项目介绍

2024年12月28日

The PhD is hosted by the KU Leuven Noise and Vibration Research Group, which currently counts 90 researchers and is headed by Prof. Dirk Vandepitte (https://www.kuleuven.be/wieiswie/en/person/00007104) and is part of the Mechanical Engineering Department, a vibrant environment of more than 300 researchers. The research group has a long track record of combining excellent fundamental academic research with industrially relevant applications, leading to dissemination in both highly ranked academic journals as well as on industrial fora. More information on the research group can be found on the website: https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/research/mod/about and our linkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/noise-&-vibration-research-group/.

Website van de eenheid

Project

This PhD is part of the Horizon Europe MSCA doctoral network IN-NOVA (Active reduction of noise transmitted and from enclosures through encapsulated structures). IN-NOVA is an international consortium of high-profile universities, research institutions and companies located in Poland, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. The main goal of the IN-NOVA project is to train 13 doctoral candidates (DCs) through intersectoral, multidisciplinary and international joint research. Specifically, the scientific objectives of the IN-NOVA project are based on a precisely targeted dual noise problem, related to the transmission of noise into and from enclosures through encapsulated structures that concern a vast majority of the population. The project will focus on many exiting noise control solutions, including advances passive materials and metamaterials, active and semi-active control systems with robust distributed architectures, soundscape and psychoacoustic aspects, remote sensing and novel control algorithms.

As DC 6 within this project you will work on noise reduction of Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs). HEVs and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) are cleaner and produce less exterior noise than cars with internal combustion engines. However, the interior noise is characterized by high-frequency noise components which can be subjectively perceived as annoying and unpleasant. The challenge is to reduce the interior noise levels in (H/B)EV, without adding too much weight to the car. The objective of this DC is to develop a passive/active approach to reduce the annoyance of acoustic sound field in a car. The DC will focus on the vibro-acoustic modelling of structural vibrations and acoustic radiation of typical automotive structural parts (e.g., body panels), actively controlled by means of electromechanical actuators. The active control approach will be complemented with passive reduction approaches, e.g. exploiting metamaterials.

Profile

If you recognize yourself in the story below, then you have the profile that fits the project and the research group: 

• I have a master degree in engineering, physics or mathematics, obtained no longer than four years ago and performed above average in comparison to my peers.
• I am proficient in written and spoken English. 
• I haven’t had residence or main activities in Belgium for more than 12 months in the last 3 years.
• During my courses or prior professional activities, I have gathered some basic experience with the physical principles of acoustics, passive and/or active noise reduction methods and numerical modelling techniques, such as the Finite Element Method (FEM), Boundary Element Method (BEM), … , and/or I have a profound interest in these topics.
• As a PhD researcher of the KU Leuven Noise and Vibration Research Group I perform research in a structured and scientifically sound manner. I read technical papers, understand the nuances between different theories and implement and improve methodologies myself. 
• Based on interactions and discussions with my supervisors and the colleagues in my team, I set up and update a plan of approach for the upcoming 1 to 3 months to work towards my research goals. I work with a sufficient degree of independence to follow my plan and achieve the goals. I indicate timely when deviations of the plan are required, if goals cannot be met or if I want to discuss intermediate results or issues.
• In frequent reporting, varying between weekly to monthly, I show the results that I have obtained and I give a well-founded interpretation of those results. I iterate on my work and my approach based on the feedback of my supervisors which steer the direction of my research.
• I feel comfortable to work as a team member and I am eager to share my results to inspire and being inspired by my colleagues.
• I value being part of a large research group which is well connected to the machine and transportation industry and I am eager to learn how academic research can be linked to industrial innovation roadmaps.
• During my PhD I want to grow towards following up the project that I am involved in and representing the research group on project meetings or conferences. I see these events as an occasion to disseminate my work to an audience of international experts and research colleagues, and to learn about the larger context of my research and the research project.

Offer

• A remuneration package competitive with industry standards in Belgium, a country with a high quality of life and excellent health care system.
• An opportunity to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, typically a 4 year trajectory, in a stimulating and ambitious research environment.  
• Ample occasions to develop yourself in a scientific and/or an industrial direction. Besides opportunities offered by the research group, further doctoral training for PhD candidates is provided in the framework of the KU Leuven Arenberg Doctoral School (https://set.kuleuven.be/phd), known for its strong focus on both future scientists and scientifically trained professionals who will valorise their doctoral expertise and competences in a non-academic context. More information on the training opportunities can be found on the following link: https://set.kuleuven.be/phd/dopl/whytraining. 

Interested?

To apply for this position, please follow the application tool and enclose:

1. full CV – mandatory

2. motivation letter – mandatory

3. full list of credits and grades of both BSc and MSc degrees (as well as their transcription to English if possible) – mandatory (when you haven’t finished your degree yet, just provide us with the partial list of already available credits and grades)

4. proof of English proficiency (TOEFL, IELTS, …) – if available

5. two reference letters – if available

6. an English version of MSc or PhD thesis, or of a recent publication or assignment – if available
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Elke Deckers, tel.: +32 16 37 26 79, mail: elke.deckers@kuleuven.be or Mr. Claus Claeys, tel.: +32 16 37 26 85, mail: claus.claeys@kuleuven.be.You can apply for this job no later than January 30, 2025 via the online application tool

KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.

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