One PhD Stipend in Reliability and Experimental Methods for Advanced Control of Wave Energy Converters

Jobbeskrivelse
At the Faculty of Engineering and Science, Department of the Built Environment, a PhD stipend is available within the doctoral programme in Civil Engineering. The position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of renewable energy, reliability engineering, advanced control, and experimental hydrodynamics within the EU-funded project COIN. The successful candidate will contribute to the development of next-generation wave energy converters through a combination of modelling, uncertainty quantification, experimental testing, and digital-twin methodologies.

The stipend is open for appointment from 01.08.2026 or soon hereafter. The duration of the position is three years.

Your work tasks
The PhD project will focus on the development of reliability- and risk-aware methodologies for wave energy converters (WECs), combining uncertainty quantification, structural integrity assessment, and experimental validation. The research will address the coupled behaviour of the WEC structure, mooring system, and power take-off under realistic environmental and operational conditions.

A key objective of the project is the development of probabilistic and physics-informed models to quantify uncertainties related to material properties, environmental loading, sensor data, and model fidelity. Bayesian and stochastic techniques will be used to propagate uncertainty through diagnosis and prognosis models, enabling confidence-aware estimation of degradation, fatigue accumulation, probability of failure, and remaining useful life. These reliability metrics will be integrated into risk-based evaluation frameworks that explicitly balance structural integrity and energy conversion efficiency.

The resulting framework will provide actionable inputs to advanced control strategies, allowing control actions and maintenance activities to be adapted based on both expected energy yield and system health. The project also includes extensive experimental activities in the AAU wave basin, where medium-scale hydrodynamic and dynamic system tests will be conducted. Experimental data will be used to validate digital-twin and reliability models and to assess the trade-offs between energy performance, structural loading, and long-term system reliability under varying health conditions.

The PhD candidate will collaborate closely with researchers working within wave energy conversion, control systems, reliability engineering, and experimental hydrodynamics, and will contribute to scientific publications and dissemination activities related to the project.

Your competencies

We are looking for a motivated and curious candidate with a strong interest in renewable energy systems, reliability engineering, and advanced modelling and control methodologies. Applicants should hold a Master’s degree in engineering or a related field such as control engineering, mechanical engineering, civil engineering, ocean engineering, applied mathematics, or similar.

Competence in control systems or reliability engineering is considered an advantage, together with experience in uncertainty quantification, Bayesian inference, or probabilistic risk assessment. Background knowledge in fault detection and diagnosis, condition monitoring, or health management is desirable. Familiarity with optimal, robust, or adaptive control approaches, particularly multi-objective formulations balancing energy performance and structural loads, will also be beneficial.

The ideal candidate should be interested in combining theoretical modelling with experimental validation and should be comfortable working in an interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment. Good communication skills in English, both written and spoken, are expected.

Qualification requirements
PhD stipends are allocated to individuals who hold a Master's degree. PhD stipends are normally for a period of 3 years. It is a prerequisite for allocation of the stipend that the candidate will be enrolled as a PhD student at the Doctoral School of Engineering and Science in accordance with the regulations of Ministerial Order No. 1124 of September 19, 2025 on the PhD Programme at the Universities and Certain Higher Artistic Educational Institutions. According to the Ministerial Order, the progress of the PhD student shall be assessed at regular points in time. As part of the PhD study, you are among other things required to complete PhD courses corresponding to 30 ECTS, gain experience with teaching or other forms of knowledge dissemination and complete an external research stay outside of Aalborg University, preferably 3-6 months at a foreign research institution.

Please visit the website of the doctoral school for further information on admission requirements.

Who we are
The Department of the Built Environment at Aalborg University conducts research and education within civil engineering, energy systems, sustainability, and the built environment. The research group involved in this project works with marine renewable energy systems, hydrodynamics, advanced control, and experimental testing of offshore structures and wave energy technologies.

The successful candidate will join an international and interdisciplinary research environment with strong collaboration between academia and industry partners through national and European research projects. The work will involve close interaction with researchers, PhD students, and technical staff working in the AAU wave basin laboratories and within the broader field of ocean engineering and renewable energy systems.

How to apply
Your application must include the following:

• Application, stating reasons for applying and qualifications in relation to the position
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Diplomas (bachelor's and master's degree diploma, including grades)
• Project description, a one-page statement, indicating their vision for research to be conducted in relation to the project topics outlined above.
• Other relevant documents

The application must be submitted via Aalborg University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aalborg University's website.

Aalborg University wants to reflect the surrounding society and has diversity as a core value. Therefore, everyone, regardless of personal background and orientation, is encouraged to apply for the position.

Do you have any questions?
If you have any questions about the position, you are more than welcome to contact us. You will find contact persons at the bottom of the jobpost.

Further information
Read more about our recruitment process here.

The assessment of candidates for the position will be carried out by qualified experts.
Shortlisting will be applied. This means that after the application deadline, the head of the department, with the assistance of the hiring committee, will select the applicants to be assessed. All applicants will be informed whether they have been shortlisted for assessment or not.

The hiring process at Aalborg University may include a risk assessment as a tool to identify potential risks associated with new hires, ensuring the safety, compliance, and integrity of the workplace.

Read more about The Doctoral School of Engineering and Science

Salary and terms of employment
The employment is in accordance with the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Universities (the Appointment Order) and the Ministerial Order on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Universities (in Danish).

Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with the collective agreement between the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations and the state (AC collective agreement) (in Danish)

There is a mutual probationary period of 3 months for the position.

Aalborg University - Knowledge for the world
Aalborg University is an international workplace with more than 3,700 employees. We offer real-world-oriented education and create world-class research results through collaboration between researchers, students, and public and private companies. This is how we achieve insights, new solutions to societal problems, and knowledge that changes the world. Our main campus is in Aalborg, but we also have campuses in Esbjerg and Copenhagen.

Contacts

• Francesco Ferri: +4599403835, [email protected]

Ansøgningsfrist
25-06-2026

Ref. nummer
2026/812

Afdeling
Department of the Built Environment