PhD Position in Energy Management for Commercial Hybrid Electric Vehicles (TU/e-NETHERLANDS)

Project description

Emission legislation plays a dominant role in the development process of new commercial vehicles. To satisfy upcoming regulations on hazardous emissions (as well as stringent requirements on fuel economy), new technologies will be introduced to improve the overall energy efficiency of the vehicle. Additional to this new hardware, also advanced control software is needed for good system integration and to handle system complexity.

Together with an international truck manufacturer, Eindhoven University of Technology has started a research project on innovative (hybrid) powertrain

concepts for heavy duty vehicles. In this project, the truck manufacturer will develop a demonstrator vehicle with state-of-art hardware technology. The main contribution of the university is to provide an unified control architecture with underlying algorithms for integrated powertrain control. The research of the PhD student will focus on novel energy management strategies, in order to maximize the vehicle fuel economy and reducing CO₂ emissions. A holistic system approach is foreseen considering all energy sources, sinks and buffers which are present in the vehicle powertrain. This also includes on-line identification of powertrain components and auxiliaries. Eventually, the developed control strategies will be tested and evaluated on a demonstrator vehicle.

This research project is financially supported by the Dutch automotive research program HTAS (High Tech Automotive Systems), see www.htas.nl.

Requirements

Candidates for this PhD position should have an MSc in Electrical Engineering  or Mechanical Engineering - or a similar education - and should be familiar with modern control techniques.

Appointment and salary

The appointment is for four years for the PhD position. As an employee of the university you will receive a competitive salary as well as excellent employment conditions (including excellent sport facilities and child care). The research in this project must be concluded with writing a PhD thesis.

 A salary is offered starting at EUR 2042 per month (gross) in the first year and increasing up to EUR 2612 per month (gross) in the last year. Moreover 8% bonus share (holiday supplement) is provided annually. Assistance for finding accommodation can be given. The university offers an attractive package of fringe benefits such as excellent technical infrastructure, child care, savings schemes, and excellent sports facilities.

TU/e offers you also the opportunity for personal development by developing your social and communication skills. We do this by offering every PhD student a series of courses that are part of the Proof program as an excellent addition to your scientific education.

Information and application

More information about the vacancy and project can be obtained from:

• Dr. ir. J.T.B.A. Kessels, j.t.b.a.kessels@tue.nl
• Prof. dr. ir. P.P.J. van den Bosch, P.P.J.v.d.Bosch@tue.nl

If you are interested in this position, please upload a detailed curriculum vitae, a short explanation of your interest in the proposed research topic, a list of courses (including grades) that you have successfully completed, a publication list, copy of your best publication in English and the names of two references, and all other information that might be relevant to your application by using the  “Apply Now” button before 20 February 2011.

Apply now