PhD for the Innovation and Digital Transformation Team
PhD position in Enhanced wind turbine lifetime management through automated data processing and bespoke sensing
If you are aspiring for a career in industrial R&D or academia, with a passion for the production of low carbon energy, particularly wind energy, and its most intriguing research challenges, then this subject may be of interest to you.
We are seeking a passionate, curious, and enthusiastic new team member committed to addressing climate change by advancing renewable energy systems. We are looking for someone who thrives on solving complex problems, isn't afraid to ask challenging questions, and possesses the determination to pursue innovative solutions in a rapidly evolving field.
Nadara invites applications for a position as a PhD student in “Enhanced wind turbine lifetime management through automated data processing and bespoke sensing”, as part of Data, Diagnostics, and Prognostics for decision making, investigated in IntelliWind. The IntelliWind (Intelligent systems for autonomous Wind power plant operations) project is a Doctoral Network funded by the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions program (MSCA DN).
In this role, you will have the chance to evolve within industry at Nadara Innovation and Digital Transformation team, at Lisbon office. You will benefit from advanced training in various European universities and industry, participate in scientific discussions within the rich context of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action Doctoral Networks context.
You are a committed individual with a strong background in engineering or applied mathematics / computer science, with a keen interest in scientific programming, structural analysis, machine learning and data science. Your curiosity drives you to explore and understand the intricacies of wind energy systems, and your self-motivation pushes you to expand the boundaries of what is currently possible for a better tomorrow.
Responsibilities and qualifications
In this role, your key responsibilities will include:
- Designing methodologies for the automated processing of data collected from custom sensors, enabling accurate quantification of historical and current fatigue consumption in assets.
- Proposing and developing an optimized sensor network for deployment in bottom-fixed or floating wind farms.
- Generating and managing unique datasets that combine operational variables with structural and mechanical response data.
- Creating advanced data processing workflows that integrate information from diverse sources, utilizing population-based analytical strategies.
- Developing AI-driven tools to automatically recommend maintenance interventions and optimize operational performance.
The present project will take advantage of collaboration with researchers and engineers at Nadara and at external partners in academia as well as the industry. The project includes close collaboration with Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and University of Porto (UPORTO), and envisages external stays in Switzerland (Zurich), and Oporto, respectively. The primary academic advisor is Dr. João Santos (Nadara). The DC will be co-advised by Prof. Filipe Magalhães (UPORTO) and Prof. E. Chatzi (ETH Zurich).
You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree. In addition, we are looking for candidates with experience or familiarity in one or more of the following areas:
- Programming with scientific Python.
- Data science, analytics, and machine learning methods.
- Structural sensing systems.
- Wind turbine structural dynamics.
- Understanding of wind energy systems and operations.
You also work efficiently in a project team and take responsibility for your own research goals.
There are additional criteria for Marie Skłodowska-Curie DNs, that requires that you have:
- Not been awarded a title of PhD (Applicants who have successfully defended their doctoral thesis but not yet formally been awarded the doctoral degree will not be considered eligible.)
- Not resided or carried out your main activity in Portugal, for more than 12 months within the last 3 years.
Approval and Enrolment
The scholarship for the PhD degree is subject to academic approval. For Academic year 2024/2025, PhD applications at UPorto can be submitted from October 23rd to November 20th 2024. Enrollment will then happen between January 8th to 20th 2025. More information on the Doctoral Program at UPorto (FEUP) is available at these links:
https://sigarra.up.pt/feup/en/cand_info_geral.cand_reg_ingresso_view?pv_id=924#prazos
We offer you the opportunity to be a part of IntelliWind, which will not only facilitate sixteen Doctoral Candidates in reaching a high level of technical and project-specific excellence but will also provide you with many opportunities for developing skills that are transferable to a broader landscape of opportunities. You will have the opportunity to visit industry and other academic institutions within the consortium. After completing the program, you will have a thorough understanding of the process from research via innovation to industry implementation and a strong career-defining network.
The IntelliWind Doctoral Network provides training for a new creative, entrepreneurial, innovative, and resilient industry-oriented academic generation ready to face current and future challenges towards reducing the role of humans in the decision process and the need for direct human interventions in the wind power plant operations and maintenance activities. The trained Doctoral Candidates will be able to convert knowledge and ideas into new products, and services for economic and social benefit.
We’re Nadara, one of Europe’s largest renewable energy independent power producers. We own and operate more than 200 renewable energy sites across Europe and the US, producing electricity from wind, solar, waste-to-energy, and biomass. Every day, we harness the power of nature for good. The most obvious way is by generating dependable renewable energy, but this is just the beginning. We strive to make a deeper impact, seizing the opportunity to live renewable energy in the decisions we make and actions we take, both big and small. We call this living energy. It sees us connecting with people, contributing to communities, and caring for the natural world. Guided by our values of impact, care and connection we work together to make our global and local impact as positive as possible.
Share CV with the Entire IntelliWind Consortium
If you would like your CV to be shared with the entire IntelliWind consortium and potentially be contacted in case your profile fits one of the other open positions, please send a copy of your application by e-mail to the following email address: intelliwind@gmail.com. By sending your CV to this email address, you automatically consent to its circulation within the IntelliWind consortium.