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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
PhD Project Template
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Use one form per project
Please complete & submit to international@nuigalway.ie as soon as possible, and by 27/11/2012
In your email, begin the subject line with [SWB] (be sure to use square brackets) to ensure that
your email is filed correctly. Emails will be automatically filed
PI name & contact details:
Dr Rory Monaghan
School:
Energy Systems Engineering
Has project been agreed with head
(or nominee) of proposed
registration school?
n/a
Research Centre / group
affiliation:
Member of:
Informatics Research Unit for Sustainable Energy (IRUSE)
Combustion Chemistry Centre (C3)
Research group / centre
http://www.nuigalway.ie/iruse/
website:
http://c3.nuigalway.ie/
PI website / link to CV:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=10194626&trk=tab_pro
http://c3.nuigalway.ie/staff/rory_monaghan.html
Brief summary of PI research / research group / centre activity (2 or 3 lines max):
 Advanced numerical techniques (CFD & reduced-order modelling) for thermo-fluid energy
applications
 Analysis & modelling of sustainable energy pathways & technology options
Title & brief description of PhD project (suitable for publication on web):
Ensuring Sustainability in Bioenergy: Life-Cycle Assessment of National-Scale Bioenergy
Infrastructures
Bioenergy, the use of recently-living material for energy conversion, is seen as a controversial topic
in sustainable energy. Arguments for it include the fact that it is frequently a widely-distributed
resource, it can provide income in less-developed rural areas, it can have low net CO2 emissions and
it can increase energy security. Arguments against it claim that it causes food scarcity and price
increases, it requires large amounts of energy and water, can have CO2 emissions at least as great as
fossil fuels, and does nothing for energy security. So what is the truth? Due to its nature, bioenergy
pathways need to be viewed holistically. That means taking account of the large diversity of
feedstocks and resources available (energy crops, agri and forest waste, food waste, etc), conversion
technologies (biological, thermochemical, microbial, algal), and end uses (electricity, heat, fuels,
chemicals). We must also consider the entire life-cycle of bioenergy including some or all of the
following: planting, growth, harvesting, processing, transportation, storage, energy conversion, final
use. The metrics by which we assess bioenergy pathway sustainability must reflect the challenges
we face today, which include lifetime CO2 emissions, and water, land and energy requirements.
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
This research proposes to model and assess the sustainability of national-scale bioenergy pathways.
Detailed submodels will be constructed for each of the processes listed above. Case studies will be
used to paint representative pictures. We envision that this holistic and rigorous approach to
sustainability will help address uncertainty in this area.
Unique selling points of PhD project in NUI Galway:
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Work with IRUSE, an internationally-renowned energy modelling and informatics research group
Work as part of the Ryan Institute for environment, marine & energy research, one of the largest
interdisciplinary groups in this field in Europe
Very strong and active research links to international industry and academia in this technology area
Work will be performed in NUI Galway’s Engineering Building, the largest engineering education
facility in Ireland
Name & contact details for project queries, if different from PI named above:
Please indicate the graduates of which disciplines that should apply:
Mechanical Engineering, Energy Systems Engineering, Civil Engineering, Environmental
Engineering
Ciência sem Fronteiras / Science Without Borders Priority Area:
Please indicate the specific programme priority area under which the proposed PhD project fits- choose only
one (tick box):
Engineering and other technological areas
Pure and Natural Sciences (e.g. mathematics, physics, chemistry)/Physical Sciences (Mathematics,
Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Geosciences)
Health and Biomedical Sciences / Clinical, Pré-clinical and Health Sciences
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), Computing
Aerospace
Pharmaceuticals
Sustainable Agricultural Production
Oil, Gas and Coal
Renewable Energy
X
Minerals, Minerals Technology
Biotechnology
Nanotechnology and New Materials
Technologies for Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Disasters
Bioprospecting and Biodiversity
Marine Sciences
Creative Industry
New technologies in constructive engineering
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Suitable only as a Full PhD (Y/N): Y
Available to candidates seeking a Sandwich PhD arrangement (Y/N): N
Suitable for either/Don’t know: N