PhD in Battery Diagnostics and Advanced On-board State Estimation for Electrified Off-Highway Applications Loughborough University in United Kingdom

PhD opportunity in Battery Diagnostics and Advanced On-board State Estimation at Loughborough University.

This fully funded doctoral project focuses on advanced on-board state estimation for electrified off-highway applications, with a particular emphasis on large-format lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery packs. The research sits at the intersection of battery diagnostics, electrochemical modelling, experimental testing, system identification, and control theory.

The project is supported by the Faraday Institution and an industry partner, giving the successful candidate the chance to work on an industry-engaged topic with real-world impact. The work will develop novel methods for estimating state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH), improve degradation mode estimation, and explore knee point prediction for battery ageing.

Research activities include generating an experimental ageing dataset on large-format LFP cells under realistic duty cycles, developing and validating adaptive SOC/SOH algorithms, building and parameterising electrochemical models using PyBaMM, and translating laboratory research into practical onboard systems. The student will be based in the Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering and will also participate in the Faraday Institution training and enrichment scheme.

Eligibility: applicants should have, or expect to obtain, at least a 2:1 degree in a relevant subject such as Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Chemical, Aeronautical, or Automotive Engineering. This opportunity is only open to applicants who qualify for UK fee status.

Funding: fully funded for 4 years. UK fees are covered; international applicants are not eligible.

Deadline: 30 June 2026. Start date: October 2026.