stillingsbetegnelse: PhD scholarship in railway metallurgy

jobbeskrivelse:
Switches and crossings (S&Cs) are an essential part of any railway network as they enable trains to be directed from one track onto another at railway junctions, allowing for necessary flexibility during train operations. At the same time they are also the most vulnerable part of the railway network, suffering from peak stresses because of their moving parts and greater geometric complexity compared to normal tracks. As critical components of the railway network, S&Cs currently consumes a great part of the total maintenance and repair effort. This PhD scholarship is part of a larger programme at DTU Wind Energy carried out together with the Danish railway infrastructure provider Rail Net Denmark (BaneDanmark) that aims to increase the safety, reliability and operational lifetime of S&Cs as well as reducing maintenance expenses through an interdisciplinary approach including monitoring, signal processing, finite element modelling, metallurgical characterisation and intelligent data assessment. For more information see http://www.intelliswitch.dk. Job description Sudden changes in track curvature at the switch blade and rail discontinuity at the crossing nose cause severe local load conditions for these components which induce complicated damage mechanisms including wear, plastic deformation and rolling contact fatigue. This specific PhD project is expected to address damage assessment and identify failure mechanisms in S&Cs using extensive metallographic examinations of components extracted from the rail network and from controlled laboratory fatigue tests. These will include characterisation techniques such as Scanning Electron Microscopy, x-ray diffraction residual stress measurements and nano-hardness profiles. 3D x-ray tomography will be used for three-dimensional mapping of fatigue crack networks and in-situ fatigue facilities installed in a SEM will be used to follow crack formation and propagation on a microscopic level. The objective of the PhD project is to describe microstructural damage evolution and as a part of a larger programme is intended to help with developing better prediction tools for monitoring the condition of the S&Cs. The candidate is expected to cooperate with other PhD students and Post Docs from the programme and one or more stays abroad - 3 to 6 months in total, should be expected as several European universities are involved. Qualifications •Candidates should have a master's degree in engineering or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to the master's degree in engineering •We expect the candidate to have a strong background in metallurgy or materials science •We expect the candidate to have some experience in microstructural characterisation using SEM and/or x-ray tomography •A background within railway technology would be considered advantageous •Fluent in English Approval and Enrolment The scholarships for the PhD degree are subject to academic approval, and the candidates will be enrolled in one of the general degree programmes of DTU. For information about the general requirements for enrolment and the general planning of the scholarship studies, please see the DTU PhD Guide. Assessment The assessment of the applicants will be made by Senior Researcher Hilmar Danielsen. We offer We offer an interesting and challenging job in an international environment focusing on education, research, public-sector consultancy and innovation, which contribute to enhancing the economy and improving social welfare. We strive for academic excellence, collegial respect and freedom tempered by responsibility. The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) is a leading technical university in northern Europe and benchmarks with the best universities in the world. Salary and appointment terms The salary and appointment terms are consistent with the current rules for PhD degree students. The period of employment is 3 years. The workplace is at DTU Risø Campus, Roskilde 40

Arbejdsgiver Navn: Danmarks Tekniske Universitet

Arbejdsgiver telefonnummer: 45252525

Arbejdsgiver faxnummer: 45881799

Job kort beskrivelse:
Undervisning og forskning på universiteter og højere læreranstalter

land: Danmark

region: Hovedstaden

krævede uddannelse: Ikke angivet

Kilde til jobtilbud: AMS, Offentlige arbejdsformidlinger, Danmark