Research Associate (Tribology & Electric Vehicles)

Job description:

Overview

The electrification of our transport systems and the growth in ownership of electric vehicles is one of the major engineering developments of the 21st century. This has brought challenges and opportunities in both vehicle design and the electricity infrastructure. One opportunity is a change in the way we lubricate and cool EV’s that could be more efficient and environmentally sustainable. EPSRC have recently funded a collaborative project between Sheffield, Loughborough, Imperial College, and a number of industrial partners to explore the capability of high-performance water-based lubricants for electric vehicles. The successful candidate will be researching novel water-based lubricants, building test rigs, and conducting experiments on component and lab scale contact tests in the presence of electric currents on novel lubricants. The RA will also take a role in managing the project progress and liaising with industrial and academic partners.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Design and build of test apparatus for high speed, water lubricated, electric field rolling bearing testing.
• Installation of instrumentation and building of control and sensor system interfaces.
• Plan and carry out laboratory experiments, processing of results, and analysis. Including surface analysis measurements with microscopy, profilometry, and SEM.
• Liaising with and reporting to industrial and academic partners during the project.
• Write-up aspects of the work for journal publication.
• Presentation of results at conferences, and other means of dissemination.
• Management of project resources and monitoring progress.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification 

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential criteria

• Have a good honours degree (or have equivalent experience) in mechanical engineering or other relevant discipline
• Have completed, or be about to complete, a PhD in mechanical engineering or a relevant discipline
• Experience of designing tribological or similar rotating machinery test apparatus and conducting experiments
• Ability to prioritise tasks and manage time in a research context
• Ability to manage a research project and keep track of resources and delivery to timescale
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal
• Technical (academic publication) writing skills

Desirable criteria

• Experience of instrumenting test apparatus with sensors and building interfaces (e.g. NI LabVIEW or similar).
• Experience of analytical modelling of tribological contacts and processes 
• Experience of surface analysis techniques (such as SEM, EDX, Raman)
• Experience of working effectively in a collaborative research environment involving multiple researchers, multiple investigators, and industry partner

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