PhD Studentship: AI-Driven Condition Monitoring System for Offshore Wind Generators

Overview

The University of East Anglia, through the School of Engineering, Mathematics and Physics, offers a PhD studentship focused on developing an artificial intelligence-driven condition monitoring system for offshore wind generators. Offshore wind power contributes roughly 10 to 15 percent of United Kingdom electricity generation and supports net-zero targets, but drivetrain components remain frequent sources of failure and high maintenance costs. Existing condition monitoring solutions mainly use vibration measurements, which face limitations such as delayed fault detection and false alarms, while electrical measurement-based solutions remain commercially underdeveloped. This project aims to create advanced hybrid fault diagnosis methods combining physics-based analytical models with artificial intelligence data analysis to improve fault detection accuracy and classification. The research involves analytical investigations, numerical simulations, finite element modelling, and experimental validation to support predictive maintenance and reduce downtime.

Who can apply

This PhD project is part of a competition for a Faculty of Science funded studentship. Funding is available to applicants from the United Kingdom.

Requirements

Applicants must meet a standard minimum entry requirement of a 2:1 degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or Computer Science.

What you get

The funding provides home tuition fees and an annual stipend for a duration of three years. The current institutional PhD stipend rate is £21,805 per annum, which is subject to any agreed inflationary uplift for the 2027 to 2028 academic year.

Key dates

The application closing date is 24 February 2027. The mode of study is full-time, with the program scheduled to start on 1 October 2027.