Analysing coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of unconventional geothermal reservoirs

We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2023. Applications are invited for the project Analysing coupled Analysing coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical behaviour of unconventional geothermal reservoirs behaviour of unconventional geothermal reservoirs.

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of approximately £19,668, including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years).

You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than three) of studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency.

You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Civil Engineering research and PhD programmes | Brunel University London

The Project

This project will investigate faulted deep geothermal reservoirs to improve understanding of fundamental behaviour and predictions of recoverable heat, while reducing the uncertainty and risk concerning induced seismicity. Coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical modelling will be employed with an emphasis on the conditions of fault reactivation due to fluid injection. Project outcomes will inform strategies for the safe exploration of unconventional geothermal resources, including within the UK.

Please contact Dr Lee Hosking at Lee.Hosking@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentships.

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Engineering, Computer Science, Design, Mathematics, Physics or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.

Skills and Experience

Successful applicants will be capable of delivering high-quality work while maintaining effective communication, having a good BEng/BSc/MEng (1st class or 2.1 degree) and/or MSc in Civil Engineering or Earth Sciences. Understanding of geo-environmental engineering and computational model development using MATLAB, COMSOL, etc. would be an advantage.

You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.

How to apply

There are two stages of the application:

1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link https://brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/epsrc-dtp-23-24-pre-application-form-brunel-university-lon-3 by 16.00 on Friday 26th May 2023.

2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to cedps-studentships@brunel.ac.uk within 24hrs.

Your up-to-date CV;
Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) essential;
Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;
Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable;
Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Applicants should therefore ensure that they have all of this information in case they are shortlisted.

Interviews will take place in June 2023.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Lee Hosking - Lee is a Lecturer in Energy Geomechanics in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on computational modelling of deep subsurface environments with attention to coupled thermal-hydraulic-mechanical (THM) phenomena, accurate and efficient fracture network representation, and damage evolution. For over 10 years, the main practical application of his research has been geological CO₂ storage with respect to storage capacity, injectivity, and migration/confinement, but he has also worked on unconventional geothermal energy systems and radioactive waste disposal. Alongside his research, Lee teaches geo-energy engineering and climate change science, and is Senior Tutor for Civil and Environmental Engineering. Before joining Brunel in 2020, Lee was a postdoctoral researcher at the Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff University, where he led the CO₂ sequestration work package of the FLEXIS energy systems research project. He received his PhD from Cardiff University in 2014 for research on coupled THM behaviour during CO₂ injection in coal, having graduated with an MEng Civil Engineering, also from Cardiff University. Lee's current research projects, funded by The Royal Society and EPSRC (via UKCCSRC and Horizon Europe underwrite), are investigating key aspects of CO₂ storage linked with injection well integrity and the prediction and management of fluid injection-induced seismicity. These projects are being delivered alongside his national and international partners from academia and industry. His professional affiliations include Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, membership of the Editorial Board for the journal Deep Underground Science and Engineering, and membership of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre, British Geotechnical Association, and International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering. Within Brunel's research environment, he is part of the Centre for Energy Efficient and Sustainable Technologies as well as the Two-Phase Flow and Heat Transfer and Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering research groups. Lee is always looking for talented and motivated PhD students as well as new collaborators for research projects.

Related Research Group(s)

Assessment of Structures and Materials under Extreme Conditions - Thermo-mechanical modelling of metallic, non-metallic and composite structural materials; numerical methods development for solid and structural mechanics applications; experimental methods to support the development and application of advanced material and structural models.