PhD Studentship in Aeronautics: Offshore Wind Farms, Cloud Interaction, and Scientific Machine Learning Imperial College London in United Kingdom

This PhD studentship at Imperial College London focuses on the interaction between offshore wind farms and marine stratocumulus clouds, aiming to maximise wind farm performance using scientific machine learning. The project investigates how wind turbines modify the Marine Boundary Layer (MBL), influencing cloud formation and mesoclimate, and how these changes impact power generation. No prior study has explored the two-way interaction between wind farms and marine stratocumulus clouds, making this research both novel and impactful.

As a student, you will employ high-fidelity large eddy simulation (LES) codes and scientific machine learning tools, including real-time optimisers, to simulate wind farms under various atmospheric inflows. You will develop and implement actuator disc/line wind-turbine models, facilitating a deep understanding of the flow physics surrounding cloud formation. The project also involves creating machine learning-based strategies for discovering self-similarity laws, quantised local reduced order models, and real data assimilation.

You will be jointly integrated into the research groups of Prof. Oliver Buxton (expert in turbulence, wind-energy flows, and turbulent cloud microphysics) and Prof. Luca Magri (expert in scientific machine learning for aeronautical applications). Both groups host ERC projects, offering opportunities for collaboration and interdisciplinary research. There is also potential for collaboration with a group in The Netherlands, which may require short-term travel.

The studentship is fully funded, covering tuition fees and providing an annual tax-free stipend of £22,780 for Home, EU, and International students. The duration is 3.5 years. Due to the competitive nature of the award, candidates must have a First class honours MEng/MSci or higher degree (or international equivalent) in Aeronautical/Mechanical Engineering or similar STEM subjects. Willingness to learn new skills and techniques is essential.

Imperial College London is committed to diversity and inclusion, holding the Athena SWAN Silver Award, Stonewall Diversity Champion status, and being a Disability Confident Employer. The application deadline is 31 May 2026. For project-specific questions, contact Prof. Oliver Buxton at [email protected]. For application process queries, contact [email protected].

To apply, submit your application via the Imperial College London postgraduate doctoral application portal. When applying, search for 'Aeronautics Research (PhD)', use reference number AE0078, and list Prof. Oliver Buxton as the research supervisor. Join a vibrant research environment and contribute to cutting-edge work at the intersection of aeronautics, environmental science, and machine learning.