PostDoc on Electrical Energy Storage Systems

Are you our next PostDoc in modeling electrical energy storage systems and study their integration?

DEMO will be the first fusion generation plant connected to the Power Transmission Grid (PTG) and it will have to meet the rules of the Transmission System Operator (TSO) of the hosting country; being the Site not yet defined, reasonable assumptions for the interface with the PTG were made as a reference for the design activities.

The work performed so far, on the base of the available plasma scenarios, highlighted that the demand in terms of active power peaks and derivative largely exceed the assumed limits. The issue can be faced via the use of electrical energy storage that can be either concentrated or distributed in the plant circuits and embedded in the different power supply systems; some technology R&D activities are already in progress in the last regard. Energy storage system could be also required for soft start and black start application in DEMO plant.

If you are eager to work with a multi-national team on the Eurofusion-DEMO project focusing on the EES and progress with the ongoing R&D then this is the right position for you.   

Job Description

This research position will focus on the modeling of the dynamics of prevailed EES technologies, with a particular emphasis on aligning these models with various battery technology providers. This includes an analysis of the interfaces of these technologies i.e. electronics interface and a thorough examination of their impact on power exchange dynamics. The scope focus primarily on technical considerations, but also encompassing exploration of the financial aspects associated with the proposed systems. Moreover, the undertaking requires a proactive approach in updating grid requirements from the Transmission System Operators (TSOs) perspective, achieved through targeted interactions with relevant operators. To ensure a holistic evaluation, collaboration with other partners  is potentially foreseen, fostering alignment on the grid impact assessment of DEMO and EES. This multifaceted task thus fosters technical modeling, financial aspects, regulatory interface, and collaborative academia-industry engagement to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the evolving DEMO project.

You will contribute to the EU project Eurofusion-DEMO project , as a part of the Electrical Energy Systems group at Electrical Engineering department at TU/e.

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 2 years. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• Salary in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale 10 (min. €3,877 max. €5,090).
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• High-quality training programs on general skills, didactics and topics related to research and valorization.
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children's day care and sports facilities.
• Partially paid parental leave and an allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A TU/e Postdoc Association that helps you to build a stronger and broader academic and personal network, and offers tailored support, training and workshops.
• A Staff Immigration Team is available for international candidates, as are a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) and a compensation for moving expenses.