Scholarship details
Study levels
Research
Student type
Future students and Current students
Study area
Engineering, Science, technology and engineering and mathematics
Citizenship
Australian or New Zealand and International
What you'll receive
- You'll receive a stipend scholarship of $37,010 per annum for a maximum duration of 3.5 years while undertaking a QUT PhD (1.75 years for MPhil). The duration includes an extension of up to 6 months (PhD) or 3 months (MPhil) if approved for your candidature. This is the full-time, tax-free rate which will index annually.
- If you're a domestic student, you will receive a Research Training Program Fee-Offset for your research degree.
- If you're an international student, you will also receive a QUT tuition fee sponsorship for your research degree.
- As the scholarship recipient, you will have the opportunity to work with a team of leading researchers, to undertake your own innovative research in and across the field.
Eligibility
- Completion of a Bachelor (Honours) or Master by Research degree in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, applied mathematics, applied physics or related disciplines
Desired:
- Demonstrated knowledge or experience in one or more of the following areas: fluid mechanics, multiphase flow, porous media flow, electrochemistry, bubble dynamics.
- Demonstrated experience in experimental fluid mechanics, electrochemical measurements, flow diagnostics, high-speed imaging, image processing, or electrolyser testing.
- Demonstrated knowledge/experience in some numerical methods such as lattice Boltzmann method, finite difference (element, volume) method, phase-field method.
- Demonstrated programming skills in one or more languages or platforms, such as Matlab, C++, Python, Openfoam, Ansys.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
- Demonstrated academic research experience as evidenced by publications in high quality research journals or conferences
How to apply
- The first step is to email Prof Emilie Sauret detailing your academic and research background, your motivation to research in this field and interest in this scholarship, and include your CV.
- shortlisted applicants will be contacted to arrange a short discussion/interview. If you are nominated as our preferred scholarship recipient, you will be asked to submit an Expression of Interest as outlined here.
About the scholarship
We are seeking a PhD candidate to investigate system-level multiphase flow processes in electrochemical hydrogen production. The project will focus on how operating conditions, porous transport layers, electrode properties, and gas bubble transport influence hydrogen and oxygen generation in water electrolysis systems.
Efficient removal of gas bubbles is critical to the performance of electrochemical hydrogen production devices. Bubbles generated during water electrolysis can block active reaction sites, increase electrical resistance, disturb liquid flow and mass transport, and reduce overall production efficiency. At the system level, these effects are governed by coupled interactions between electrochemical operation, multiphase flow, porous media transport, surface wettability, temperature, and flow conditions. This project will investigate these coupled processes to identify practical strategies for improving electrolyser performance.
The PhD candidate will conduct electrolyser experiments under controlled operating conditions to examine how key parameters affect hydrogen and oxygen production. These parameters may include pulsed DC, working temperature, and electrolyte flow rate. Experimental measurements will be used to quantify gas production, bubble transport, flow behaviour, and performance indicators relevant to electrochemical hydrogen production. Another major focus of the project will be the porous transport layer, which plays an important role in gas removal, liquid supply, pressure distribution, and transport resistance. The candidate will investigate how the wettability and porous structure of the porous transport layer influence bubble dynamics and hydrogen production efficiency. This may involve a combination of experimental testing, image-based flow analysis, and numerical modelling to link pore-scale or component-level transport mechanisms with overall electrolyser performance.
The project will combine experimental and computational approaches. Experiments will provide direct measurements of operating performance and bubble behaviour, while numerical modelling will be used to interpret the underlying multiphase flow mechanisms and guide the design of improved operating strategies. The outcomes will help establish relationships between pulsed electrical operation, flow conditions, porous transport layer properties, and hydrogen production efficiency.
The PhD candidate will be supervised by Prof Emilie Sauret, Prof Dezso Sera, and Dr Jiachen Zhao and will have the opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary research environment combining multiphase fluid mechanics, electrochemical energy systems, porous media transport, computational modelling, and experimental flow visualisation.
The study mode for this scholarship is Full time, Internal.