PhD Position CFD and lumped modelling of fluidized bed waste gasification

PhD student contributing to the development of the circular economy via waste gasification modeling.

The PhD project ‘’Modelling and experimental validation of HTW bubbling fluidized bed gasification’’ is a collaboration between GIDARA Energy and TU Delft. Aim of the gasification process is to generate a syngas which, after cleanup and upgrading, will be suitable for fossil-free methanol production. The goal of this project is to arrive at a simple transient one-dimensional model for the gasifier at GIDARA Energy, with the ability to predict the residence time distribution of gas/solids, the (axial) temperature distribution, and the chemical conversion and selectivity to various products. Focus lies on a research-scale bubbling fluidized bed gasifier operating with solid waste feedstock, e.g. sewage, wood, household and industrial types of solid waste. To arrive at such a model, the output of more detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics models (without reactions) will be analyzed and reduced to simpler equations, after which chemical reactions will be added. Cold flow experiments using a downscaled version of the gasifier will be performed at TU Delft for model validation. Validation gasification measurements at the gasifier will be performed by a post-doc, targeting closure of mass- and energy balances and to obtain more insight in the conversion process of the challenging circular carbon feedstock for further scale-up. The focus of the PhD student will be on the modelling.

• An MSc degree in Mechanical engineering, Chemical engineering, Applied physics, or related field is required.
• Knowledge and proven experience with engineering reactor modeling and/or CFD.
• Some familiarity with experimental work is considered an advantage as well.

• A critical and inquisitive attitude with regard to results is expected, which translates into formulating new research questions.
• Ability to function both in a team and independently.
• Good communication skills. Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

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 € 2443 per month in the first year to € 3122 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 sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

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 and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct ). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of 3mE carries out pioneering research, leading to new fundamental insights and challenging applications in the field of mechanical engineering. From large-scale energy storage, medical instruments, control technology and robotics to smart materials, nanoscale structures and autonomous ships. The foundations and results of this research are reflected in outstanding, contemporary education, inspiring students and PhD candidates to become socially engaged and responsible engineers and scientists. The faculty of 3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with an international scope and high-tech lab facilities. Research and education focus on the design, manufacture, application and modification of products, materials, processes and mechanical devices, contributing to the development and growth of a sustainable society, as well as prosperity and welfare.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? This video will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

The ambition of the Department of Process & Energy is to perform world class education and research in the area of process and energy for a sustainable development. We focus our research on the following areas: Energy Technology, Engineering Thermodynamics, Large Scale Energy Storage, Complex Fluid Processing, Fluid Mechanics, and Multiphase Flow. We are situated in the Process and Energy lab, a modern and inspriring academic environment with unique experimental facilities. For more information, see: https://www.tudelft.nl/3me/organisatie/afdelingen/process-energy.

This project is a collaboration between the sections Large Scale Energy Storage and Complex Fluid Processing.

The section Large Scale Energy Storage focuses its research on storage of electricity, on the scale of solar plants and wind farms and on process integration with thermo-chemical conversion of bioresources. It aims at bridging the gap between electricity load and demand, especially needed for highly intermittent energy sources like solar and wind. The main theme of the group is the conversion of power to preferably high energy density liquid fuels and chemicals where sustainably produced hydrogen is coupled to a (biobased) carbon source e.g. CO2, CO or C.

The section Complex Fluid Processing focuses on understanding the complex interplay between transport processes and transformations on the mesoscale. By accurately modelling this interplay, we are able to improve equipment for the processing of particles, liquids, gases, multi-phase fluids and non-Newtonian fluids. The current focus of the group is on improving equipment for processing of non-spherical particles (e.g. for fluidized bed reactors), non-Newtonian droplets (e.g. for spray-drying of complex dispersions such as milk), and fluids in porous media (e.g. for electrochemical conversion of CO2 using porous electrodes and catalyst layers).

For more information about this vacancy, please contact prof.dr.ir. Johan Padding, [email protected] or prof.dr.ir. Wiebren de Jong, [email protected] .

For information about the application procedure, please contact drs. Nathalie van Benthem, [email protected].

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply by May 31, 2022 via the application button and upload your motivation and CV.

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.

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

PhD student contributing to the development of the circular economy via waste gasification modeling.

