PhD position Light Weight Cable Systems for all/Hybrid Electric Aircraft

The Delft University of Technology is hiring two doctoral candidates on the subject "Light weight cable systems for all/hybrid electric aircraft"

Onboard cable systems of all/hybrid electric aircraft must be capable of handling electric power in multi-megawatt range. To reduce the weight of the cabling system, either the voltage level has to increase, or alternative cabling solution such as actively cooled cables or superconducting cables must be considered. In the near term, high voltage low current solutions are the main focus. Voltage levels up to several kV are envisioned for future large electric aircrafts. Reliability of onboard electrical system is of extreme concern. A wide range of operating conditions is applicable, inclduing temperature ranges from -85 °C to 200 °C, pressure ranges from 1 atm – 0.2 atm, a wide range of humidity, combine with an environment with a significant amount of vibrations. This, in combination with high voltage, increases the aging rate as well as the likelihood of partial discharge initiation. Presence of partial discharges accelerates the aging process even more and results in rapid degradation of insulation systems, which can lead to unexpected short circuits and catastrophic failures. The goal of this research is to study aging mechanisms, methods for diagnostic and monitoring and residual lifetime estimation of onboard high voltage cabling systems.

TU Delft is hiring two PhD students to study aging mechanism of onboard high voltage (HV) cabling system considering the impact of different environmental factors under absence or presence of partial discharges, as well as to develop and demonstrate a functional partial discharge based diagnostics and monitoring system for onboard high coltage cabling system of all/hybrid electric aircrafts. 

We offer a four-year PhD appointment, with an anticipated start date between 01-03-2024 and 01-12-2024. You will be supervised by, dr.ir. Mohamad Ghaffarian Niasar and Prof.ir. Peter Vaessen.

Your research is part of Luchtvaart in Transitie initiative with the specific focus on electric cabling system of all/hybrid electric aircrafts. You will be coaching and mentoring master students. Fostering a synergetic, open-minded, and win-together culture, we regularly interact and share views, unlocking opportunities, forms of incubation, and deployment of knowledge and ground-breaking developments. We also stimulate a healthy and inclusive work environment in which you can bring out the best in yourself. And we value autonomy, professionalism, and a balanced work-life approach.

You will benefit from extensive training in technical and transferrable skills.

About the department

The research in the Department of Electrical Sustainable Energy is inspired by the technical, scientific, and societal challenges originating from the transition towards a more sustainable society and focuses on four areas:

• DC Systems, Energy Conversion and Storage (DCE&S)
• Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD)
• Intelligent Electrical Power Grids (IEPG)
• High Voltage Technologies (HVT)

The Electrical Sustainable Energy Department provides expertise in these areas throughout the entire energy system chain. The department owns a large ESP Laboratory assembling High Voltage testing, DC Grids testing, PV testing and a large RTDS that is actively used for real-time simulation of future electrical power systems.

The High Voltage Technologies (HVT) group, headed by Professor Peter Vaessen, works on the future of our power system. The goal is to generate, transmit and use electrical energy in a highly reliable, efficient, stable, clean, affordable, and safe way. HVT develops novel and sustainable insulation materials, investigates high voltage components and materials ageing and develops new diagnostic techniques for determining high voltage asset health. The group possesses a well-equipped HV-laboratory within the ESP-lab. 

Essential job requirements

• Completed a Master's and Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Sustainable Energy Technology, Applied Physics or equivalent.
• Excellent academic record (grades of B (8) or higher).
• Excellent analytical and writing skills.
• Very good command of English. The minimum requirement of a TOEFL overall band score of 100 (with scores of at least 21 for all sections) or IELTS overall band score of 7.0 (with scores of at least 6.5 for all sections: writing, reading, listening, speaking) applies to all candidates wanting to pursue a PhD at TU Delft.
• Ability to read and critically analyse high voltage technology, materials and asset management papers.
• Strong knowledge of high voltage constructions and measurement/diagnostic techniques.
• You enjoy performing research. You are independent, self-motivated, and eager to learn.
• You are keen to work with industry partners to link real-world challenges to fundamental research questions.

Desirables

• Experience with Matlab and COMSOL.
• Experience with collaborative software development (e.g. commercial and open source).

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 .

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 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 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!

The Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science (EEMCS) brings together three scientific disciplines. Combined, they reinforce each other and are the driving force behind the technology we all use in our daily lives. Technology such as the electricity grid, which our faculty is helping to make completely sustainable and future-proof. At the same time, we are developing the chips and sensors of the future, whilst also setting the foundations for the software technologies to run on this new generation of equipment – which of course includes AI. Meanwhile we are pushing the limits of applied mathematics, for example mapping out disease processes using single cell data, and using mathematics to simulate gigantic ash plumes after a volcanic eruption. In other words: there is plenty of room at the faculty for ground-breaking research. We educate innovative engineers and have excellent labs and facilities that underline our strong international position. In total, more than 1000 employees and 4,000 students work and study in this innovative environment.

Click here  to go to the website of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact dr.ir. Mohamad Ghaffarian Niasar, email: [email protected]

For questions regarding the recruitment process please contact Brenda Reyes [email protected]

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply before the 30th of January 2024 via the application button and upload your:

• Application letter addressed to dr.ir. Mohamad Ghaffarian Niasar that explains your personal motivation in pursuing a PhD and fit to the job requirements;
• Curriculum vitae (CV) with a list of (academic and/or industry) references that we can contact;
• Qualification evidence including MSc and BSc degrees and transcripts.

Please note:

• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.