Doctoral student in Energy Siencies (CESTAP) - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project

CESTAP (Competence cEntre in Sustainable Turbine fuels for Aviation and Power) is a newly established centre of competence including academic and industrial partners promoting production and use of sustainable fuels for stationary gas turbines and aviation jet engines. Academic and institute partners include Lund University, Luleå University and the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE). CESTAP is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, with contributions from about 25 industrial partners and the mentioned academic partners.

Sustainable future energy use rely on a shift away from fossil fuels, which in some sectors can be done with new non-combustion technologies like batteries or fuel-cells. Still, in some sectors like aviation, maritime transport, and peak-load and back-up power generation, combustion will be difficult to replace. These sectors rely relatively heavy on continuous combustion engines like gas turbines and jet engines, and they together currently contribute with close to 10% of the global anthropogenic CO2 release.

At LTH, the technical faculty at Lund University, five PhD students are now recruited for projects related to production and use of sustainable fuels for aviation and gas turbines. The successfull candidates with work in a dynamic team with researchers from several institutions at LTH and participate in graduate student courses and activities together with PhD students from the partner universities and institutes.

Subject description

The research will be performed in close collaboration between research groups at the division of Heat Transfer at the Department of Energy Sciences and the division of Combustion Physics at Department of Physics. The research groups have an extensive collaboration related to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling of combustion and experimental studies of combustion.

Present as well as forthcoming sustainable turbine fuels, irrespective of origin, have different thermophysical and combustion properties compared to the fuels currently in use. Todays turbine engines are higly optimized for these fuel, and when considering using sustainable fuels with different properties compared to the design fuels a range of challenges arise. These challenges can be of very different nature ranging from absence of stable flame anchoring to thermoacoustic instabilities and blow-out, as well as issues with light-around at high altitude. Other problems that may occur can be related to matierials compatibility in the fuel system. In order to facilitate for using 100% sustainable and affordable turbine fuels these aspects must be invented and researched.

The goal of this sub-project within CESTAP is to investigate alternative fuel-nozzles and combustors to facilitate using fuels with a wider range of specifications than corrently in use. This work will be conducted computationally and experimentally, in a research envoronment that includes experimental experts, CFD experts, engine and turbine experts as well as other PhD students working with sustainable turbine fuels, engine experiments and engine simulations.

Work duties

The PhD candidate will take part in researching and developing novel turbine engines facilitating using 100% sustainable and affordable fuels. The work will include experimental and computational investigations of alternative or new combustors and fuel nozzles. The numerical simulation work will include both simplified/system modeling as well as advanced CFD modeling using openFOAM. The work will be performed in a team of several senior researchers and PhD students with expertise in combustion experiments, combustion simulations and turbine system operation and design.

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

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 energy sciences if the applicant has:

• at least 90 credits in the subject of the third-cycle programme, of which at least 60 credits are from second-cycle courses of relevance to the subject and 30 credits from a second-cycle degree project of relevance to the subject. 
• a Master’s degree of relevance to the field.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Documented knowledge or experience in working with experimental combustion diagnostics;
• Documented knowledge or experience in working with CFD modeling,
• Documented knowledge or experience in working with turbine analysis and/or design.

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:

• Collaborative skills and the ability to communicate with researchers in other research fields.

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.).