PhD Position in Material Flow Analysis for Use of Hydrogen in the Processing Industry

About the position

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is seeking a PhD student for the EU project HyInHeat. HyInHeat explores the use of hydrogen as fuel for high-temperature heating processes in the energy-intensive industries.

The main objective of HyInHeat is the integration of hydrogen as fuel for high temperature heating processes in the energy-intensive industries. While some of the equipment is already presented as hydrogen-ready, the integration of hydrogen combustion in heating processes still needs adoption and redesign of infrastructure, equipment, and the process itself. HyInHeat realizes the implemen-tation of efficient hydrogen combustion systems to decarbonize heating and melting processes of the aluminium and steel sectors, covering almost their complete process chains. To reach this over-arching objective within the project, furnace and equipment like burners or measurement and control technology but also infrastructure is redesigned, modified and implemented in eight demon-strators at technical centres and industrial plants.

The PhD candidate will be involved in the process analysis, the modification and redesign of equipment and processes, the demonstrations for aluminium and steel, and the evaluation of greenfield and retrofitting solutions by developing multi-layer material flow analysis (ML-MFA) models for the individual plants and by developing dynamic MFA models and scenarios of the aluminium and steel cycles at European and global scales to test the impact of alternative hydrogen strategies on climate change mitigation.

The main supervisor for the candidate will be Professor Daniel B. Müller.

Duties of the position

• Close cooperation with the research and industrial partners in the project
• Develop plant-level ML-MFA models for selected case studies (aluminium and steel) and interpret them in cooperation with the plant managers
• Develop dynamic MFA models for the European and global aluminium and steel cycles and their greenhouse gas emissions along the primary and secondary production routes.
• Based on a stakeholder’s consultation, develop scenarios for the decarbonization of the two sectors.
• Collaborate with colleagues at NTNU to further develop the concepts, models, and applications of MFA models.
• Co-supervise master’s students on their projects and theses related to HyInHeat.

Required selection criteria

• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Doctoral Programme of the Faculty of Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme )
• You must have documented work experience in industrial ecology and dynamic MFA modelling, preferably with applications on aluminium and/or steel.
• You must have documented work experience in material science or process engineering.
• You must have documented work experience in the use of Python.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with  Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant  

Preferred selection criteria

• Good communication skills
• Strong computer programming skills (preferably with Python)
• Strong written and oral English language skills
• Familiarity with other European languages is beneficial for contacts with plant managers

Personal characteristics

• Confidence in working independently
• Ability and willingness to work in inter- and transdisciplinary teams
• Creativity
• Critical thinking

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

Salary and conditions

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 501 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years.

Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Industrial Ecology (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phindok ) within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants , and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding of the HEU project HyInHeat.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include (Departments to choose from the following): 

• CV and certificates
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted.
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Project proposal
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education. Description of the documentation required can be found here . If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well.

We will take joint work into account. If it is difficult to identify your efforts in the joint work, you must enclose a short description of your participation.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA.

General information

Working at NTNU

A good work environment is characterized by diversity. We encourage qualified candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, functional capacity or cultural background.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted.

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation . You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Daniel B. Müller , telephone +47 918 97 755, email [email protected] . If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Mathilde Smith-Nilsen , e-mail: [email protected] .

Please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Diploma Supplement is required to attach for European Master Diplomas outside Norway. Chinese applicants are required to provide confirmation of Master Diploma from China Credentials Verification (CHSI) .

If you are invited for interview you must include certified copies of transcripts and reference letters. Please refer to the application number 2022/36370 when applying.

Application deadline: 26.09.2022

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Energy and Process Engineering

We conduct research and teaching covering the entire energy chain, from resources to the end-user. We look at how energy is produced and used by humans and machines in a sustainable way with regard to health, climate change and the resource base. The Department of Energy and Process Engineering  is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 26th September 2022
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Gløshaugen