CLiMET: CFD-LiDAR Methane EsTimation. Department of Engineering, UQ-Exeter Institute PhD Studentship (Funded) for January 2027 Entry Ref: 5847

Join a world-leading, cross-continental research team

The UQ Exeter Institute is seeking exceptional students to join a world-leading, international research partnership tackling major challenges facing the global community in sustainability and wellbeing. Our joint PhD program provides a fantastic opportunity for the most talented doctoral students to work closely with world class research groups and benefit from the combined expertise and facilities at The University of Queensland and the University of Exeter. This prestigious program provides full tuition fees, stipend, travel and development funds and Research Training Support Grants to the successful applicants.

This select group of high-calibre doctoral candidates will have the chance to study in the UK and Australia, and will graduate with a joint PhD degree from The University of Queensland and the University of Exeter.

The studentship provides funding for up to 42 months (3.5 years).

Find out more about the PhD studentships www.exeter.ac.uk/quex/phds

Successful applicants will have a strong academic background and track record to undertake research projects based in one of the four priority themes.

Successful applicants will undertake this joint program on a full-time and onshore basis, commencing in Australia (UQ-homed) or in the UK (Exeter-homed). At least 12 months will be spent at each institution over the period of the joint PhD program.

The closing date for applications is midday Friday, 24 April 2026 (BST), with interview to be held between Monday, 25th May and Wednesday, 3rd June 2026. 

The start date is expected to be Monday, January 4th January 2027.

Please note that of the eight Exeter led projects advertised, we expect that up to four studentships will be awarded to Exeter based students.

Theme: Mineral Security and Sustainability

Supervisors:

Exeter – Professor Gavin Tabor

UQ – Dr Sebastian Hoerning

Project Description

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential significantly greater than carbon dioxide over short time horizons. Accurate quantification of methane emissions from diffuse and complex sources—such as energy infrastructure, landfills, and urban environments—remains a major scientific and regulatory challenge. This is particularly important in environmental impact assessment for primary extractive industries; disused boreholes particularly from hydrocarbon prospecting are a major and unquantified source of methane emissions, as are the various processing plants involved in refining hydrocarbons. Emerging optical sensing technologies, including quantum gas LiDAR, offer the ability to detect methane concentrations remotely with unprecedented sensitivity and spatial coverage. However, translating such measurements into robust emission fluxes remains difficult due to atmospheric transport effects, complex flow environments, and significant uncertainty.  

This PhD project will develop an integrated framework combining computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with quantum gas LiDAR measurements to improve the quantification of methane emissions. The central research question is: how can physics-based flow modelling be coupled with advanced optical sensing to infer methane emission rates accurately and with quantified uncertainty? 

The project will pursue three core objectives. First, it will develop high-fidelity CFD models of methane dispersion in representative environments, including idealised test cases and realistic geometries relevant to energy and environmental monitoring. These models will resolve the interaction between atmospheric flow, turbulence, and gas transport, providing a physically grounded description of plume evolution. Second, the project will integrate CFD predictions with quantum gas LiDAR measurements, using simulated and experimental data to relate observed concentration fields to underlying emission sources. This will include the development of inversion or data-assimilation approaches that exploit the totality of data from both measurement and modelling. Third, the project will quantify uncertainty arising from flow variability, measurement noise, and model assumptions, providing confidence bounds on inferred emission rates.  

Methodologically, the research will combine CFD simulations,  surrogate modelling, and inverse techniques to enable efficient interpretation of LiDAR data. The project will make use of high-performance computing facilities to support large-scale simulations and ensemble-based uncertainty quantification. A key innovation of the project is the use of LiDAR-derived spatial information to automate the construction of CFD simulation domains. Drawing on perception pipelines widely used in LiDAR-based autonomous systems such as self-driving cars, raw LiDAR data can be processed to identify and segment relevant objects (e.g. buildings, infrastructure, terrain) and convert them into simplified geometric representations suitable for CFD. This approach removes the need for manual geometry definition, enabling rapid and objective generation of flow domains directly from measurement data.  

The expected deliverables include: 

1. validated CFD models of methane dispersion tailored to LiDAR-based sensing
2. a coupled modelling–measurement framework for emission rate inference; and
3. quantitative assessment of uncertainty in methane emission estimates. 

The project will contribute new knowledge at the interface of computational fluid dynamics, atmospheric sensing, and environmental monitoring, and will provide tools directly relevant to improving methane emission inventories and mitigation strategies.

Contact

Questions about this project should be directed to Professor Gavin Tabor at G.R.Tabor@exeter.ac.uk

Entry requirements

Applicants should be highly motivated and have, or expect to obtain, either a first or upper-second class BA or BSc (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline.

If English is not your first language you will need to meet the English language requirements and provide proof of proficiency. Click here for more information and a list of acceptable alternative tests.

How to apply

Apply now

To apply for this studentship project please use the 'Apply now' button above.  Important note:  If you apply for this project via a different route your application will not be considered. 

You will be asked to submit some personal details and upload the following documents:

• a full CV
• A Personal Statement.  Please use the following form UQ-Exeter Institute Personal Statement.  Please note: the document will open as read only so please ensure you save a copy onto your desktop to edit the document.  Please ensure you upload the completed document to your application.
• academic transcripts and degree certificates
• details of two academic referees.
• English Language qualification.

Please quote reference 5847 on your application and in any correspondence about this studentship.

Summary