Post-Master PDEng: Innovative Dynamic Reactor concept for Heat storage

Are you ready for a two year training program while at the same time receiving a salary? Would you like to be a member of the next generation technological designers of high-tech systems? Do you like to work in an international, multidisciplinary team of professional experts for the next two years? Would you like to apply your innovative, creative ideas in developing future industrial top products or develop yourself towards a System Architect? Then you should consider starting as a PDEng trainee at TU/e and gain a head start on your fellow Master students!

Design project

The main part of the program will be working on a design project. Presently we look for a trainee on the following project:

Innovative Dynamic Reactor concept for Heat storage (IDRW)

IDRW has the ambition to work on one of the main challenges of the future: A constant energy supply with help of renewable energy. As renewable sources are fluctuating and uncontrollable, a high demand exists for long term storage systems. In a house, almost 75% of the energy consumption is in the form of heat. Therefor a storage of heat will have a great value for the coming energy transition.

Within this project we will further develop a heat storage system based on Thermal Chemical Materials (TCM). These materials stores heat during a dehydration reaction and release the heat by hydration of the material. In the last year, TNO and TU/e worked on a new patented reactor concept. Within this project you will work on combining this reactor concept and transport of the TCM from storage to reaction area.

In this project, the transport of the material in the reactor area has to be engineered, characterized with lab experiments and validated with numerical models. In addition to the transport of TCM, the material has to be in contact with water vapor for the correct reactions. This is also one of the design challenges to be integrated into the reactor.

This project is part of a long term project developing heat batteries, whereby TNO (Dutch research organization) and Caldic (Chemical distributor and manufacturer) are working together in different European and National projects. This project will have strong interaction with industry and research institutes.

The position is open to MSc student from a top (technical) university with a background fitting to the project (physics, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering). There should also be proof of a high affinity with the design of high-tech systems. Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with members of a team are also important.

Next to excellent grades, we expect proven own contributions during the Final Master Project, motivation, personality, and a clear view on professional future.

We offer a fulltime temporary appointment for the period of 2 years. Participants will receive a gross monthly salary of € 1.913,--. Moreover 8% bonus share (holiday supplement) and end year allowance is provided annually. Assistance for finding accommodation can be given. The university offers an attractive package of fringe benefits such as excellent technical infrastructure, child care, savings schemes, and excellent sports facilities.