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stillingsbetegnelse:
Postdoc for Modelling of High Temperature Electrolysis; from Micron-scale Processes to System Perspectives

jobbeskrivelse:

Do you want to contribute to a sustainable future? At DTU Energy our research is targeting exactly this, and we are looking for new team members.

It is clear to all that the sooner we can stop relying on fossil fuels the better. Cars and small vehicles can be run on batteries and fuel cells. Larger vessels like aircrafts and ships for long distance transport will need higher energy density carriers, and liquid fuels, or highly compressed gaseous fuels, appears to be the best options. Various fuels can be synthesized by electrolysis and down-stream catalytic upgrading processes, but the question of what are the best sustainable alternatives to the fossil fuels we use today remains unanswered?

Hydrocarbon fuels like methanol or methane may be synthesized from biomass, but research shows that fuels obtained from bio-waste (straw, wood chips etc.) might not be sufficient to cover our needs, at least not without supplying additional hydrogen. This hydrogen can be obtained by splitting of steam via electrolysis. Due to scarcity of biomass resources, our research also considers alternatives to hydrocarbons for instance ammonia.

The solid oxide cell (SOC) technology has the potential to become a key technology in the future sustainable energy system - acting both as fuel cells to generate power locally (SOFC) and as electrolysis cells (SOEC) to supply hydrogen (and maybe also nitrogen) to be used for synthesizing fuels for the transport sector.

We are working on a number of research projects, running in parallel, trying to answer, the following questions:

• What are the best sustainable fuels for transport, more specifically shipping?
• How is a fuel cell stack run optimally, using ammonia as a fuel?
• How can we through design optimization and choice of operating conditions best minimize thermal gradients and thereby thermal stresses in fuel cell stacks?

These questions we address by modelling; both at the system level, describing overall efficiency and process economy of plants and routes for different sustainable fuels, and on the micron-scale by use of multi-physics continuum models describing the processes in the units themselves.

We are thus looking to recruit two postdocs to help us with:

• Setting up system models at the plant level involving the electrolysis units and peripheral components and describing overall process economy.
• Further developing our multi-physical models of SOC stacks, describing the electro-chemical processes and their coupling with heat-, mass-, and charge-transport processes as well as the thermo-mechanical stresses building up during use.

You will be working in a team on these topics. The tasks will however be split according to competences and you will be working with one of the two above topics, primarily.

The main activity will take place at the Department of Energy Conversion and Storage at DTU Risø campus initially and from ultimo 2019 at DTU Lyngby campus, as the department is being united at this campus.

Qualifications Qualified applicants must have:

• PhD degree in engineering, physics, chemistry or similar.
• Experience with abstractJV_description of heat and mass transfer processes.
• Experience with system modelling (1st postdoc )
• Experience with multi-physics problems and preferably some experience with finite element analysis using e.g. COMSOL, ANSYS or similar (2nd postdoc)
• Ability to work independently, to plan and carry out complicated tasks, and to be a part of a large, dynamic group.
• Good communication skills in English, both written and spoken.

The first topic requires a background in physics, chemistry or mechanical engineering. Knowledge on energy conversion processes, energy system abstractJV_descriptions and techno-economical assessments are further advantageous

For the second topic, some experience in numerical modelling of coupled partial differential equations (PDEs) or experience in simulation of several physical phenomena individually (flow, diffusion, charge transport, heat transport, solid mechanics) are preferred competences. This could be either using CFD or FEM based methods, but competences within phase field modelling or Lattice Boltzmann methods will also be considered in the evaluation.

We offer DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and appointment terms


The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here. http://www.dtu.dk/english/about/job-and-career/working-at-dtu/career-paths The position is for a fixed duration up to 2 years.

The expected starting date is the late summer / autumn of 2019.

Further information


Please contact Senior Researcher Henrik Lund Frandsen, +45 93 51 16 18, hlfr (at) dtu.dk, or Professor Peter Vang Hendriksen, +45 4677 5725, pvhe (at) dtu.dk.

Please do not send applications to this e-mail address, instead apply online as described below.

ApplicationPlease submit your online application no later than 31 May 2019 (local time).

Applications must be submitted as one pdf file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply online," fill in the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one pdf file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Diploma (MSc/PhD)
• List of publications

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, race, disability, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

DTU Energy is focusing on functional materials and their application in sustainable energy technology. Our research areas include fuel cells, electrolysis, solar cells, magnetic refrigeration, superconductivity and thermoelectrics. Additional information about the department can be found on www.ecs.dtu.dk http://www.ecs.dtu.dk

DTU is a technical university providing internationally leading research, education, innovation and scientific advice. Our staff of 6,000 advance science and technology to create innovative solutions that meet the demands of society, and our 11,200 students are being educated to address the technological challenges of the future. DTU is an independent academic university collaborating globally with business, industry, government and public agencies.


numberOfPosts: 1

jobCategoriesCodes_0: http://data.europa.eu/esco/isco/C2310

abstractJV_contact_0: Please apply using one of the specified channels

positionTypeCode: directhire

contractTypeCodes_0: fulltime

Arbejdsgiver Navn: DTU-RISØ

source: DK-STAR