Do you want to contribute to healthy and energy efficient residential buildings? Do you want to improve our indoor environment in which we spend ~90% of our time? This PhD research, as part of the larger NudgeFlow project, may initiate a paradigm shift in how we ventilate our buildings. Interested in this exciting challenge? Then please apply.

Job Description

We envision the next generation in residential ventilation systems that is robust, requires minimal intervention when implementing in an existing dwelling (and thus suitable for renovation) and guarantees a good IAQ and low energy use via user-and-context-aware control. This smart system, which we call a NudgeFlow system, 'nudges' or manipulates the natural airflow through the whole dwelling. To achieve this, in-depth knowledge is required on several aspects related to this concept.

We offer a PhD position (4-year contract) within the 'Nudgeflow' project; a project in collaboration with KU Leuven, Ghent University, UAntwerpen, and Buildwise that will start in April 2024. You will be working on a new generation of decentralized ventilation systems for residential buildings, with a specific focus on the airflows in the building resulting from natural and mechanical ventilation. You will employ computational fluid dynamics simulations and part of the simulations will be validated using experiments that you will conduct in our atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel at TU/e.

In this project you will be working on the following two main aspects of the NudgeFlow idea:

1. Enhance the physical understanding of the effect of infiltration flows and unsteady pressure differences on indoor airflows in residential building with a NudgeFlow system.
2. Establish a modeling approach in CFD for airflows, temperatures and concentrations in and around NudgeFlow buildings, including airflows through cracks and the effect of opening windows and doors.

The project will take place in the Building Physics research group, under supervision of dr.ir. Twan van Hooff (associate professor with specialization in building ventilation flows) and dr.ir. Stefanie Gillmeier (assistant professor with specialization in experimental wind engineering). The project has links with other past and ongoing projects within the research group. The Building Physics research group is one of the six research groups in the Unit Building Physics and Services of the Department of the Built Environment.

• A master's degree (or an equivalent university degree) in applied physics/civil/mechanical engineering or related disciplines with a background and an interest in both airflow modeling and experimentation.
• A research-oriented attitude.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interested in collaborating with industrial partners.
• Fluent in spoken and written English: C1 level = IELTS: 7.0 score or TOEFL: 90 score.

Any of the following could be considered an advantage and should be mentioned in the motivation letter:

• Previous experience/affinity with air flow research modeling (CFD) and/or measurement.
• Previous publications and scientific communications.

A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation (go/no-go) after nine months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,770 max. €3,539).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.