Project opportunity
This Earmarked Scholarship project is aligned with a recently awarded Category 1 research grant. It offers you the opportunity to work with leading researchers and contribute to large projects of national significance.
A PhD scholarship is available to develop superconducting technologies of reacted multifilament magnesium diboride (MgB2) conductors for liquid helium (LHe)-free MRI magnet application. Over the last three decades, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become an unprecedented and irreplaceable tool for diagnosis, treatment planning and monitoring. The ever-increasing insight afforded by MRI lies in continuous developments in advanced manufacturing, including those involving superconductor technology. The requirement to use a superconducting magnet cooled in LHe to produce a strong and uniform magnetic field, in the Tesla range, means that MRI is costly to manufacture and maintain, limiting its availability in remote diagnostic centres. The requirement of a bath filled with expensive LHe to cool the niobium-titanium superconducting magnet, the fabric of modern-day MRI magnets, is a major cost driver of today’s MRI instruments. Hence, the development of mainstream LHe-free MRI systems is critical to make it more widely available through a reduction in up-front and maintenance costs. The MgB2 conductor, which has a critical temperature of 39 K is known to be the most attractive candidate for this purpose.
This project aims to develop a superconducting joining technology for reacted multifilament MgB2 conductors, design a persistent-current-switch (PCS) using the multifilament MgB2 conductor and implement newly developed superconducting joints and PCS in a laboratory-scale prototype MRI magnet and operate the magnet in the persistent-mode to demonstrate its suitability for commercial MRI applications.
Scholarship value
As a scholarship recipient, you'll receive:
- living stipend of $32,192 per annum tax free (2023 rate), indexed annually
- tuition fees covered
- single Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
Supervisor
School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering
Email: md.hossain@uq.edu.au
Preferred educational background
Your application will be assessed on a competitive basis.
We take into account your
- previous academic record
- publication record
- honours and awards
- employment history.
The applicant will demonstrate academic achievement in the field(s) of superconducting materials, superconducting magnets, cryogenic and vacuum systems, CAD, electron microscopy, finite element analysis, structural analysis and the potential for scholastic success.
A background or knowledge of superconducting materials and magnets is highly desirable.
Latest commencement date
If you are the successful candidate, you must commence by Research Quarter 4, 2022. You should apply at least 3 months prior to the research quarter commencement date.
If you are an international applicant, you may need to apply much earlier for visa requirements.
How to apply
You apply for this project as part of your PhD program application.