PhD studentship: Underground Pumped Hydraulic Storage (ENG291)

Fully funded PhD Studentship: Underground Pumped Hydraulic Storage

 

Background

One lesser considered challenge of the shift towards renewable energy is the need for reliable and robust energy storage facilities. A popular method of doing so is to create vast battery storage facilities which require incredible sums of upfront capital and rely on lithium, one of (if not) the most intensively mined resources of the modern age. 

What if there was another way? What if we could utilise the very land that lies at the foot of wind or solar farms? By pumping water into a sealed flexible membrane under a mass of soil we can convert solar energy into pressure potential energy, akin to pumping water up to an elevated reservoir but without the need for large natural elevation changes. A great idea in principle, but one which presents a number of geotechnical challenges. By modelling this storage facility in one of the UK’s leading geotechnical centrifuge testing laboratories, this project will overcome these issues - such as cyclical loading and interface effects - and rationalise the use of this method on various scales which society requires. 

This project requires a background which includes undergraduate geotechnics/soil mechanics. 

 

Skills you’ll gain

Under the supervision of Charlie Heron and myself you will gain:

Expert knowledge of centrifuge modelling challenges and solutions.Advanced programming/data analysis skills.How to effectively communicate complex and novel research.Opportunities to develop lab demonstration/teaching experience.The confidence to deal with uncertainty and tackle any problem without a defined final answer.

 

Desirable Skills (an advantage, not a requirement)

Data analysis skills in python.An interest in energy policy / the economics of energy.Numerical modelling.

 

Eligibility

This studentship is available for UK nationals, or in exceptional circumstances international applicants where the candidate has a strong application.

This position is fully funded for 3.5 years tuition and includes a tax free UKRI stipend of approximately £20,780. After a suitable candidate is found, funding is then sought from the University of Nottingham as part of a competitive process

Interested applicants can find out more by contacting me via email. Send me a message at angus.pettey1@nottingham.ac.uk with the subject line “UPHS PhD”.

Closing Date: 24 Feb 2026
Category: Studentships