PhD Scholarship in Engineering

PhD Research Studentship

Development of on-line measurement technique for insulation assessment

Glasgow Caledonian University -School of Engineering and Built Environment

Reference Number:  11/12_16

Applications are invited for this full-time PhD research studentship within the School of Engineering and Built Environment at Glasgow Caledonian University.  The studentship is for a period of three and a half years (42 months), subject to satisfactory progress and provides payment of tuition fees at the UK/EU rate plus an annual stipend of £14,600 [please note that students from outside the EU are required to pay the difference between International and EU fees, currently this would amount to £6,672 per annum].  The successful candidate is expected to undertake up to 6 hours of academic support activity per week.

Project Description:

This project is aimed at an area of insulation diagnostics which is of importance to the electrical transmission and distribution community. Partial discharge (PD) activity is an indicator of faults in insulation but detection does not provide the ideal answer to condition monitoring as PD indicates a serious fault requiring rapid intervention by the user. The project proposes to investigate methods for measuring deterioration of insulation systems prior to the stage that partial discharge occurs. Water, trees and other regions of low relative impedance in insulation cause overheating and are a precursor to more accelerated degradation forms. Developing knowledge and instrumentation to diagnose non-PD faults would have significant impact on electricity supply reliability.

The project will investigate impedance spectroscopy, dielectric measurement systems, conductance measurement systems, etc. Simulation of changes in practical conformations of insulation would determine the suitability of methods of investigation.

From the techniques investigated and simulations, an appropriate methodology for determining localised changes in insulation properties, in a practical on-line manner, will be selected. A prototype instrument would be developed to prove the viability of carrying out on-line insulation assessment.

Project Lead:  Dr Donald Hepburn (D.M.Hepburn@gcu.ac.uk)

Further information available here

Required background and/or experience of the candidate:

The candidate should possess a relevant 1st or 2.1 honours degree.

How to Apply:

Application forms are available here  and once completed should be returned to GCUStudentships@gcu.ac.uk 

Please state the Project Title and reference number (as above) on the completed application form.

The closing date for applications is Friday 7^th September; short-listed candidates will be contacted by 28^thSeptember with interview details.