Applications are invited for a Faraday Institution funded post to work with Prof. Giles Richardson in the Applied Mathematics Group in Mathematical Sciences. The project is to develop mathematical models of lithium-ion battery manufacture as part of NEXTRODE, a large multi-institutional grant, which is held in collaboration with a wider group of scientists and engineers who are investigating the process from an experimental perspective.
The lithium-ion battery industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that is expanding rapidly in order to meet the needs of the growing electric vehicle and energy storage markets. Nevertheless, the battery manufacturing process is still far from being fully understood and most batteries manufactured today are far from optimal, both in terms of performance and lifetime. The overall goal of NEXTRODE is to build upon recent developments in enhanced lab scale manufacturing, that have shown significant improvements in cell performance and lifetime, and take these to a commercial scale.
The post holder will join a leading sustainable energy modelling group with notable successes, including the commercial Li-ion battery simulation software DandeLiion and the widely used open-source perovskite solar cell simulation software IonMonger. They will focus on developing continuum models for the various processes that occur during battery manufacture. The work will be conducted in close collaboration with experimental colleagues and industrial partners at the UK Battery Industrial Centre (UKBIC), and their data will be used to validate the models. These models will then be used to explore ways in which the manufacturing processes can be optimised, both in terms of improved battery performance/lifetime and reduced manufacturing cost.
You should have a good track record of research in mathematical modelling with expertise in at least one of the areas: numerical methods, continuum mechanics (fluid and/or solid mechanics) and partial differential equations. You should either have, or be close to obtaining, a PhD in applied mathematics, physics, engineering or a related area. You should have experience of solving problems, organising research, pursuing new research areas and be able to demonstrate a high-quality research track-record. This interdisciplinary research program requires you to be able to work in a team, collaborate across multiple disciplines and have strong written, verbal and 1 presentational skills.
Salary will be within the range £34,980 - £42,978 per annum, depending on qualifications and experience. This post is available from October 1st 2023, or as soon as possible thereafter, and will be offered on a fixed-term contract until September 30th 2025. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Prof. Giles Richardson, email: G.Richardson@soton.ac.uk
