Job description

This position is part of a project recently funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program. Here, the University of Twente together with academic/research organizations and industrial partners from 6 European countries join the forces in the development of a renewable electricity-powered high-temperature thermochemical heat storage system.

Project description

This project introduces an innovative breakthrough approach towards thermal energy storage of surplus renewable energy via a hybrid thermochemical/sensible heat storage with the aid of porous media made of refractory redox metal oxides and electrically powered heating elements. The energy is stored in the form of sensible and chemical energy (enthalpy of a reversible redox reaction) which significantly increases the effective energy density. The proposed system will be developed and tested at a proof-of-concept scale. The target applications are steel making and recycling.

The goal of this Ph.D. is to develop multi-physics models at multiple scales for the simulation of the storage system. You will develop a direct pore-level numerical simulation of fluid flow, species transport, heat transfer, and chemical reaction to understand the pore-level behaviour of the redox material. A reactor scale model will be developed for the design of the storage system. You will develop machine learning algorithms for the design and optimization of the storage system. The storage model will be integrated with the system-level dynamic model.

You will be part of a team consisting of postdocs and Ph.D. students. During the project, you will work with experimentalists, machine learning, and system integration experts. You are expected to work with experts from German Aerospace Centre- Germany, The Centre for Research & Technology - Greece, TATA Steel Netherlands, and other commercial partners.

• We are looking for an enthusiastic, professional, and ambitious colleague;
• You are an outstanding MS graduate in the field of Thermal Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Energy Technology, Mechanical Engineering, or related discipline with a proven affinity to multidisciplinary assignments;
• You have a strong and demonstrable background in computational heat /and mass transfer in complex systems;
• You have the ambition and talent to accelerate in finding solutions for complex technological issues with a multidisciplinary character;
• You have strong analytical skills;
• You can work in a multidisciplinary team of researchers coming from various branches of science and industry;
• You have good communication skills and a sound project approach;
• You speak and write fluent English.

• A full-time 4-year PhD position;
• We provide excellent mentorship and a stimulating international research environment with excellent facilities;
• A professional and personal development program within Graduate School Twente;
• A starting salary of € 2.541 in the first year and a salary of € 3.247 in the fourth year gross per month;
• A holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary and a year-end bonus of 8.3%;
• A solid pension scheme;
• A minimum of 29 holidays per year in case of full-time employment;
• A dynamic and international environment, combining the benefits of academic research with a topic of high industrial relevance;
• Excellent working conditions, an exciting scientific environment, and a green and lively campus.