Lightweight gas storage: real-world strategies for the hydrogen economy

About the project

Polymer matrix composites are a core light-weighting technology across virtually all transport sectors (aerospace, automotive, marine), providing a vital element of net-zero carbon objectives. Many forms and scales of hydrogen storage will be required for a complete hydrogen economy, with highly pressured gas cylinders (in the range on 500-700bar) inevitably being required for decarbonising transport.

As part of a 10+ year track record of successful projects, the University of Southampton and Luxfer Gas Cylinders are offering a PhD post to develop innovative designs and design strategies for extremely lightweight ‘Type 4’ cylinders (cylinders using only polymer and polymer composite construction).

This project takes a fundamentally structural perspective, examining the mechanical performance of the walls and liner materials of Type 4 cylinders, and corresponding implications for gas permeability. There will be a balance of experimental and modelling aspects, with a view to improve and validate finite element (FE) modelling of Type 4 cylinders. The models will therefore be able to inform optimisation of current designs (reducing mass for a given level of gas containment) and inform more radical design concepts for the future.

Working as part of a well-established group of PhDs and doctoral researchers, this PhD project will focus on analysis of cylinder failure processes (leak and burst under static and cyclic conditions) via X-ray computed tomography (XCT), building on many years’ experience within the nationally and internationally recognised Southampton µ-VIS lab .

The project will involve sophisticated experimental work (e.g. X-ray imaging and mechanical testing) using newly-installed state-of-the-art facilities .

Subject to external travel regulations, the project will involve site visits to Luxfer in the UK and North America.

Potential supervisors

• Potential supervisors: Lead supervisor IS Professor Ian Sinclair Professor of Engineering Materials Supervisors Professor Mark Spearing Vice-President (Research & Enterprise)

Lead supervisor

• Lead supervisor: IS Professor Ian Sinclair Professor of Engineering Materials

Professor Ian Sinclair

• Professor Ian Sinclair: Professor of Engineering Materials

Supervisors

• Supervisors: Professor Mark Spearing Vice-President (Research & Enterprise)

Professor Mark Spearing

• Professor Mark Spearing: Vice-President (Research & Enterprise)

Entry requirements

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in one of the following disciplines:

Whilst imaging and FE working will be carried out via well-established software packages (for example: ABAQUS for FE), you should have an interest in basic coding, and have some experience in Python, MATLAB or similar scientific computing environments.

• engineering
• material science
• physics

Fees and funding

For UK students, tuition fees and a stipend of £20,062 tax-free each year for up to 3.5 years.

How to apply

Apply now

You need to:

Applications should include:

• choose programme type (Research), 2022/23, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering
• choose PhD Engineering & Environment (Full time)
• add name of the supervisor (Ian Sinclair) in section 2
• your cv (resumé)
• 2 reference letters
• degree transcripts to date

Faculty of engineering and physical sciences

Email: feps-pgr-apply@soton.ac.uk

Research areas