Current project opportunities

The University of Bristol is offering 13 projects for doctoral studies starting in September 2025 with a focus on the creation of sustainable and efficient solutions for the design of composite structures. The projects will be part of the new CDT launched in 2024 following on from five previous successful centres in Bristol Composites Institute (BCI). The purpose of the CDT is to train future leaders to doctoral level with the skills and expertise to address the design, manufacture and assurance of composite products. Alongside conducting your research project you will follow a taught programme that provides an in depth knowledge of composite materials and their use, with a focus on sustainability and the circular economy. You will also follow a structured professional development programme, alongside the research and taught programme, to prepare you for a future career in industry or academia.

We are seeking highly motivated and committed individuals with an eye on the future, who are interested in conducting stimulating and essential, industrially relevant, research and have a passion for finding sustainable solutions. There are many challenges in understanding the behaviour of composite materials and structures, so the projects seek to develop new manufacturing routes, design concepts, analysis procedures and development of new solutions.

Type of award: Engineering Doctorate/Doctor of Philosophy

Research focus areas: Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Design Engineering, Research group Bristol Composites Institute

Scholarship Details: An enhanced stipend of £24,917 (based on 2024/25 UKRI rates. The UKRI rate will increase each year), a fee waiver and generous financial support for research and training for the successful candidates.

Duration: 4 years

Eligibility: Projects 1-6: Home/permanent UK residents Projects 7-11: Home/International

Start Date: September 2025

Candidate Requirements: Applicants must hold/achieve a minimum a 2:1 MEng or merit at Masters level or equivalent in engineering, physics or chemistry. Applicants without a master's qualification may be considered on an exceptional basis, provided they hold a first-class undergraduate degree. Please note, acceptance will also depend on evidence of readiness to pursue a research degree and performance at interview.

Closing Date: 27th January 2025

We are offering 6 EngD studentship projects where students spend 75% of their studies located in industry:

Project 1: De-fossilisation of Carbon Fibre sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC) (Supervisor: Professor Steve Eichhorn)

Project 2: Materials and design of wind turbines for preserving total product value through life sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC) (Supervisor: Dr Dmitry Ivanov)

Project 3: Ultra-efficient production lines for expanding wind capacity sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC) (Supervisor: Dr James Kratz)

Project 4: Application of Artificial Intelligence in Life Cycle Assessment of Composites Manufacturing sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC) (Supervisor: Dr Iryna Tretiak)

Project 5: Correlating AFPT Manufacturing Inputs with Laminate Structural Integrity Using AI sponsored by Magma Global (Supervisor: Dr Bassam Elsaied)

Project 6: Composite forming simulation sponsored by Airbus (Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Belnoue)

We are offering 7 PhD projects some with significant industrial sponsorship as follows:

Project 7: Demonstration of maximum circularity of carbon fibres composites through experiment and predictive modelling sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover (Supervisor: Professor Ian Hamerton)

Project 8: Mathematical modelling as an enabler for multi-criteria material selection in automotive design sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover (Supervisor: Dr Jonathan Belnoue)

Project 9: Practical feasibility assessment of Polymer-Based Structural Composite Energy Storage sponsored by Syensqo (Supervisor: Professor Steve Eichhorn)

Project 10: Recyclable Carbon Fibre Epoxy Composites for Aerospace Applications sponsored by Airbus (Supervisor: Dr James Kratz)

Project 11: Exploiting the outstanding potential for sheet moulding compound made of repurposed discontinuous thin-ply composites (Supervisor: Professor Michael Wisnom)

Project 12: Fire performance of Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRPs) for railway structural applications sponsored by National Rail (Supervisor: Eleni Toumpanaki)

Project 13: Microporous smart hybrid nanocomposites for enhanced cryo-compressed hydrogen storage (Supervisor: Dr Sanjit Nayak)

Project 1 Description: De-fossilisation of Carbon Fibre sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC)

Carbon fibres enable strategic advantages for multiple UK manufacturing sectors. For instance, increased blade length for wind turbines and high-pressure hydrogen storage systems both being enablers of a green, clean and secure future energy mix. Furthermore, they offer modular build opportunities with lower costs and reduced social burdens, while providing highly durable, high-performance, and environmentally resistant systems. However, recent innovation in the carbon fibre production process has been limited, with most using technology from the 1970s. The NCC is investing in research capability, skills to create sovereign IP that underpins UK carbon fibre production to enable innovation towards net zero, defossilised fibre. The EngD project will:

