Doctoral Candidate / Research Associate (m/f/d) in the field of Modeling and Simulation of Future Sustainable Energy Carriers: Combustion of Hydrogen-based Fuels

With more than 16,000 students and 3,800 employees, the Technische Universität Braunschweig is one of Germany´s leading institutes of technology. It stands for strategic and performance-oriented thinking and acting, relevant research, committed teaching, and the successful transfer of knowledge and technologies to the economy and society. We consistently advocate for family friendliness and equal opportunities.

Our research focuses are mobility, engineering for health, metrology, and city of the future. Strong engineering and natural sciences are our core disciplines. These are closely interconnected with economics, social and educational sciences and humanities.

Our campus is located in the midst of one of the most research-intensive regions in Europe. We work successfully together with over 20 research institutions in our neighborhood as we do with our international partner universities.

Starting from the earliest possible date, the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery (IFAS) is looking for a

Doctoral Candidate / Research Associate / Postdoc (m/f/d) in the field of Modeling and Simulation of Future Sustainable Energy Carriers: Combustion of Hydrogen-based Fuels
(EG 13 TV-L, full-time)

The position is to be filled on a fixed-term basis for a period of 3 years. The successful applicant will be given the opportunity to pursue a doctorate.

Climate change imposes a drastic reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and urges for a rapid transition towards carbon neutral technologies with the final aim to minimize pollution and preserve life on the planet. A promising strategy, the power-to-fuel-to-power concept, uses the excess of renewable energy to produce fuel as chemical energy storage and carrier. One option is represented by hydrogen carriers. They can be produced from renewable energy sources to be then employed in gas turbines with no CO₂ emissions. Hydrogen carriers, pure or blended, cannot be used in today’s engines as drop-in fuels for their remarkably complex combustion properties compared to hydrocarbons. They have different reactivity, flame speeds, and flammability limits as well as may promote different flame stabilization mechanisms. Advanced numerical simulations on high-performance computers offer the unique opportunity to achieve a comprehensive understanding of different environmentally friendly fuels to support the development process of new environmental-friendly technologies.

Your tasks

• You will carry out research in the area of numerical simulations of laminar and turbulent flames of pure and blended Hydrogen-enriched mixtures under various operating conditions. The open-source OpenFOAM software will be employed.
• You will publish research findings and participate in national and international conferences.
• You will be involved in teaching at the University (preparation and implementation of courses as well as supervision of students’ work).

Your Qualifications

• You have a degree (Master’s or equivalent) in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, computational engineering, or equivalent.
• You have very good knowledge of the German and English language.
• You have knowledge in computational fluid dynamics and fundamentals of combustion
• You have experience with OpenFOAM, Python, Unix operating systems. Programming skills (preferably C++) are required.
• You are flexible, can perform under pressure and work well in a team.
• You are aiming for a doctorate.

We offer

• Work on exciting future-oriented research topics in an inspiring work environment as part of the university community
• A vibrant campus life in an international atmosphere with lots of intercultural offers and international cooperations
• Pay in accordance with the collective agreement TV-L (a special payment at the end of the year as well as a supplementary benefit in the form of a company pension, comparable to a company pension in the private sector) including 30 days' vacation per year
• Flexible working and part-time options and a family-friendly university culture, awarded the "Family-friendly university" audit since 2007
• Special continuing education programs for young scientists, a postdoc program, as well as other offerings from the Central Personnel Development Department and sports activities.

Further notes
We welcome applicants of all nationalities. At the same time, we encourage people with severe disabilities to apply. Applications from severely disabled persons will be given preference if they are equally qualified. Please attach a form of evidence of your handicap to your application. We are also working on the fulfilment of the Central Equality Plan based on the Lower Saxony Equal Rights Act (Niedersächsisches Gleichberechtigungsgesetz—NGG) and strive to reduce under-representation in all areas and positions as defined by the NGG. Therefore, applications from women are particularly welcome in this case.

The personal data will be stored for the purpose of processing the application. By submitting your application, you agree that your data may be stored and processed electronically for application purposes in compliance with the provisions of data protection law. Further information on data protection can be found in our data protection regulations at https://www.tu-braunschweig.de/datenschutzerklaerung-bewerbungen . Application costs cannot be reimbursed.

Questions and Answers
For more information, please contact Jun.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Federica Ferraro at federica.ferraro(at)tu-braunschweig.de.

Deadline for applications is 30 June 2024

Are you interested? Please send your application preferably via email to federica.ferraro(at)tu-braunschweig.de

or via mail to

Technische Universität Braunschweig

Institut für Flugantriebe und Strömungsmaschinen

Hermann-Blenk-Straße 37

38108 Braunschweig

The application should include:

• A motivation letter (max 1 page)
• Detailed curriculum vitae, including work experience, educational background, language and computer skills.
• Copies of bachelor and master diploma and the transcript of grades in English or German.

from: 12.06.2024
valid until: 30.06.2024