PhD Position Multiphase Fluid Transport in Porous Electrodes for CO2 Electrolysis

Porous gas diffusion electrodes greatly improve many electrochemical conversion processes, but little is known about what goes on within the pores. Will you be the one to answer this question?  

Electrochemical CO2 conversion into useful chemicals holds great promise to mitigate climate change. This electrochemical process requires the catalyst to be in contact with water, but the water at the same time hinders rapid transport of CO2 to the catalyst surface, due to the low CO2 solubility and diffusivity in water. So-called gas diffusion electrodes largely overcome this issue by supplying CO2 gas directly to the vicinity of the catalyst particles through a dedicated gas transport medium. However, the pores in this medium tend to flood with water, once again hindering gas transport.

Designing gas diffusion electrodes and the operating conditions of the conversion process in such a way that avoids flooding, requires detailed insight into the distribution of liquid and gas components within the porous structure, and how this distribution affects fluid transport in the pores. Such local insight within a porous electrode is experimentally inaccessible, whereas it can be obtained through simulations. The focus of this PhD project lies on modeling the distribution of liquid and gas components in a porous and chemically heterogeneous structure. You will perform multiphase lattice Boltzmann simulations, supported with experiments and using input from molecular dynamics simulations performed by another PhD candidate as part of the same project.

This four-year PhD vacancy is part of a multi-PhD NWO Vidi project that addresses the flooding problem in gas diffusion electrodes for electrochemical conversion. The project will be carried out in the research group of Dr. Remco Hartkamp at the Process & Energy Department of TU Delft. This group includes 5 PhD candidates who study fluid transport and interfacial phenomena in electrochemical systems, using a variety of techniques. As such, there is ample opportunity for collaboration within the team and with academic and industrial partners. You will also have the opportunity to perform some experiments, or be involved in them, as part of this PhD project.

• We are looking for an excellent PhD candidate with a strong background in physics, chemical engineering, or a related discipline.
• Ideally, you are familiar with electrochemical and transport phenomena, and proficient with coding in languages such as Python or C++.
• Prior experience with lattice Boltzmann simulations will be considered a great advantage.
• Good interpersonal skills and a pro-active and creative mind-set are essential, as well as good verbal and written communication skills in English.

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!

From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national cooperation.

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For more information about this vacancy, please contact Remco Hartkamp, e-mail: [email protected] .

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 11 August 2024 via the application button and upload:

• Your motivation.
• Your CV and transcripts.

Please note: 

• The position is directly available, with an intended starting date ideally before December 2024.
• 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.