PhD in performance evaluation of high-performing battery-based energy

We are searching for a highly motivated PhD student eager to take part in the development of a sustainable future. By advancing the knowledge about battery design and its resulting performances, battery systems, placed in the power network as well as in vehicles, for grid support, will be investigated in terms of power, energy and sustainability properties. 

Information about the division
The Division of Electric Power Engineering conducts research within a broad range of topics in electric power technology. Our purpose is to develop interdisciplinary research areas within the university as well as with external partners. Research activities at the division can be organised in three main areas: electric power systems, power electronics, electric machines and energy storage. The strength of our research is based on a solid theoretical basis and extensive experimental verification in our laboratories as well as in the field. 

Within the team working with power electronics, drives and energy storage for renewables and electric vehicles we are 30 persons, of which a bit more than half are PhD students and about 10 seniors and postdocs.

This PhD position is located within the Swedish Energy Storage and Balancing Centre. Within this centre around 10 PhD students are active within the area of energy storage and balancing for the power grid.

Information about the department
At the department of Electrical Engineering, we value all our co-workers and we know that a variety of personalities and experiences makes the most creative workplaces. We therefore encourage applicants with any genders, backgrounds and abilities.

Our overall ambition is to contribute to a sustainable future. We aim to create a positive impact on the development of society, both environmentally, socially and economically. Research and education are performed in the areas of Communication and Antenna systems, Systems and Control, Computer vision, Signal processing, Biomedical Engineering and Electric Power Engineering. Our knowledge is of use everywhere where there is advanced technology with integrated electronics, no matter if it involves electricity, electrical signals, optical signals or microwaves. The department is a dynamic and international work environment with about 200 employees from more than 20 countries. We collaborate closely with both national and international academia, industry and medical researchers.

Major responsibilities
In this project, battery storages for the power grid, both in the form of ‘grid batteries’, but also in the form of vehicle battery storage, designed specially made for V2G as well as designed for ‘standard vehicle usage’ will be investigated. Various battery technologies and materials, with a focus on Li-ion technology, but also other battery storage technologies are of interest, will be utilized to compose battery cells with different resulting topologies. By varying thicknesses of the anode and cathode, each material composition can be formed into a high-energy or a high-power variant. These compositions are then evaluated during their operational time in terms of losses, using load cycles originating from the power system needs as well as from dive cycles in the case they are used in vehicles. Here also verifying experiments will be conducted on selected battery cells, in order to have a high accuracy in the loss determination, for instance, voltage hysteresis is to be incorporated in the loss calculations. With the support of expert competence in Life Cycle Assessments, the energy consumed during the user phase is put together with the environmental impact from the extraction and design phase. The project has a very strong industrial cooperation with Volvo Cars, AB Volvo, Soltech and RedoxMe participating and representatives from the utilities in a reference group.

As a PhD student you will conduct research supported by your academic supervisors and industrial partners. Developing and deriving theory models and battery cell and pack compositions, preparing and conducting experiments as well as analysing the results are core work tasks. You will then publish your results in journals and present them at international conferences. In addition to the research task you also have the possibility to take courses in subjects where you feel you need to deepen your subject knowledge. 

Teaching skill training is part of doctoral education at Chalmers. Therefore, teaching tasks are mandatory but vary greatly over the total employment period. Teaching tasks typically are exercise leader and lab assistant for bachelor or master student courses.

Qualifications
To be qualified you must have a Master’s degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits or equivalent in Engineering Physics, Chemical Engineering, Electric Power Engineering or Mechanical Engineering. We believe you are a highly motivated person, who can work independently. For this position skills in battery technology or life-cycle analysis is appreciated.

Good proficiency in English orally and in writing is required. Knowledge of Swedish is an advantage, if the student is not familiar with Swedish, the student is expected to learn the language within two years. Chalmers offers Swedish courses. The position also includes departmental work up to 20 %, apart from the research task, for instance, teaching. The position is time limited to 4 years + additional time covering the teaching duties (typically 6-12 months).

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure
to read more and apply, please go to this website

Application deadline: November 27th, 2022

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***