UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM
RECRUITMENT ROLE PROFILE FORM
Job Title:
Research Fellow in Fluidized Bed Combustion
School/Department:
Faculty of Engineering
Salary:
£28,695 - £37,394 per annum, depending on skills and
experience. Salary progression beyond this scale is subject
to performance
Job Family and Level:
R&T Level 4
Contract Status:
This post is available from 1 July 2015 and will be offered on
a fixed term contract of 24 months
Hours of Work:
Full time
Location:
University Park Campus & Jubilee Campus
Reporting to:
Dr Hao Liu, Dr Chenggong Sun, Prof Colin Snape
Purpose of the New Role:
Recently, the University of Nottingham-led consortium had been awarded EPSRC funding to
research ‘Ultra-Supercritical (USC) steam power generation technology with Circulating
Fluidized
Bed
(CFB):
Combustion,
Materials
and
Modelling
(USC-CFB-CMM)’
(http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/NGBOViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/M01536X/1).
This
large
consortium project aims to maximize the benefits of USC/CFB in terms of power generation
efficiency, fuel flexibility including biomass and integration with CO2 capture by conducting
research that addresses the key challenges in combustion, materials and modelling. The post
holder will undertake the combustion-focused research tasks scheduled for University of
Nottingham.
Main Responsibilities
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
6.
% time
per year
To conduct laboratory-scale fluidized bed combustion tests burning a range of
biomass and waste-derived fuels both under conventional air combustion and
oxy-fuel combustion conditions; to characterise fuel, ash and bed materials
samples using both conventional analytical equipment (e.g. TGA) and
advanced materials characterisation techniques (e.g. XRD, XRF); to complete
the design to modify the existing laboratory-scale Bubbling Fluidized Bed (BFB)
combustor to a laboratory-scale CFB combustor
To assist materials-focused Research Fellow working on the same project to
install, monitor and test materials corrosion probes/specimens within various
regions of BFB/CFB combustors
To assist University of Warwick’s research team working on the same project
to develop mathematical models of USC/CFB boilers
To disseminate research results through publishing research papers in high
impact factor peer-reviewed journals, delivering oral/poster presentations at
project meetings and national/international workshops/conferences where
appropriate
To assist the Principal Investigator of the project to co-ordinate combustionfocused research activities at laboratory-scale (@University of Nottingham)
and pilot-scale (@University of Sheffield)
To co-supervise taught course students (both undergraduate and postgraduate
students) who are doing individual/group research projects related to fluidized
bed combustion within the research group
Any other duties appropriate to the grade and role.
Recruitment
60%
10%
10%
10%
5%
5%
Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience
Qualifications/
Education
Skills/Training
Experience
Personal
attributes
Essential
PhD or equivalent in areas relevant to
power plant engineering, energy and
fuels.
Good laboratory skills on basic
analysis and characterisation of fuel,
ash and bed materials.
Desirable
PhD or equivalent in areas
relevant to solid fuel combustion
and/or high temperature fluidized
beds
Skills in designing and operating
high
temperature
combustion
and/or fluidized bed rigs
Good understanding of solid fuel
combustion,
fluidized
beds
and
steam-Rankine
cycle
power
generation
Skills in modelling steam-Rankine
cycle power plants and/or high
temperature
fluidized
bed
systems.
Practical operational experience with
combustion and/or high temperature
fluidized bed testing facilities.
Specific skills in designing and
operating solid fuel (coal, biomass
or
waste)
fluidized
bed
combustion testing facilities.
Experience in conducting fuel analysis
(proximate analysis, elemental
analysis, Calorimetry, TGA).
Experience in materials
characterisation (SEM, XRD
and/or XRF etc.).
Experience in delivering presentations
at national/international consortium
meetings, workshops or conferences.
Relevant postdoctoral research
experience.
Experience in publishing research
results in high impact factor peerreviewed journals (a minimum of
three published/accepted SCI-journal
papers over the past three years).
Good organisation skills.
Experience in writing grant
proposals.
Good interpersonal skills and team
working.
Ability to take initiatives and
make effective plans
Good written and verbal
communication skills.
Ability to deliver according to
deadlines.
Self-motivating and ability to
work with minimum supervision.
Decision Making
i)




ii)




taken independently by the role holder
Day-to-day research tasks’ management and organisation.
Decisions regarding experimental design, undertaking experiments and analysis of
results.
Safe operating practices within laboratories.
Preparing draft reports, papers and presentations.
taken in collaboration with others
Maintenance of laboratory equipment and the fluidized bed combustion rig.
Design and modification of the fluidized bed combustion rig.
Purchase of small consumable items for experimentation.
Writing and submission of papers to academic journals/conferences,
reports/presentations and grant applications.
progress
iii)
referred to the appropriate line managers (Dr Hao Liu, Dr Chenggong Sun, Prof Colin
Snape) by the role holder
 Decisions affecting the long-term focus and direction of the research.
 Interactions with industrial partners and other stakeholders than academic partners of
the project
 Purchase of larger items of consumables/equipment and repair/service of any
equipment