Global PhD opportunity for Indian students: Two universities, one degreeIf you are interested in pursuing a transnational PhD at BITS Pilani (Hyderabad campus) – RMIT (Australia) with me (Dr. Mrinal Jagirdar, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus) and Prof. @Abhijit Date (RMIT, Australia) on the topic of “Development of a green, hybrid, desiccant-based air-conditioning system and an atmospheric water harvester”, please apply.Deadline: March 28, 2026Highlights:A joint PhD award from BITS Pilani and RMIT UniversityFull tuition scholarships from RMIT and highly subsidised fees at BITSA stipend, health cover, and return airfare while based in MelbourneCo-supervision from faculty at both institutions and access to their world-class research infrastructureA global academic experience, starting at BITS and extending with up to a year in AustraliaA clear four-year progression, including structured coursework, confirmation milestones, and thesis completionResearch opportunities aligned with RMIT’s impact-driven platforms, spanning both STEM and non-STEM domainsProject DescriptionSome of the most pressing problems of the world include energy-intensive air-conditioning, air pollution in major cities as well as water scarcity. Air conditioning accounts for about 10% of the total energy consumed by mankind; many major cities in the world suffer from pollution resulting in an Air Quality Index that often exceeds 200; over 500 million people experience severe water shortage throughout the year. It is proposed to develop an all-in-one laboratory prototype of a highly efficient and refrigerant-less desiccant-based hybrid system, which addresses these problems simultaneously. Desiccant coated heat exchangers or DCHE shall be designed and fabricated. The performance of this DCHE shall be tested in a experimental setup, which shall be designed to test humidity-temperature swing dehumidification-humidification performance, pollution control performance as well as rate of water harvesting; a parametric study would then be conducted for various operating parameters including various ambient and room temperature and specific-humidity conditions using air pre-conditioners. Waste heat at a temperature below 50°C would be assumed, which in practical applications could be from solar-energy, data centres or industrial waste-heat. The prototype shall deliver 3.5 kW of cooling capacity (latent load) and an electrical COP of at least 15. It shall be able to function well even in high humidity environments (with a specific humidity of 0.02 kg/kg dry air) and reduce the specific humidity to 0.01 kg/kg dry air (typical of the room-supply-air condition of an air-conditioned space) while only requiring two water streams, one at the dry-bulb and the other at a temperature below 50°C (ultra-low-grade heat). Simultaneously, during regeneration, it would produce hot and humid air, which upon contact with a surface at room temperature would yield potable water. Thus, the system would simultaneously operate as an Atmospheric Water Harvester or AWG and produce at least 5 l/kWhr. A part of the water harvested would be used in a wet scrubber (without needing any external water connection) which would be installed in the upstream of the DCHE to remove pollutants from the air and ensure that clean air is supplied into the air-conditioned space. Salient practical applications of the technology include air-conditioning, data-centre cooling, industries, etc. Moreover, it would be a lifeline for people living in dry-climates, disaster-struck regions, remote locations etc. For more information, please contact me. Phone: +91 40 66303760 Email:
Job Title
Doctoral Student