Utilise a new carbon fibre pilot production line to be installed in January 2026
Focus on the precursor/doping materials to produce alternative carbon fibres
Create benchmarking procedures to demonstrate mechanical performance
Stimulate your interest in producing new sustainable alternatives to current carbon fibre materials by developing energy efficient production processes
Work in close collaboration with the Centre for Process Innovation
Be part of a large cohort of EngD CDT students that conduct their research at NCC and offer benefit from conducting research in an organisation that supports the entire UK composites sector.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

To apply please submit a personal statement, outlining your experience and why you are interested in the EngD project, your CV and transcript of results to https://www.bristol.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply/. Please do not submit a project description; this is unnecessary as the project is already defined and select EngD in Composites Manufacture. Please enter Professor Janice Barton the Director of the CDT as the 2^nd supervisor (janice.barton@bristol.ac.uk) and indicate that the funding is provided by the CDT in Innovation for Sustainable Composites Engineering.

Project 2 Description: Materials and design of wind turbines for preserving total product value through life sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC)

Wind energy is a key enabler to a post-fossil fuel energy mix, however wind turbine blades themselves are large constructions of many materials, including glass fibre and carbon fibre composites, all requiring significant sums of energy and capital to produce. Generally, they are designed for lifespan is 25 years, but extending the lifespan is an attractive means to reducing through-life cost and preserving the product value and in the context of sustainability is particularly important because wind turbine blades are presently difficult to re-use or recycle. Hence this EngD project will:

Investigate designs and materials that facilitate disassembly, and support recyclability, reuse and repair
Examine the introduction of recyclable resins in key locations in the blade architecture
Employ smart digital technologies to introduce sensing to monitor degradation
Enthuse your interest in creating clean energy and derisking the enabling technologies for a sustainable future by determining new avenues for wind blade life extension
Be part of a large cohort of EngD CDT students that conduct their research at NCC and offer benefit from conducting research in an organisation that supports the entire UK composites sector.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

Project 3 Description: Ultra-efficient production lines for expanding wind capacity sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC)

If the forecasts and projections are to be believed, using current methods, it will not be possible to produce wind turbines in the quantities required by 2030. The current manufacturing approach uses large-scale resin infusion, but the designs of these products, and the factories that they are made in, are not configured for cost-efficient ultra-high-rate production. This puts the clean energy targets at risk. The EngD project will:

Investigate existing wind turbine design and explore alternative designs for their energy return and changes to the manufacturing approach.
Consider new design approaches including modularity, tooling, digitalisation and automation.

Develop a system for reviewing concept against a range of to-be-set criteria
Excite your interest in creating new methodologies for sustainable energy and the technologies critical for enabling alternative designs

Be part of a large cohort of EngD CDT students that conduct their research at NCC and offer benefit from conducting research in an organisation that supports the entire UK composites sector.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

Project 4 Description: Application of Artificial Intelligence in Life Cycle Assessment of Composites Manufacturing sponsored by National Composites Centre (NCC)

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a methodology increasingly used in industry for assessing the environmental impact associated with all life cycle stages of a product, process or service. Gathering comprehensive, accurate data for every stage of product life cycle can be challenging, meaning data can be incomplete thus impacting the reliability of LCA results. Moreover, identifying the best impact assessment is subjective and can affect the final result. For composite structures, these effects are further compounded by decisions made early in the design process such as: fiber and matrix selection, geometry and manufacturing processes. Artificial intelligence (AI)/Machine Learning (ML) could potentially overcome these challenges, enhancing the precision, efficiency, and depth of environmental impact assessments.

The EngD project will comprise:

Surveying existing LCA capabilities for composites to identify gaps in current tools and data
Collect and homogenize primary data for composite manufacture from literature and in collaboration with OEMs. Design and implement a Universal Database Structure for LCA on composite materials
Build an AI framework for design decisions support. Through the use of deep learning technologies, you will make system capable of automatic parametrization of structural geometries and materials, by making use of the widest range of primary LCA data
Design, build and evaluate LCA-AI framework for a demonstrator structure
Be part of a large cohort of EngD CDT students that conduct their research at NCC and offer benefit from conducting research in an organisation that supports the entire UK composites sector.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

Project 5 Description: Correlating AFPT Manufacturing Inputs with Laminate Structural Integrity Using AI sponsored by Magma Global

