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PhD Studentship@University of Southampton,UK-The Design of Lubricant-Surface Interaction for Reduced Boundary Friction and Wear

Mechanical losses account for 15% of total energy loss in an
IC engine where 45% of these losses result from friction of piston-ring
assembly. An increase in mechanical efficiency of 10% could lead to improved
fuel consumption of 1.5%. Taking into account the large number of vehicles on
road (30 million in the UK in 2010 according to the Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders) and fuel
consumption of 12.5 miles/litre, the potential fuel saving would accrue to
approximated £647 million/annum, which is substantial to the country's economy.
Therefore, the advantage in improving mechanical efficiency of IC engines and
also other machines is self-evident.

Friction and wear are influenced by boundary interactions
between opposite roughness features (asperities) of sliding surfaces. Low shear
strength adsorbed thin films are formed by boundary active lubricant species to
reduce the energy loss in direct surface contacts. The boundary active
molecules in lubricants act as the last barrier, preventing direct
surface-to-surface interaction. To optimize boundary lubrication, the project proposes
a molecular level numerical model with a multi-scale surface characterization
approach to predict friction and wear of rough surfaces. The model combines
lubricant-surface interaction as a single system, with different concentration
of boundary-active molecules. This can lead to a surface-optimized lubricant
blend through fundamentals rather than by empirical approach.

The
candidate must be an enthusiastic and self-motivated person who holds or
expects to obtain an upper second or first class degree in Mechanical
Engineering, Material Science, Physics, Chemistry or a related field. The
successful candidate has the option to be based in the national Centre of
Advanced Tribology (nCATS) at University of Southampton, UK for ONE year before
moving to University of Southampton Malaysia Campus (USMC) or vice versa.
Throughout the PhD duration, the candidate will also have the opportunity to
collaborate with nCATS' industrial partners.

If you wish to discuss
any details of the project informally, please contact Dr
William W.F. Chong, national Centre of Advanced Tribology at Southampton
(nCATS), University of Southampton, UK (Based in University of Southampton
Malaysia Campus, Johor, Malaysia) Email: w.chong@soton.ac.uk,
Tel: +6075602465.

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