PhD grant DC-09 -Chemical Engineering- PROSAFE Doctoral Network

12 Jan 2024
Job Information

Organisation/Company

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)- BarcelonaTECH

Department

Chemical Engineering Department

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineering

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

Spain

Application Deadline

12 Feb 2024 - 23:59 (Europe/Madrid)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

37.5

Offer Starting Date

1 Jun 2024

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

H2020 / Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Reference Number

PROSAFE-DC09-UPC

Marie Curie Grant Agreement Number

101119358

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Development of an improved methodology to perform QRA with specific emphasis on natural gas and other renewable and low-carbon fuel facilities.

The advertised subproject is fully funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie European Training Network “PROSAFE”. It will be carried out by one doctoral candidate at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (PhD supervision at Centre for Technological Risk Studies – CERTEC, Chemical Engineering Department) over a period of 36 months.

 

CERTEC performs research in the field of Quantitative Risk Analysis (QRA) and modelling of major accidents. The research aims to develop a novel methodology to perform QRA with specific emphasis on new energy vectors. The recruited researcher will design a novel methodology to perform QRA considering the specificities of the new renewable energy vectors production, storage, and distribution. First, a historical survey of major accidents (type of accident, initial loss of containment, accidental sequences) will be performed; a statistical analysis will follow, to obtain representative values of frequencies and/or probabilities. Simultaneously, a search will be done of the values usually applied in QRA in the diverse EU State Members, related to the application of Seveso III Directive. On the other hand, the mathematical models used for calculating the effects of major accidents will be analyzed and the optimum ones will be selected. Their predictions will be checked by comparison with selected and liable data from real accidents. Finally, the selected data and models will be applied to the QRA of a given case in a sea Port facility including loading, storage, regasification, and distribution of low-carbon fuels (e.g., LNG, ammonia, hydrogen and methanol).

Training and industrial case studies for the application of QRA will take place at Port de Barcelona (Spain), while training and learning about potential of big data analytics to improve QRA will take place at NTNU (Norway).

Results of the research will include 1) Proposal of a set of values for the frequencies and probabilities usually required in quantitative risk analysis. 2) Selection of the most adequate mathematical models for new energy vectors 3) List of potential most credible hazard scenarios 4) Application to the particular case of Catalonia region, the LNG regasification plant and other fuels storage and distribution at the Port of Barcelona.

Requirements

Research Field

Engineering » Chemical engineering

Education Level

Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

• In accordance with the European Union’s funding rules for doctoral networks, applicants must NOT yet have a PhD.

• An MSc degree in the following subject areas: Chemical Engineering, Chemical Processes Engineering, Safety Engineering or equivalent.

• Domain knowledge (for example Thesis) in risk and safety applied to accident modelling or QRA is desirable.

• Experience with CFD modelling and equation/object oriented programming. An asset but not a requirement would be familiarization with one or more of the following tools: FDS, OpenFoam, FLACS, PHAST, Python, MATLAB.

• Curious and appetite for developing AI/ML competencies

• Curious and appetite for solving complex problems within the process safety domain.

Specific Requirements

The applicant must not have resided or carried out her/his main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Spain for more than 12 months in the past 3 years.

Languages

ENGLISH

Level

Good

Additional Information
Benefits

The recruited researcher will have the opportunity to work as part of an international, interdisciplinary team of 12 doctoral candidates, based at universities and companies throughout Europe. She/he will be supported by interdisciplinary mentors within the PROSAFE project and will have multiple opportunities to participate in professional and personal development training. Through her/his work, she/he will gain a unique skill set comprising Quantitative Risk Assessment, Machine learning, and Artificial Intelligence applications to the Process Systems Engineering domain. She/he is expected to finish the project with a PhD thesis and to disseminate the results through patents (if applicable), publications in peer-reviewed journals, and presentations at international conferences.

About UPC

The Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya · BarcelonaTech (UPC) is a public institution of research and higher education in the fields of engineering, architecture, sciences and technology, and one of the leading technical universities in Europe. Every year, close to 6,000 bachelor’s and master’s students, more than 300 doctoral students and 1,600 continuing education students graduate.

UPC aims to contribute to building a sustainable and fair world through research, technology transfer and knowledge dissemination and by producing engineering, architecture, science and technology graduates who are able to think critically, work in interdisciplinary and multicultural teams, adapt to change and keep learning throughout their lives.

 

Selection process

Please send your CV and motivation letter by e-mail, quoting the reference “PROSAFE DC09-UPC” to professors Eulalia Planas and Elsa Pastor at [email protected] and [email protected]  

 

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est

Country

Spain

State/Province

Barcelona

City

Barcelona

Postal Code

08019

Street

Campus Diagonal-Besòs

Geofield

Where to apply

E-mail

[email protected]

Contact

City

Barcelona

Website

https://www.upc.edu/
http://certec.upc.edu

Street

C. Jordi Girona, 31

Postal Code

08034

E-Mail

[email protected]

STATUS: EXPIRED