School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at KTH

Project description

The position will be located in the power electronics research group within the school of electrical engineering and computer science at KTH. The group carries out research in several fields, notably high-power electronics for power transmission grids, and applications of wide-bandgap power semiconductors.

The ongoing electrification of road vehicles is now also moving to the field of commercial vehicles (trucks and buses) which currently cause 5% -- 7% of the total global CO2 emissions. The project will study integrated drivetrains for such heavy vehicles, focussing on the power electronics. New power semiconductors based on silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) potentially offer great benefits in terms of efficiency and compactness. However, to keep the investment and maintenance cost at competitive levels, it is important to achieve sufficient reliability and lifetime in the drivetrains. Te doctoral student will investigate the lifetime of power semiconductor components used inside the inverter for traction application. For doing so, models for the remaining useful lifetime (RUL) of the devices should be developed and evaluated. In particular, data driven methods, involving machine learning and federated learning, will be tried. Lifetime testing methods, including accelerated test methods, with multiple loading conditions should be researched, to support the modelling. In addition, the project will also look into the development of a predictive maintenance strategy based on the lifetime models.

You will be part of a major European innovation project involving more than 50 partners among industry, academia, and research institutes all over Europe. This offers great possibilities for establishing a strong personal network that will be valuable in your future career.

Third-cycle subject: Electrical engineering

Supervision: Docent Staffan Norrga and Professor Hans-Peter Nee

What we offer

  • The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
  • A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
  • A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
  • Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.
  • Participation in a very inclusive and multidisciplinary group carrying out world-class research in power electronics.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

  • passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
  • completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
  • acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

  • independently pursue his or her work
  • collaborate with others,
  • have a professional approach and
  • analyse and work with complex issues.

The successful candidate has excellent knowledge of enabling technologies for power electronics such as electromagnetics, semiconductor technology and materials science. Are skilled in usage of 3D solid modelling tools and has excellent knowledge within experimental work in power electronics, for instance, building and testing power converters. The ability to network is a eligible trait.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Union representatives

Contact information KTH's website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

Contact information section's website.

Application

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).

Applications must include:

  • CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
  • Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
  • Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified.
  • Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing, recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.

 

 

Type of employment Temporary position
Contract type Full time
First day of employment According to agreement
Salary Monthly salary according to KTH's doctoral student salary agreement
Number of positions 1
Full-time equivalent 100%
City Stockholm
County Stockholms län
Country Sweden
Reference number J-2022-2437
Contact
  • Associate Professor Staffan Norrga, norrga@kth.se
  • Lisa Olsson HR Officer, rekrytering@eecs.kth.se
Published 06.Oct.2022
Last application date 28.Nov.2022 11:59 PM CET

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