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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):
Smarter Building Energy: generating reduced-order models from CFD simulations for fast,
efficient, flexible and accurate simulations of building energy use
Over 40% of global energy use is consumed in the heating, cooling and lighting of buildings. In an era
of high energy prices, import dependency, scarce resources and environmental concern, improving
the energy efficiency of buildings represents an enormous opportunity to address some of the most
pressing issues facing society. Computational modelling is an essential technique for reducing
energy use in buildings through improved original design and better understanding of energy use
throughout a building's lifetime. In order to be sufficiently accurate, these models, which include
computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques, can be highly computationally expensive and
require impractical amounts of end-user expertise and time. Reduced-order models (ROMs), which
are fast and easy to use, represent an entirely different approach to building energy modelling, but
are frequently of such a simplified nature that they are only applicable to specific circumstances
under which their governing assumptions are valid.
This project proposes to adapt techniques developed in the field of combustion modelling to
combine the CFD and ROM approaches into a single method, which benefits from the advantages of
both. The CFD-ROM method involves the following steps: (1) CFD simulation of the building zone or
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
room in question, (2) application of a set of criteria to the CFD simulation from which is
automatically extracted a ROM, (3) use of the ROM to rapidly model energy use for a wide range of
conditions. From a single CFD simulation, a ROM can be generated and used for modelling hundreds
of different sets of conditions. This method has been developed and used successfully by the
applicant and industrial collaborators in the field of combustion modelling.
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 industry in this technology area, e.g. United Technologies
Research Centre, Intel, Cylon Controls, and to global academia, e.g. Georgia Tech, Politecnico di
MIlano
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, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science
and 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
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Universidade Nacional da Irlanda em Galway -- Ciência sem Fronteiras
Please indicate which of the following applies to this project (referring to Science Without Borders
arrangements):
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