PhD Studentship: Modular Power Electronics for MEGA-PTO

MEGA-PTO is an EU flagship project, one of only two funded in the EU Wave PTO Call, involving 12 partners, all world-leading in their own areas of expertise, including 3 wave device developers, Mocean Energy, CETO and PureMarine. This is one of 2 PhDs providing an excellent opportunity to collaborate with EU partners from both academia and industry, developing simulation and design tools for prototype manufacture and testing. The PhDs will contribute to the advancement of the MEGA-PTO technology being developed by Edinburgh spin-out CGEN Engineering for commercialisation beyond the end of the project.

Background

Harnessing the power of ocean waves requires innovative and reliable technologies that can withstand the harsh marine environment while ensuring consistent energy generation. Moreover, the pursuit of sustainable energy production extends beyond emissions reduction, to embrace circular economies. Circular economies advocate for a holistic approach where resources are continually reused, repurposed, and recycled, thus minimising waste and maximising resource efficiency. For the wave energy sector, this means not only developing efficient power take-off systems but also considering the lifecycle impacts of materials, manufacturing, installation, operation, and decommissioning. The MEGA PTO Wave project aims to provide an enabling technology to transform ocean waves into clean, reliable energy. Through this project, a smart, scalable system will be created that adapts to changing conditions and keeps working even if a part of the system experiences a fault. By designing all aspects of the MEGA PTO to be highly modular, incorporating novel axial flux magnetic gear, electrical generator technology and adaptable power electronics, the project will make energy production more efficient and eco-friendly. This modularity creates a system that is easier to manufacture, transport, install, maintain, remove and recycle, than alternatives. The MEGA PTO Wave project brings together expertise from all over the EU to create a PTO linked to sustainable supply chains, to accelerate wave energy commercialisation to capture vast amounts of predictable energy in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, in order to meet EU NetZero targets by 2050.

The MEGA-PTO system consists of a modular axial flux permanent magnet generator, which is fully developed, and has been successfully tested at sea in Mocean Energy’s Blue-X device for the last two years. A modular generator lends itself to modular power converters, enabling more flexible control and fault tolerant operation. A modular power converter enables modules to be switched in and out to match the generator to the wave device, and also to isolate faulty modules without losing all generation capacity. The PhD student will be involved in design, and build of power converter modules, which will be tested on machines at Edinburgh, and you will also be involved in testing at RWTH in Aachen in Germany. You will work closely with Edinburgh based companies, CGEN Engineering & Supply Design, collaborate with SSSA and Cheros on control aspects, and collaborate with TU Crete on condition monitoring. As well as working on the technology, you will have the opportunity to contribute to circular economy aspects, and supply chain analysis with WavEC and Edinburgh.

Please note that this position will close once a suitable candidate has been found. Early application is encouraged.