We have a PhD position available in the area of mathematical optimization of chemical processes under uncertainty. The optimal design of chemical processes regarding economic- and resource-related objective functions is one of the most challenging and important tasks in chemical industry. In the early stage of the design process, the value of some design parameters are not known exactly. While conventional approaches do not consider the uncertainty and add safety margins instead, the aim of this thesis is to consider uncertain design parameters in the early design stage to get to a robust, but still cost- and resource-efficient design of the process under consideration.

The task is to develop a mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) method which takes continuous and discrete design variables as well as uncertain design parameters into account. The method will be applied to large-scale industrial relevant processes, in particular separation processes, like extractive distillation, heteroazeotropic distillation, reactive distillation and others. Based on the industrial case studies, the  trade-off between solution quality and time of the developed method and in comparison with methods in literature should be investigated

• You have a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering or Applied Mathematics
• You have experience with modeling and simulation of (chemical) processes, ideally with the tools Aspen Plus, Aspen Custom Modeler, or equivalent
• Practical experience in the field of applied mathematical optimization
• Profound knowledge of one programming language, e.g., VBA, Python, C++, or others
• You are fluent in English and able to collaborate with external parties in regular meetings and work visits.

You will be appointed on a fulltime position for four years. The university offers a dynamic ecosystem with enthusiastic colleagues in a stimulating scientific environment. The PhD salary is € 2.395 in the first year and increases to € 3.061 in the fourth year. The offer further involves: 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, and numerous professional and personal development programs.

TNW

TNW Faculty (Faculty of Science & Technology) The Faculty of Science & Technology (Technische Natuurwetenschappen, TNW) engages some 700 staff members and 2000 students in education and research on the cutting edge of chemical technology, applied physics and biomedical technology. Our fields of application include sustainable energy, process technology and materials science, nanotechnology and technical medicine. As part of a people-first tech university that aims to shape society, individuals and connections, our faculty works together intensively with industrial partners and researchers in the Netherlands and abroad, and conducts extensive research for external commissioning parties and funders. Our research has a high profile both in the Netherlands and internationally and is strengthened by the many young researchers working on innovative projects with as doctoral candidates and post-docs. It has been accommodated in three multidisciplinary UT research institutes: Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Centre and Digital Society Institute. As an employer, the TNW Faculty offers jobs that matter. We equip you as a staff member to shape new opportunities both for yourself and for our society. With our Faculty, you will be part of a leading tech university that is changing our world for the better. We offer an open, inclusive and entrepreneurial climate, in which we encourage you to make healthy choices, for example, with our flexible, customisable conditions.

The newly established Chair of Process Design and Optimization is embedded in the Sustainable Process Technology Group of the Faculty of Science and Technology at the University of Twente. The Chair deals with the development and application of optimization methods along the whole plant life cycle.