The PhD project ‘’Modelling and experimental validation of HTW bubbling fluidized bed gasification’’ is a collaboration between GIDARA Energy and TU Delft. Aim of the gasification process is to generate a syngas which, after cleanup and upgrading, will be suitable for fossil-free methanol production. The goal of this project is to arrive at a simple transient one-dimensional model for the gasifier at GIDARA Energy, with the ability to predict the residence time distribution of gas/solids, the (axial) temperature distribution, and the chemical conversion and selectivity to various products. Focus lies on a research-scale bubbling fluidized bed gasifier operating with solid waste feedstock, e.g. sewage, wood, household and industrial types of solid waste. To arrive at such a model, the output of more detailed Computational Fluid Dynamics models (without reactions) will be analyzed and reduced to simpler equations, after which chemical reactions will be added. Cold flow experiments using a downscaled version of the gasifier will be performed at TU Delft for model validation. Validation gasification measurements at the gasifier will be performed by a post-doc, targeting closure of mass- and energy balances and to obtain more insight in the conversion process of the challenging circular carbon feedstock for further scale-up. The focus of the PhD student will be on the modelling.

• An MSc degree in Mechanical engineering, Chemical engineering, Applied physics, or related field is required.
• Knowledge and proven experience with engineering reactor modeling and/or CFD.
• Some familiarity with experimental work is considered an advantage as well.

• A critical and inquisitive attitude with regard to results is expected, which translates into formulating new research questions.
• Ability to function both in a team and independently.
• Good communication skills. Fluent in English, both spoken and written.

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 € 2443 per month in the first year to € 3122 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 sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged. For international applicants we offer the Coming to Delft Service and Partner Career Advice to assist you with your relocation.

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 and aim to be as inclusive as possible (see our Code of Conduct ). Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

The Faculty of 3mE carries out pioneering research, leading to new fundamental insights and challenging applications in the field of mechanical engineering. From large-scale energy storage, medical instruments, control technology and robotics to smart materials, nanoscale structures and autonomous ships. The foundations and results of this research are reflected in outstanding, contemporary education, inspiring students and PhD candidates to become socially engaged and responsible engineers and scientists. The faculty of 3mE is a dynamic and innovative faculty with an international scope and high-tech lab facilities. Research and education focus on the design, manufacture, application and modification of products, materials, processes and mechanical devices, contributing to the development and growth of a sustainable society, as well as prosperity and welfare.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? This video will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work.

The ambition of the Department of Process & Energy is to perform world class education and research in the area of process and energy for a sustainable development. We focus our research on the following areas: Energy Technology, Engineering Thermodynamics, Large Scale Energy Storage, Complex Fluid Processing, Fluid Mechanics, and Multiphase Flow. We are situated in the Process and Energy lab, a modern and inspriring academic environment with unique experimental facilities. For more information, see: https://www.tudelft.nl/3me/organisatie/afdelingen/process-energy.

This project is a collaboration between the sections Large Scale Energy Storage and Complex Fluid Processing.

The section Large Scale Energy Storage focuses its research on storage of electricity, on the scale of solar plants and wind farms and on process integration with thermo-chemical conversion of bioresources. It aims at bridging the gap between electricity load and demand, especially needed for highly intermittent energy sources like solar and wind. The main theme of the group is the conversion of power to preferably high energy density liquid fuels and chemicals where sustainably produced hydrogen is coupled to a (biobased) carbon source e.g. CO2, CO or C.

The section Complex Fluid Processing focuses on understanding the complex interplay between transport processes and transformations on the mesoscale. By accurately modelling this interplay, we are able to improve equipment for the processing of particles, liquids, gases, multi-phase fluids and non-Newtonian fluids. The current focus of the group is on improving equipment for processing of non-spherical particles (e.g. for fluidized bed reactors), non-Newtonian droplets (e.g. for spray-drying of complex dispersions such as milk), and fluids in porous media (e.g. for electrochemical conversion of CO2 using porous electrodes and catalyst layers).

For more information about this vacancy, please contact prof.dr.ir. Johan Padding, [email protected] or prof.dr.ir. Wiebren de Jong, [email protected] .

For information about the application procedure, please contact drs. Nathalie van Benthem, [email protected].

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply by May 31, 2022 via the application button and upload your motivation and CV.

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.

Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.