PhD in Edge data centre's thermal energy management systems considering multi-vector interactions (a)

Materials science and technology are our passion. With our cutting-edge research, Empa's around 1,100 employees make essential contributions to the well-being of society for a future worth living. Empa is a research institution of the ETH Domain.

The Urban Energy Systems Laboratory develops methods and tools to model, design and assessment energy systems at various scales with a focus on energy hubs, multi-energy grids, and integration of renewable energy and storage systems.

Your tasks

In the framework of Horizon Europe Heatwise project, we are looking for a motivated and experienced PhD candidate to design and assess edge data centre's thermal energy management systems considering multi-vector interactions in tertiary buildings. A particular focus lies on the modelling and optimization of edge data centers, multi-energy systems of tertiary buildings, thermal management systems and the characterization and assessment of different cooling technology options. Emphasis will be also placed on the temperature levels that the edge data centers’ cooling system can provide and how these temperature levels can influence the waste heat stream integration into tertiary buildings. Challenges encompass - among others - edge data centres and cooling technologies modelling, multi-energy system design and integration. Historical data in the Empa's NEST demonstrator and its multi-energy backbone will be utilized to design and test the thermal energy management systems. The candidate shall translate his/her research ideas to tackle these challenges, in close collaboration with our interdisciplinary team and external scientific and industry partners. The candidate will support our master students, publish in scientific journals, and participate in conferences.

Your profile

You are a highly motivated and dedicated candidate with an MSc degree in Energy, Mechanical, Chemical-, Environmental or Electrical engineering (or related field). You should have a profound and interdisciplinary knowledge of the ongoing energy transition; particularly regarding multi-energy systems and/or energy conversion/storage technologies. Moreover, you have strong programming, modelling and data analysis skills in Python, Pyomo and R. Experience with the formulation and implementation of mathematical optimization problems is favorable. The candidate should be proficient in English; good comprehension and oral skills in German are desirable.

Our offer

We are offering a multifaceted and challenging position in a modern research environ-ment with excellent infrastructure.

«a» stands for «all» in our job advertisements. We live a culture of inclusion and respect. We welcome all people who are interested in innovative, sustainable and meaningful activities - that's what counts.

PatriciaNitzsche, Stv. Leiterin Personal / Dep. Head Human Resources