Funded by Australian Rail CRC, an exciting opportunity has become available for up to one PhD candidate to join a multi-disciplinary team to develop models and methodology in development of Development Vibration Energy Harvesting Devices for Train Carrier Suspension. Candidates are expected to hold a good Bachelor or Masters Degree in mechanical/electrical/civil engineering, or a related field, such as Applied Physics. The ideal candidate for this position will have demonstrated knowledge and proven experience in one of the following areas: Applied physics or Electric, Automatic control, Mechanical/ engineering or and civil engineering.
The students will research and develop the vibration energy Harvesting Devices for Train Carrier Suspension.
This project will develop a novel energy harvester that efficiently harvests vibration energy from the train carrier suspension system when a train is running. Attached to the suspension shocks, a permanent magnetic motor will be used as an electric generator. Racks, pinions, gears and a one-way-clutch will be employed to convert the up-and-down motion of the suspension shock vibration to the unidirectional rotational motion of the electric generator. A flywheel will be used to smooth out and store the harvested energy in fluctuation. A battery will be used to store the DC electric energy generated from the generator. A dynamic model will be developed for optimization of the device design.
The harvested energy can be used to power the sensors in the cabin carrier suspension for monitoring structural health and provide environmental sensing data for the train carrier suspension or for lighting LED globes of the train carrier cabin. The proposal will contribute to enhance the energy efficiency and reliability of the Australian railway system. The outcome will meet the emerging demands of the industry for sustainable railway technologies which reduce energy consumption and cost and improve the safety.
Value and duration
Number of scholarships available: Two
Eligibility:
Domestic applicants (Australian Citizens / Permanent Residents) only are eligible for this scholarship opportunity.
Open date: Applications are now open.
Close date: Applications will close when a candidate is selected.
Terms and conditions: Read the Research Scholarship Terms and Conditions (PDF 327kb, 10p).
Contact: For further enquiries please contact Xu Wang via email: xu.wang@rmit.edu.au.