Smart, circular and integrated membrane solutions for water reuse and resource recovery in industry

1 Apr 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC)

Department

Chemical Engineering

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineering
Engineering » Industrial engineering
Chemistry » Applied chemistry
Engineering » Process engineering
Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

20 Apr 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37

Offer Starting Date

1 Jun 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

HE

Reference Number

GA101138245

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

We are looking for a motivated PhD student to develop and demonstrate tailored membrane solutions for the maximization of water and resource recovery in intensive water industries.

The PhD will be developed within the framework of the HORIZON-CL4-2023-TWIN-TRANSITION-01 project R3VOLUTION (GA:101138245) that aims at developing key innovations to enable economic, environmental, and operational water reclamation, addressing solutes and energy recovery challenges. The four-year project includes 19 partners from 9 different countries.

The PhD research work will be performed at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) (Barcelona, Spain) within the Department of Chemical Engineering, under the supervision of professors J.L. Cortina and E. Guillen. More specifically, the candidate will join the “Resource Recovery and Environmental Management - (R2 EM)” research group, which has a vast experience in both membrane processes and recovery schemes. Nevertheless, it is expected that the candidate will spend some months during the 3rd year of the project (2026) operating the pilot plant at the industrial site (CELSA - Castellbisbal, Barcelona, Spain) in compliance with all the safety regulations.

The PhD thesis will focus on the development and integration of a series of membrane processes for the recovery of water and solutes of the steel industry. The membrane solution will integrate the following processes: nanofiltration (NF), reverse osmosis (RO), membrane distillation (MD) and electrodialysis with bipolar membranes (EDBM) for the recovery of, at least, 90% of the water currently discharged (near zero-liquid discharge (ZLD)) and the recovery/production of NaOH/HCl from the super-concentrated solute stream. The candidate will participate in the characterization, testing, modelling and techno-economic assessment of the proposed solution and will have the opportunity to test it at pilot scale on-site. Additionally, it is expected that the candidate will contribute to all the tasks which are the responsibility of UPC during the course of the project (i.e., EU reporting, participation in meetings, C&D activities, etc.) 

The PhD project will address:

Preliminary modelling and theoretical evaluation of the proposed membrane schemes for the steel industry in terms of: water recovery, resource recovery, energy consumption, opex and capex.

Experimental evaluation (lab scale) of the different membrane technologies (steps in the membrane scheme) with commercially available membranes and novel membranes developed by the partners.

Generation of high-quality experimental data for scientific publications, model validation and eventually collaboration with the partners developing digital twins within the project.

Collaboration in the design and operation of the pilot to be tested on-site, generation of data and technoeconomic analysis of the results.

Dissemination of the PhD’s results in conferences and high rank international scientific journals.

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Engineering » Industrial engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Engineering » Process engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Engineering » Mechanical engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field

Chemistry » Applied chemistry

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• An outstanding MSc degree in Chemical Engineering, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Mechanical Engineering 
• Data mining, analysis, visualization and programming skills are highly valued
• Research experience on membrane processes and/or thermodynamic processes are highly valued
• Interest for technological developments, modelling efforts and building laboratory prototypes 
• An integrative and cooperative personality with excellent communication and social skills 
• Fluency in English – written and oral 

Specific Requirements

willingness to relocate to Barcelona and work a couple months on-site (Castellbisbal 27 km from Barcelona, reachable by public transport)

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Languages

SPANISH

Level

Good

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineeringEngineering » Industrial engineeringChemistry » Applied chemistry

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineeringEngineering » Industrial engineering

Years of Research Experience

1 - 4

Additional Information
Benefits

Benefits: the candidate will benefit from a salary comparatively higher than those offered to PhD candidates in Spain. However, salary will be negotiated on individual qualifications and experience basis. 

 

Contract: Employment contract from Barcelona TECH UPC for a full-time position of doctoral researcher for 36 months, with a monthly salary (~2500 EUR before taxes, negotiable based on experience).

Preferred starting date: 1 June 2024.

Eligibility criteria

• MSc degree in Chemical Engineering, Industrial, Process Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Mechanical Engineering  to be enrolled in the PhD Program of Chemical Process Engineering
• Candidates will be rated according the received transits and individual interviews

Selection process

To apply for the position, kindly provide before the 30th April 2024:

i) Letter of Motivation, in English, covering the following aspects: reasons for applying to the PhD position, skills and abilities that make the applicant a good candidate, motivations to carry out research abroad, professional interests and expectations. Maximum one page.

ii) Curriculum Vitae, in English, detailing academic studies, professional career, publications and other relevant achievements;

iii) Copy of academic qualification(s) – original and translated to English – clearly stating the name of the University issuing the degree, the date of graduation, the final score; copies of official transcripts (marksheets) of academic courses attended to obtain each degree (BSc, MSc or equivalent) - in original language and translated in English – and corresponding Grade Point Average; any other document considered useful (e.g., University Diploma Supplement) to assess the eligibility of the University Degree - in original language and translated in English

iv) Max two Reference Letters, in English, printed on letterhead and duly signed;

v)  Copy of the first two and last two pages of the Passport or – for EU citizens - of the Identity Card; 

Additional comments

Additional comments:  For more information please contact Jose Luis Cortina, tel.: +34 677965439,  [email protected] . and  Elena Guillen, [email protected]

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Barcelona Tech UPC

Country

Spain

State/Province

Spain

City

Barcelona

Postal Code

E08019

Street

Barcelona East Engineering School

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

State/Province

Barcelona

City

Barcelona

Website

http://www.upc.edu
https://futur.upc.edu/R2EM

Street

Barcelona East Engineering School

Postal Code

E08019

E-Mail

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Phone

+34934016570

Mobile Phone

+34677965439

Fax

34934017150

STATUS: EXPIRED