20 Jan 2024
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
CNRS- Department
Institut de Combustion, Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement- Research Field
Physics- Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)- Country
France- Application Deadline
9 Feb 2024 - 23:59 (UTC)- Type of Contract
Temporary- Job Status
Full-time- Hours Per Week
35- Offer Starting Date
1 Oct 2024- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by an EU programme- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
The PhD will take place at the CNRS, in the ICARE laboratory (UPR3021) located on the CNRS campus in Orléans. The thesis will be directed by Dr. Andrea Comandini and funded by a grant from the Région Centre-Val de Loire. ICARE is a CNRS unit. It has around 80 members, including 33 researchers and lecturers, whose main research themes are combustion, energy conversion, environmental chemistry and space propulsion.
CNRS is the French National Center for Scientific Research, a multi-disciplinary institution internationally recognized for the excellence of its research activities linked to the common challenges of modern society. ICARE is a world-leading laboratory in the field of chemical kinetics. Dr. Andrea Comandini, head of the "kinetics and dynamics of energy systems" team, began working in the field of chemical kinetics with shock tubes in 2003. In 2017, he was awarded an ERC Starting Grant, FUN-PM, for work on nanoparticle chemistry, including the development of new experimental techniques such as the single-pulse shock tube and the miniaturized high-repetition-rate shock tube for studies on PAH chemistry. The thesis work will be carried out in an international environment with the support of experienced scientists and post-docs, and in collaboration with other research groups worldwide (France, Switzerland, Germany, USA, Italy). The thesis will be attached to the "Energy, Materials, Earth and Universe Sciences" (EMSTU) doctoral school at the University of Orléans.
The title of the thesis is "Detailed chemical kinetic study of fuel-rich aromatic chemistry using single-pulse shock tube techniques". Particulate matter is generated as a by-product of the combustion of fossil fuels or new alternative fuels (biofuels, sustainable aviation fuel, etc.) and represents one of the most harmful pollutants for the environment (global warming) and human health. The development of cleaner combustion devices is the only solution for reducing particulate emissions, and it depends on the detailed description of the chemistry involved in carbon nanoparticle (CNP) formation. In addition, CNP formation strongly modifies the radiative properties of the flames and their propagation. Industrial safety studies must therefore include this phenomenon in order to properly assess risks and associated mitigation techniques. On the other hand, the chemistry associated to CNP formation, in particular to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), the main gaseous particle precursors, is still poorly understood, limiting our ability to improve the design of combustion systems.
With the aim of clarifying the complex processes leading to the formation of solid primary structures and as part of the FUN-PM research program, funded by the European Commission (ERC Starting Grant, 2018-2024), the detailed chemistry of PAH formation under pyrolytic (oxygen-free) conditions was clarified in the sequential experimental and modeling work carried out at ICARE based on a single-pulse high-purity shock tube and gas chromatography GC [1-12]. Shock tubes are experimental devices in which temperature and pressure are raised to well-defined conditions by means of shock waves. In flames, the presence of oxygen compared to pyrolytic conditions modifies PAH chemistry through i) the formation of intermediates from fuel oxidation and associated growth mechanisms; ii) the oxidation of PAH molecules to oxygenated compounds (OPAHs). But literature on these key mechanisms is still scarce. The proposed research activities will focus on a detailed experimental study of the chemistry at fuel-rich conditions (equivalence ratio 2 to 10) of aromatic fuels in a high-pressure, high-temperature shock tube. Different fuel components and mixtures will be examined, in order to probe the main mechanisms of fuel decomposition and molecular growth. Product distributions measured by GC, including PAHs and OPAHs, will provide targets for the validation of a detailed chemical kinetic model. Laboratory experimental measurements will be complemented by experimental campaigns on synchrotrons, taking advantage of an innovative miniaturized shock tube recently built at ICARE and advanced diagnostics such as i2PEPICO mass spectrometry at SOLEIL [13]. The student will actively participate to these campaigns.
The combination of experiments and simulations will shed light on the different reaction pathways towards particle precursors up to three rings, in particular confirming or rejecting the role of OPAHs. The kinetic model will also form the basis of comprehensive CNP models to be used for accurate simulations of particle formation in flames for safety-related research, or in combustion devices for engine and turbine design optimization and fuel reformulation, with the aim of implementing safer and cleaner solutions.
Requirements
- Research Field
- Physics
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Languages
- FRENCH
- Level
- Basic
- Research Field
- Physics
- Years of Research Experience
- None
Additional Information
Additional comments
Skills required: 1) degree in mechanics/chemistry or energetics with good grades; 2) basic knowledge of chemical kinetics; 3) strong aptitude for experimental work; 4) ability to work in team; 5) good level
- Website for additional job details
https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UPR3021-ISAZOL-072/Default.aspx
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- Institut de Combustion, Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement
- Country
- France
- City
- ORLEANS
- Geofield
Where to apply
- Website
https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Candidat/Offre/UPR3021-ISAZOL-072/Candidater.aspx
Contact
- City
ORLEANS- Website
http://icare.cnrs.fr/
STATUS: EXPIRED