When things won't let go: mathematical modelling of a sticky problem in industrial drying
This is a fully-funded 4-year PhD position based in the HetSys Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Warwick.
Project outline
Many industrial companies dry their chemical products into powders to aid wide transportation and distribution.
This process often takes place in large scale driers where the material is heated and broken up mechanically with mixing blades. However, under certain conditions the process may break down: the material sticks to the edges of the drier, causing wastage of the product, and in extreme cases, deterioration of the drier itself.
This research aims to develop a new multi-physics model to describe the material properties of these drying powders, with the aim of identifying the culprits of wall adhesion. The project is suitable for an applied mathematician, or physicist with a strong mathematical background.
From a fundamental scientific standpoint, there is still a great deal to understand about the drying process, despite its common use in industrial settings. Clarifying the most important aspects is an aim of the project. From a practical standpoint, new predictive modelling approaches are needed to inform and accelerate industrial process design, as this is an area where much process development occurs through trial and error.
The project is co-funded by and will involve working directly with industry partner Syngenta. Our aims will include the development of a new multi-physics model to characterise the material properties of drying powders, enabling the identification of key causes and trends in wall adhesion.
Through Syngenta's involvement, we will have access to experimental data to guide the project and inform modelling decisions, and another key aim will be to provide meaningful predictions that they can make use of in decision-making and process design.
The most significant outcome of this project will be a new theoretical model which provides new understanding of the dominant physics in the drying process.
This mathematical model will be encoded in a well-documented open-source code to simulate a suitable reduced problem of the drying process, and our findings will be reported in academic journal articles.
To support the goals of our industrial partner, one possible impactful outcome would be to generate a database quantifying expected performance under different operating conditions from the resulting model for future reference.
This project will involve mathematical modelling of a complex physical process, and the translation of that model into simulation code which can be used to make predictions. Mathematical modelling and analytical skills, and the ability to interpret the outcomes physically in the context of experimental data, will all be skills developed during the project.
Regular meetings with our industrial partner will help you develop your ability to communicate results effectively to a non-specialised, external audience. All these skills are vital in a wide range of technical research and development roles.
These skills position you for careers in AI research, computational materials science, national laboratories, tech industry or academic research. The HetSys training provides a foundation for these skills through dedicated courses and cohort activities.
We require at least a II(i) honours degree at BSc or an integrated masters degree (e.g. MPhys, MChem, MSci, MEng etc.) in a physical sciences, mathematics or engineering discipline. We do not accept applications from existing PhD holders.
If you are an overseas candidate please check here that you hold the equivalent grades before applying.
For postgraduate study in HetSys, the term “overseas” or “international” student refers to anyone who does not qualify for UK home fee status. This includes applicants from the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland, unless they hold settled or pre-settled status under the UK’s EU Settlement Scheme.
If you are a European applicant without UK residency or immigration status that qualifies you for home fees, you will be classified as an overseas student.