Academic Supervisors: Dr Enrico Andreoli and Shirin Alexander
Industry Supervisor: Dr Anne-Sophie Farle
Expected Interview Date: June 2022
Skytree is a spinout from the European Space Agency Human Spaceflight Programme and a leader in direct air capture (DAC) of carbon dioxide. We were recently included in the 100 Most Innovative Companies in the Netherlands and are applying our technology to redefine the carbon ecosystem.
Based in Amsterdam’s Science Park we are a team of scientists, engineers, designers, and business developers who are working on creating better air for a viable future and on closing the carbon loop.
As part of our ongoing work to continuously improve and optimize our products, this project will be critical for establishing connections between intrinsic material properties and system level performance of CO2 capture sorbents.
CO2 capture technologies are critical to preserve the environment and our daily lives and contribute towards the journey to decarbonisation. The use of sorbents presents an opportunity to control both capture and release of CO2 for a wide range of applications across multiple sectors, above all those of energy and industrial manufacturing. The technique involves capture through the adsorption of CO2 onto porous solids whilst desorption enables the use of the CO2 for alternative applications.
Project Aims:
The goal of the project is to understand the degradation and performance of materials for CO2 capture over time. The adsorption and desorption mechanisms of different sorbent materials shall be characterized under varying environmental conditions, to identify critical factors affecting their long-term performance. Multiple physical, chemical, and mechanical characterization techniques may be applied to correlate CO2 capture performance to physical or chemical changes in the materials. These key insights will flow directly into the optimization of our products.
The project will be implemented in the state-of-the-art research facilities of the Faculty of Science and Engineering of Swansea University. We look forward to having an enthusiastic and creative student joining us with the opportunity to visit Skytree in Amsterdam to interface with the team and get the chance to apply their insights to in-house testing and simulation work.
COATED M2A recognises applicants have a variety of backgrounds with different educational and research experiences. We do not expect applicants to be proficient users of any techniques /equipment mentioned, at the time of application. Our focus is to upskill our participants and training will be provided.
COATED M2A in the Faculty of Science and Engineering is a Swansea University initiative which provides postgraduate research training in partnership with industry, providing access to world class laboratories and a wealth of academic and industry expertise. COATED M2A is committed to providing top quality research opportunities within an inclusive environment, funded by the Welsh European Funding Office (WEFO), the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Swansea University and Industry partners.
The Athena SWAN charter recognises work undertaken by institutions to advance gender equality. The College of Engineering is an Athena SWAN bronze award holder and is committed to addressing unequal gender representation. Applications from women and other under-represented groups are particularly welcomed. All applications will be anonymised prior to short listing.
Are you considering making an application and have questions you’d like answered? Come and have a 1-2-1 chat with us at our applicant surgeries (Link) . We encourage all applicants to review our hints and tips document found here
Sponsoring Company: Skytree
Eligibility
Candidates must normally hold a minimum undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University), or a combination of degree and equivalent experience to the same level.
Normally, we would expect candidates to have met the University’s English Language requirements (e.g., IELTS 6.5 overall with 5.5+ in each component) by point of application.
Full eligibility can be found at https://www.materials-academy.co.uk/eligibility
Funding
Fees at UK rate and Stipend of £12,500, both for the period of one year.
For full details on funding eligibility, please refer to the Materials and Manufacturing Academy (M2A) Website. Student Eligibility | M2A (materials-academy.co.uk/eligibility).
Candidates must have the legal right to live/work in the UK at the start of their studies (student visas do not apply)
Closing Date: Closed
Start Date: 1st October 2022
Applications and informal enquiries about this studentship should be directed by email to:
M2A@swansea.ac.uk