The Automated Fibre Placement Technology (AFPT) manufacturing process for composites laminates is a key way of rapidly producing the large length cylindrical structures used in offshore applications. Variations in the AFPT parameters influence the structural performance of composite laminates and lead to defects and scrap. Hence the project will use existing AI tools to analyse correlations between manufacturing data (inputs and variabilities) and laminate performance (mechanical and structural properties). Inherent variabilities in the AFPT process (such as temperature, pressure, speed and tape quality) can impact the quality and performance of the final laminate. The EngD project will:

Use AI to detect patterns in mechanical test data and computed tomography scan data and correlate these with manufacturing parameters, laminate quality, and laminate performance

Devise a procedure to predict laminate performance based on manufacturing data and CT scan results
Build a comprehensive understanding of the relationships between process inputs, laminate quality and structural performance to support improvements in manufacturing consistency and product quality
Advance sustainability and innovation in composites engineering by minimising variability, reduce waste, and improve efficiency by understanding material behaviour, improving predictive accuracy, and reducing reliance on physical testing
Develop your skills in the application of AI tools to analyse and predict laminate performance integrates digital technologies into the manufacturing process to achieve digital toolchain development and automation.
Contribute to the vision of designing of durable, high-performing composites while minimising environmental impact by combining manufacturing data, structural performance, and digital tools.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

Project 6 Description: Composite forming simulation sponsored by Airbus

As the aviation industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact, the development of lightweight, high performance composite materials offer a promising pathway to enhance fuel efficiency and reduce emission. Simulations of the forming processes will enable the identification of potential manufacturing issues early in the product development stage. Designs and production processes of composite parts can therefore be optimised leading to reduced re-work, material waste and energy consumption. The creation of simulation tools will allow for a deeper understanding of the complex behaviour of composite materials during the forming process, enabling engineers to predict how these materials will perform in industrial conditions. This foresight can lead to innovations in manufacturing techniques, ensuring that components are not only produced more efficiently and sustainably, but also meet the stringent safety and performance standards required in aviation. The main EngD project will:

Develop industrially applicable forming simulation methods for composite materials
Extend current forming simulation methodologies for composite non crimp fabric material to prepreg material
Take into account viscoelastic shear, ply by ply contact behaviour, ply shapes and component geometrical changes
Characterise new materials, conduct experimental validations of the simulations and devise new testing protocols, e.g. for mode II tack
Create a post processing tool to ensure correct interpretation of results
Ensure scalability of the forming simulation to industrial realistic full stack laminates and large scale structural components
Excite your interests in multiscale modelling of complex components to ensure sustainable manufacturing procedures.

Eligibility: Home/permanent UK residents subject to security clearance

Project 7 Description: Demonstration of maximum circularity of carbon fibres composites through experiment and predictive modelling sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover

Sustainable mobility is key for a net-zero future and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) play a key role in this transition. As BEV’s are traditionally heavier than Internal Combustion Engines (ICE), this can be an engineering challenge. Carbon fibre composite can deliver weight saving solutions compared to metals but usually have a higher carbon footprint (CO₂e) due to the energy intensive process used to produce the material. To balance vehicle weight, cost and CO₂e targets, it is vital to use materials efficiently, which is also critical to achieve a true circular and net zero business and minimise environmental impact. Jaguar Land Rover wish to establish to understand how many times the same carbon fibre reinforcement can be used and change the perception that composites have a single life with minimal opportunities for recycling. The PhD project will:

Establish how long the material can be kept in life, whist achieving maximum performance and also reduce/negate the need for virgin raw materials, through materials and process selection
Evaluate commercially available composite ‘recycling’ technologies that transform continuous fibres into short discontinuous fibres or milled fibres, or short discontinuous fibres into milled fibres (i.e. downcycling)
Investigate industrial scale upcycling of short fibre recyclate to near-virgin performance to reduce downcycling
Conduct materials testing and create predictive models to identify the maximum achievable number of recovery and remanufacture cycles including composite performance after each cycle, or reaching an “ultimate circular yield”.
Demonstrate that both weight and Global Warming Potential (GWP) of vehicle components (structural, semi-structural, non-structural, aesthetic) can be reduced using recycled carbon fibre.
Excite your interest in EVA technology by defining suitable vehicle applications and demonstrators for recycled carbon fibre materials.