Green hydrogen from water electrolysis is widely acknowledged to be a very important ingredient in the energy transition. Alkaline electrolysis is the most established and most economical way of producing green hydrogen. Ion Exchange Membranes are typically used to separate the generated hydrogen and oxygen, but until recently these were not successfully developed for alkaline conditions. However, strong improvements have recently been made and the resulting Anion Exchange Membranes (AEM) have the potential to dramatically improve the performance of electrolyzers in the near future. For the somewhat longer term it remains to be seen what intensification techniques will bring the next step in performance. If you are an engineer or practically oriented scientist with affinity with fluid mechanics, electrochemistry, and renewable energy, your help is needed to realize this next step in innovation.

High-frequency oscillations in the applied voltage and magnetizing the electrodes may be relatively simple ways to improve the reaction rates. Magnetic fields are also known to influence the bubble hydrodynamics through the Lorentz force, which provides another means to influence the process. You will investigate these phonomena in an AEM electrolyzer.

Your job will be to design, build, and test a set-up to investigate the influence of pulsed potentials and magnetic fields on AEM water electrolysis. There is ample experience available within the group, the wider TU Delft e-refinery community, and HyET E-trol B.V., the industrial partner and collaborator sponsoring this project.    

• You are a self-motivated conscientious researcher with good communication and self-management skills.
• You have a PhD degree in an engineering discipline or a PhD in an applied science with additional engineering experience.
• Experience with alkaline water electrolysis, fluid mechanics, or electrochemical measurement techniques will be a plus. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. A contract intended for two years. 

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

Delft University of Technology

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Faculty Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the 3mE faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in 3mE’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.