Doctoral student in Chemical Engineering - Membrane processes for continuous production of biofuels and biochemicals - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

The Department of Chemical Engineering at Lund University provides teaching for primarily engineering students at the programmes of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Environmental Engineering and Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering. The research subject of Chemical Engineering concerns reaction engineering, separation engineering and catalysis, pharmaceutical processes, biorefineries and other applications. The department has around 60 employees out of which half are PhD students.

Project description
Membrane filtration is a separation process which utilizes the size difference of solutes to achieve a separation without the need for phase transition or the use of chemicals. This makes membrane filtration an energy efficient separation process with low environmental impact. The use of membrane processes in the industry is increasing as the knowledge of membrane processes is increasing and it can be foreseen that membrane processes are going to be a key technology in future biorefineries for the production of biofuels and biochemicals. Successful application of membrane processes requires good knowledge in a number of subjects, including: process design and modelling, transport phenomena, properties of the feed and the chemistry of the membrane materials.

Biobutanol can be produced from hydrolysates of lignocellulosic biomass using the organism Clostridium which has the natural ability to utilize pentoses from hardwood and agricultural residues. The aim of this project is to reduce the biobutanol production cost by integrating membranes processes in the production. This project will focus on the heart of the process, the fermentor. Using a membrane bioreactor concept – a standard concept for the wastewater treatment industry - cell mass and fermentation conditions can be optimized beyond the current batch processes by moving towards a continuous concept with higher yield. Further, energy-efficient butanol pre-concentration by water-exchange with forward osmosis will be studied.

The Membrane Group at Lund University has many years of experience in membrane processes for biorefineries and is now looking for a new coworker to extend this work into membrane bioreactors for biofuel and biochemical production integrating downstream process. The PhD student position will include the integration and optimization of a membrane processes in combination with fermentation. The aim is to obtain an energy saving concept for the production of biobutanol as a reference by biofuels and biochemical in general.

Work duties
The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which include participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%).

The research contains the following subtasks:

• Review of available scientific literature on the research topic and presentation in a report/article.
• Design, construction and modelling of a lab/pilot scale experimental set-up integrating in the membrane process with the fermenter.
• Integration and optimization of the forward osmosis with the membrane bioreactor in hybrid process.
• Techno-economical evaluation of the overall process with focus on energy consumption.
• Communication of obtained results in the form of publication of scientific articles.

Admission requirements

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if the applicant:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in Chemical Engineering if the applicant has:

• a specialized project of at least 30 second-cycle credits in the subject.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.

Assessment criteria
Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

1. Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study.
2. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems.
3. Written and oral communication skills
4. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

• Experience of downstream processing, such as membrane processes.
• Knowledge of modelling and programing skills in Python C/C++, MATLAB and/or LabView.
• Experience in building/assembling lab/pilot-scale equipment.
  Basic knowledge in electronics.
• 3D CAD (such as Autodesk Fusion 360, OpenSCAD or similar).

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment
Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at LTH consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§.

Instructions on how to apply
Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).