PhD Thesis “Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs)”

We are Austria’s largest research and technology organisation and an international player in applied research for innovative infrastructure solutions. This makes us a powerful development partner for industry and a top employer in the scientific community. Our Center for Energy in Vienna invites applications for a:

PhD Thesis “Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs)”

- Center for Energy -

IMAGINE

- In order to combat climate change and to optimally protect the environment, the energy system needs a safe and sustainable transformation. In this context, green hydrogen and its derivates (synthetic gases/ fuels) are important energy carriers to decarbonize the energy infrastructure, heavy industry, and the mobility sector.

- To accelerate the development of innovative and more efficient technologies for the production of green hydrogen, the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) and the Graz University of Technology (TUG) launch a new PhD programme on Reversible High Temperature Electrolysis. The programme offers you the opportunity to conduct your dissertation as part of a team of PhD-students enrolled at TUG, and in collaboration with highly specialized experts of both organizations, AIT and TUG. Thus, you can develop "out-of-the-box" solutions for real-world problems: Let's make ideas work!

ENGAGE

- You will explore the latest developments on Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell (SOEC) technologies, co-electrolyzing both steam and CO2 for the production of green synthetic gas (syngas CO-H2).

- You will investigate how high-temperature reversible co-electrolysis could be used to mutually convert power and chemicals at elevated temperatures.

- Together with the PhD programme team you will fabricate lab-scale SOEC cells and analyze these cells with regard to microstructure and composition.

- You will evaluate low-cost and high-performing SOEC concepts, exploring different electro-catalysts and functional coatings, and perform performance and durability testing of the developed SOEC cells.

ACHIEVE

- Together with the PhD programme team, you will develop workflows for component / cell fabrication, material- and electrochemical characterization, and post-mortem analysis.

- You will fabricate different lab-sized demonstrator cells and compare them regarding performance and reliability.

- You will engage with the scientific community and get involved with the relevant international working groups.

- Your contributions will be published as scientific journal articles and you will attend important conferences in the field.

- Your innovative ideas will form the basis of future research projects which you will help define.

Your qualifications as an Ingenious Partner:

- Master’s degree in one of the fields of chemistry, physics, materials science, chemical engineering, or relevant

- Knowledge in materials deposition techniques (physical or chemical), materials characterization and electrochemical methods

- Knowledge in green chemistry, process engineering and green hydrogen technologies

- Technical programming skills, preferably in Python and LabVIEW

- Skills in scientific writing

- High level of commitment and team spirit

- Working proficiency in English

What to expect:

EUR 32.115,30 gross per year, for 30 hours / week, plus additional company benefits. You will be part of our international AIT PhD community and participate in our AIT PhD framework programme. As a research institution, we are familiar with the supervision and execution of PhD theses, and we are looking forward to supporting you!

At AIT, the promotion of diversity is important to us - that's why we are especially looking forward to applications from female students!

TOMORROW TODAY - WITH YOU?

Please submit your application documents including CV, cover letter and certificates online: https://jobs.ait.ac.at/Job/194440