PhD student position in Automatic Control...

At the Department of Signals and Systems, we conduct internationally renowned research in biomedical engineering, antenna systems, signal processing, image analysis, automatic control, automation, mechatronics, and communication systems. We offer a dynamic and international research environment with about 150 employees from more than 20 countries, and with extensive national and international research collaborations with academia, industry and society.

The department provides more than 70 courses, of which most are included in the Master’s Programs ”Biomedical Engineering”, ”Systems, Control and Mechatronics”, and ”Communication Engineering”.

Read more at www.chalmers.se/en/departments/s2.


Information about the group and the research project
The position is with the Automatic Control group in the division of Automatic Control, Mechatronics and Automation. Aiming for sustainable solutions, the group is involved in many research projects, ranging from biological systems to vehicles, with a general focus on energy savings and sustainability using automatic control methods.

As a consequence of increasing human populations, higher economical standards and a stagnant catch of wild fish, there is a steady increase in demand for fish, which has led to a tremendous growth in global aquaculture ‘industry’. Because of the impact on the environment though, it is of utmost importance that the environmental damages related to traditional fish farming, such as eutrophication, ecological contamination of wild stocks, pathogen spreads etc., are avoided in this expansion. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) in land-based fish tanks, where the fish tank effluent is biologically treated and the water is recycled back to the rearing tanks, has been pointed out as a key solution for ecologically sustainable fish production.

Because of the RAS complexity and the slow dynamics (months and years) experimental optimization alone is hardly feasible. Therefore, means to simulate different types of RAS are needed in order to analyze, control and optimize a plant with respect to effluent water quality, robustness, running and investment costs. The probably most advanced, but still at a fairly early stage, dynamic simulator for RASs has been developed at the department. In this project, this simulator will be further developed with additional biological water treatment processes, different types of fish growth models and energy balances. The simulator will then be validated and used to find optimal RAS operation and designs, and pinpoint crucial information and design issues.

The project is a part of a cooperation project with Göteborg University where recirculating aquaculture systems will be developed for spotted wolffish (havskatt) and European lobster (hummer).

Major responsibilities
Your major responsibility as PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies. The major part (at least 80%) will be spent on graduate studies out of which 75% is research and approximately 25% graduate courses. You are expected to develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing. The position also includes teaching on undergraduate and MSc level, or performing other department duties corresponding to a maximum of 20 percent of working hours.

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

Qualifications
To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field, including at least one course in basic control. The position requires sound verbal and written communication skills in English. Skills in Swedish are meriting but not required.

Strong background in control, chemical and biological engineering, and mathematics is also meriting

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.



Application deadline: 2015-06-01

For questions, please contact:
Torsten Wik, Automatic Control
Department of Signals and Systems
E-mail: tw@chalmers.se
Phone: +46 31 772 5146


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



Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our eight Areas of Advance; Built Environment, Energy, Information & Communication Technology, Life Science, Materials Science, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto: Avancez!