Research Fellow in Experimental Fluid Mechanics for Wave-Driven Propulsion Full-time NEW

Research Fellow in Experimental Fluid Mechanics for Wave-Driven Propulsion

University College London is a world-leading teaching and research university, often ranked in the top ten in the world with an annual turnover of well over £1 billion. We are a diverse community with the freedom to question and think differently and with over 14,000 staff and more than 41,500 students from 150 countries, we pursue academic excellence, break boundaries, and make a positive impact on real world problems. We have a proud heritage of disruptive thinking, a reputation for game-changing research and a unique multidisciplinary approach to problem solving.

UCL Mechanical Engineering has been pioneering the development of engineering education, having taught the core discipline for over 170 years. UCL was home to the UK's first ever Professor of the Mechanical Principles of Engineering, Eaton Hodgkinson, in 1847. It was also where Sir Alexander Blackie William Kennedy introduced organized laboratory practicals in university education training; a world-leading educational innovation at the time.

Today our students are taught core engineering disciplines and supervised in individual and group research projects by academics that are recognised research world-leaders in their fields. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) 96% of the department's research submitted in UoA12 was judged “world leading” or “internationally excellent”. At UCL Mechanical Engineering, we develop and apply core competencies to produce world-class research into a wider range of engineering challenges than most would imagine.

UCL Mechanical Engineering is seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work on the ERC Starting Grant SurFSUP (Surfing on Free Surfaces by Undulating Propulsion), investigating Wave-Driven Propulsion (WDP), whereby a floating body achieves locomotion using self-generated waves.

Wave-Driven Propulsion is a novel mechanism for locomotion on free surfaces, with potential applications in sustainable marine transport and environmental robotics. Despite its potential, the WDP mechanism is not fully understood; in particular, the dominant controls on propulsion force and efficiency remain unclear. The SurFSUP project aims to develop a complete hydrodynamical description of WDP through a combination of fluid mechanics experiments, simplified theory, and numerical modelling.

The postholder will be based in the Marine, Autonomy and Robotic Systems (MARS) research group and will conduct experimental work at UCL's Bloomsbury campus, with access to laboratory facilities including a flume and wave tank.

About the Role

The successful candidate will lead the development of the experimental programme of the project. The position involves close interaction with other modelling and computational components of the ERC project, including collaboration with other members of the SurFSUP team.

The role focuses on designing and building a custom hydrodynamics tank setup, developing experimental techniques for measuring free-surface flows (including Fast Checkerboard Demodulation (FCD) techniques), and constructing simplified surfer robots to investigate the Wave-Driven Propulsion mechanism across a range of conditions. The position offers significant scope for intellectual contribution and the development of independent research directions within the ERC project.

• To design and construct a dedicated hydrodynamics tank for wave-driven propulsion experiments
• To develop and apply experimental techniques for capturing free-surface flows, including Fast Checkerboard Demodulation (FCD)
• To design and build simplified surfer robots that use WDP as a means of locomotion
• To carry out experimental investigations of wave–body interactions across a range of regimes, from capillary to inertial scales
• To develop data acquisition, imaging, and post-processing analysis pipelines
• To contribute to the integration of experimental and modelling components of the project

Please refer to the attached Job Description & Person Specification for more insight into the post's duties and responsibilities.

About You

We are keen to receive applications from candidates with a PhD in applied mathematics, physics, engineering, or a closely related discipline, and a strong background in fluid mechanics or related areas. Applicants will have experience of experimental research and/or laboratory-based work, including the design or construction of experimental systems or instrumentation, and familiarity with flow diagnostics or optical measurement techniques for fluid systems.

Candidates should demonstrate strong experimental skills in fluid mechanics, with evidence of designing and conducting complex experiments. Experience in data acquisition, image processing, and post-processing analysis is essential, including the use of tools such as MATLAB or Python, alongside experience with 3D printing, prototyping, and experimental fabrication techniques.

The ability to interpret experimental results and relate them to underlying physical or mathematical models is required, together with a proven ability to work collaboratively across disciplinary boundaries, including mathematics, physics, and engineering. Evidence of high-quality research output, such as publications or conference presentations, is expected, as is the ability to take initiative and to plan and deliver new experimental approaches independently.

While not essential, your application will be enhanced if you have experience with building robotics or mechatronic systems.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Please note that this is a 2-year post in the first instance, with the possibility of extension.

Please include a Supporting Statement in support of your application and describe how you meet each criterion giving examples.

What We Offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Bronze award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

Available Documents

• Download: FINAL RF in Experimental Fluid Mechanics for Wave-Driven Propulsion.pdf