The energy transition necessitates a substantial expansion of wind energy, requiring a six-fold increase in the current installed wind energy capacity. Many wind turbines cluster to form a wind farm to utilize wind energy more efficiently. The downstream region of a wind turbine, referred to as wake, experiences reduced velocity and increased turbulence intensity. The wake directly decreases the power production and accumulates fatigue damage to wind turbines operating downstream of others in a wind farm. Wind turbine wake causes annual revenue losses of an industry-standard wind farm ranging from 10% to 23%. Wind farm control using wake steering is proposed to minimize the wake effect by maximizing the overall power production and reducing individual wind turbine loads. Implementation of wake steering across existing Dutch offshore wind farms by 2023 is projected to yield potential gains of up to €151 million.

The NWO project “DIAMOND- DynamIc yAw Models fOr wiND turbine/farm design” aims to pave the way for the industrial application of wake-steering-based wind farm control. The project focuses on the spatial and temporal inflow and wake of dynamic yawing wind turbines/farms. It develops new engineering dynamic-inflow and dynamic-wake models that proceeded from a better understanding of the wake dynamics of a dynamic yaw rotor using high-fidelity modelling and wind tunnel tests.

This vacancy focusses on the thorough investigation of wake characteristics of dynamically yawing rotors using analytical, numerical, and experimental approaches. The main research questions includes:

• What’s the effect of a dynamic yaw rotor on the process of its wake propagation and re-energizing?
• How to model this dynamic wake effect correctly in the wake model in the engineering design of a wind farm?
• How does the wake of a dynamic yaw rotor interact with downstream turbines?
• What are the optimal dynamic yaw settings to maximize the overall power production at a plant level while minimizing loads of individual turbines?

The research will be carried out in close cooperation with the other PhD candidate of the same project, and with national academic and industrial partners working on the NWO-funded project DIAMOND. 

You should have:

• A MSc degree in wind energy from a well-established university or an MSc degree in related engineering disciplines such as mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, applied physics, or applied mathematics with proven experience (courses, projects, and work experience) in the field of wind engineering.
• A combination of good mathematical and analytical skills and a strong interest in numerical and experimental aerodynamics and are required. Experience with numerical and experimental techniques in aerodynamics or fluid dynamics is preferred.
• A good command of the English language is required. 

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2770 per month in the first year to € 3539 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. 

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 Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.