| Value | NZ $25,000 per annum, plus domestic tuition fees |
|---|---|
| Number offered | Varies |
| Closing date |
Information
Green hydrogen will become a pivotal vector to carry and store renewable energy in a future net-zero carbon New Zealand. These scholarships are focused on the development and modelling of green hydrogen storage materials - ranging from metal extraaction from minerals, to production, characterisation and hydrogen update measurement by the resulting materials, theoretical modelling of the hydrogen uptake, and techno-economic analysis of the roles of hydrogen in New Zealand's energy system.
Applicants must:
- be of Māori or Pasifika descent,
- have a science degree equivalent to the 4-year Bachelor of Science with Honours degree, or a Postgraduate Diploma in Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Physics, or equivalent,
- satisfy the requirements for admission as a research master's candidate at the University of Otago.
Experience in the appropriate research field will be advantageous.
To apply, please send your CV, academic record, and the names and contact details of two referees to Professor Sally Brooker (sbrooker@chemistry.otago.ac.nz). In the subject line, write "Master's in hydrogen storage matierals - subtopic of your choice".
Topics
MSc in modelling materials for hydrogen storage made from NZ resources
The use of hydrogen as a potential fuel source relies on safe and effective handling and storage. As hydrogen gas is lightweight and difficult to handle, incorporation of the gas into another material can enable facile transport and storage. Metal hydrides are one such form of hydrogen storage, in which hydrogen gas can be reversibly incorporated into the metal lattice. FeTi is one of the most promising materials for this application, which can be synthesized from ilmenite ore, which is abundant in New Zealand sands. However, the as-synthesised FeTi often contains a number of impurities, the presence of which may influence the hydrogen storage capabilities. This MSc project will use computational techniques based on density functional theory to investigate the effect of impurities on the hydrogenation of FeTi, with impurities specifically chosen to reflect the New Zealand ilmenite.
Requirements: A BSc honours degree or equivalent in chemistry, physics or engineering.
Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Anna Garden (Department of Chemistry)
MSc in designing and characterization of hydrogen storage materials from NZ resources
Green hydrogen will become a pivotal vector to carry and store renewable energy in a future net-zero carbon world. FeTi alloys demonstrate high hydrogen uptake at ambient conditions and are a safe and reliable candidate material for bulk hydrogen storage applications such as back-up power systems or micro grids. The mineral ilmenite contains both Fe and Ti and can be sourced in New Zealand, providing an attractive feedstock for preparing FeTi-based storage materials; however, impurities in the alloy can influence the hydrogen storage capabilities. This MSc project will use experimental techniques to prepare and characterise FeTi alloys to better understand the effect of the impurities present in ilmenite on the hydrogen storage capacity.
Requirements: A BSc Honours degree or equivalent in chemistry, physics or engineering.
Primary supervisor: Professor Nigel Lucas (Department of Chemistry)
MSc in designing resilient renewable hydrogen technologies for remote communities
Many remote communities, island nations and end of distribution line customers rely on diesel generators for their electricity supply. Rapidly falling costs for solar PV and battery storage in combination with recent advances in hydrogen electrolyzers, fuel cells and storage technologies have resulted in economically viable renewable alternatives to diesel generators. However, these systems are often not designed to be resilient to extreme weather events, which is particularly important for remote customers. This MSc project will use novel methods based on extreme value statistics to design renewable technology options for a range of remote customer use cases, focusing on resilience to extreme events.
Requirements: A BSc honours degree or equivalent in Engineering, Physics or Applied Mathematics. Programming experience an advantage.
Primary supervisor: Associate Professor Michael Jack (Department of Physics, Energy Management)