PhD Studentship in Aeronautics: Parallel Adaptive Multi-physics Simulations (AE0097)

Start date: Between 1st August 2027 and 1st July 2028

Application deadline: 23:59 on 4th January 2027 (UK time)

Introduction: This research will be carried out within the framework of the REMODEL project that addresses the difficulty of generating and adapting high-quality meshes for complex engineering simulations on exascale and heterogeneous high-performance computing systems.

The PhD research will contribute to the development of:

• Automatic adaptive mesh generation methods for multi-physics and time-dependent simulations.
• Strategies for coupling multi-physics solvers with mesh adaptation in a parallel HPC environment.
• Efficient algorithms in heterogeneous CPU–GPU and exascale computing architectures.
• Integrated, high-fidelity simulation workflows for industrial applications.
• Methods for sensitivity assessment of multi-physics simulations to geometric features and mesh resolution.

You will work with open-source and research tools developed within the Nektar++ research group. You will also gain experience applying your methods to realistic industrial demonstrators, and develop expertise in computational geometry, mesh generation, adaptive meshing, parallel algorithms, high-performance and exascale computing, and multi-physics simulations.

Professional development opportunities include:

• Cross-institutional mentoring and collaboration with leading academic researchers and industrial partners.
• Opportunities to present findings at conferences, workshops and seminars, and to publish in high-quality journals.
• Experience in open-source software development, technical documentation, webinars, industrial demonstrations and public engagement.
• Engagement in interdisciplinary collaboration and the translation of research into industrial applications.
  

Supervisors: Prof. Spencer Sherwin; Prof. Joaquim Peiro; Dr. Chris Cantwell

Duration: 3.5 years.

Funding: Full coverage of tuition fees and an annual tax-free stipend of £23,805 for Home, EU and International students. Find out more about fee status.

Eligibility: Due to the competitive nature of our studentships, candidates will be expected to achieve/have achieved a First class honours MEng/MSci or higher degree (or international equivalent) in: Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.

We are looking for a student with: good background knowledge on CFD/Meshing techniques; Proficiency in software development using high-level programming languages, ideally in a HPC environment; Creative approach to problem-solving; Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

How to apply: Visit Parallel adaptive multi-physics simulations for important instructions on how to apply.

Contact: For more specific project information, email: Prof. Spencer Sherwin; Prof. Joaquim Peiro; or Dr Chris Cantwell

For admissions questions, please first read our Frequently Asked Questions. If your question has not been answered, please email the PhD Administrator (Admissions)

Frequently Asked Questions: You can also find answers to common application questions on our Frequently Asked Questions.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: Imperial is committed to equality and valuing diversity. We are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.