Offshore Engineering

Description

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The field of offshore technology at UiS deals with principles, theories and methods of planning, developing, service and phasing out of technological systems and equipment with applications especially designed for offshore installations.

The field is divided into the following specialization areas: offshore structures, material technology, mechanical engineering, safety and technical environmental protection.

The PhD programme in offshore technology is linked to research within each of these specialization areas.

Offshore structural engineering

The field of offshore structural engineering conducts research on onshore and offshore structures.

This research involves analysis of fatigue and fractures in steel structures, especially offshore pipelines, wind-induced vibrations of slender structures, analysis of the dynamic response of offshore platforms, etc.

Mechanical engineering

Mechanical engineering, which includes the fields of machine design, marine technology and subsea engineering and energy, integrates research with the field of offshore structural engineering.

The activity focuses primarily on safety and reliability of structures, requalification of offshore structures, design dynamics, efficient energy systems and well intervention.
Research on operation and maintenance has been integrated with the Operation and Maintenance Centre. Relevant areas are measurement parameters, design for maintenance, reliability-based inspection planning, remote operation and maintenance management.

Material technology

In Material technology, research activity has mainly focused on the use of transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction in characterization of materials.

In addition, there is significant activity involving x-ray optics (experimental trials will be carried out at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France) in co-operation with the Department of Mathematics and Science.

Relevant areas for PhD projects are annealing in Al-Zn-Mg alloys and precipitation in non-corrosive (duplex) steel and high-resolution x-ray diffraction in materials with and without flaws.

Safety

Research in the field of safety focuses on the development of principles, methods and models for analysis, assessment, communication and risk management. The core topics are risk and vulnerability analyses, risk acceptance problems, management of uncertainty, cost-benefit analyses and decision-making analyses.

Technical Environmental Protection

Research within Technical Environmental Protection ranges from studies of biological purification methods, biofilm processes and degradation studies to applied problems, such as oil-water separation, membrane technology and design optimization and operation of hydrocyclones.

We use advanced experimental set-up methods, such as electrochemical respirometry, low-level respirometry, high-pressure and low temperature incubators, biofilm reactors, test rigs for studying hydrocyclones, and also advanced analytical methods. In addition, there are a number of molecular-biological methods available.

Experimental data will be implemented in simulation tools for model identification, sensitivity analysis and parameter estimation.

Contents

The instruction component shall include the academic and methodical training required to carry out work on the dissertation.

The instruction component shall include courses amounting to a minimum of 30 credits and a maximum of 45 credits. At least 10 of these credits shall include the course(s) in philosophy of science and ethics on the relevant level. At least 20 credits shall be ordinary doctoral courses. The faculties may determine additional regulations for the contents of the instruction component.

The instruction component should be completed at the beginning of the study programme and must be approved before submission of the dissertation. The faculty may grant exemption from part of the instruction component in the event that the student has completed equivalent and approved instruction or courses at another unit or organization.

Instruction component for Offshore Engineering:

The PhD programme consists of an instruction component of at least 30 credits, which includes a compulsory course in philosophy of science and ethics (10 credits). In addition students must choose courses amounting to at least 20 credits relating to their field of study. PhD courses listed according to subject. Courses taken at other institutions may be approved as part of the instruction component following an application.

Requirements

Before you can apply for admission to one of the PhD programmes at the University of Stavanger, certain requirements must be fulfilled.

In order to be admitted to one of our PhD programmes, you need to secure your funding in advance or apply for this along with the application for admission. The most common source of funding is research fellow positions at UiS. These are advertised under "Job vacancies" at the University of Stavanger's web site. You may also apply for scholarships from external sources of funding, such as the Research Council of Norway or relevant commercial or industry companies.
You also need to fulfil the set requirements for previous education (in order to be admitted to a PhD programme applicants typically need to have a five year Master´s degree with an average grade weighted at B or better). Applicants must also write a good project description that falls within the subject area of one of our programmes.
Only applications signed by the applicant´s main supervisor will be considered in full. Applicants who have not found a supervisor at the time of application, but fulfil the remaining requirements for admission, may submit their application form as a preliminary application. If your project description falls within the subject area of one of our programmes, the research training secretariat will be happy to put you in contact with a relevant supervisor.
Applications without enclosed project description, certified documentation of previous relevant studies or a complete plan for funding, will normally be rejected.
There is no deadline for applications to the doctoral programmes. Applicants are admitted continuously.

Funding

PhD students who are accepted at one of the UiS PhD programmes can apply for mobility scholarships to finance research visits lasting from three to six months at acknowledged institutions abroad.

The mobility scheme includes all academic programmes at UiS, and the scholarship is calculated according to the Norwegian Research Councils rates for overseas research grants. The scholarship is intended to cover expenses in connection with getting established abroad, as well as additional expenditures. Travel expenses should be covered by the student´s financial resources.

PhD students who submit complete application forms are guaranteed funding for three months, but may apply for extra funding (se below) for extended stays up to six months, or visits shorter than three moths.

Additional funding

Applications for additional funding will be processed at the end of the budget year and are prioritized as follows:
1. Extended stays beyond three months or stays shorter than three months (for students who are unable to go abroad for three months due to family or other social commitments)
2. Application for incoming mobility to UiS (mainly for PhD students who are staying at an institution in a developing country that has a collaboration agreement with UiS)
3. Travel expenses (can only be applied for if your annual capital equipment (30 000 NOK) are insufficient and your travel methods are as cheap as possible).
The Doctoral Committee at the Faculty will consider equal applicants according to progress and relevance in the dissertation work.