatory for all applicants and the application will be put on hold without it). Contact details for two referees (please make sure that the contact email you provide is an official university/work email address as we may need to verify the reference) English Language certificate (if applicable) If you have any questions about making an application, please contact our admissions team by emailing FSE.doctoralacademy.admissions@manchester.ac.uk . Equality, diversity and inclusion is fundamental to the success of The University of Manchester, and is at the heart of all of our activities. We know that diversity strengthens our research community, leading to enhanced research creativity, productivity and quality, and societal and economic impact. We actively encourage applicants from diverse career paths and backgrounds and from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation and transgender status. We also support applications from those returning from a career break or other roles. We consider offering flexible study arrangements (including part-time: 50%, 60% or 80%, depending on the project/funder).

Research areas