Postdoc CFD Water Electrolysis

Join our effort to improve innovative alkaline water electrolyser designs through computational modelling!

Job description

Water electrolysis using green electricity for production of green hydrogen will be important in the transition towards a renewable energy future. Hydrogen bubbles help drive the flow of electrolyte, required for cooling. Because they are insulating, they also hinder the transport of ions and increase the resistance. To minimise energy losses and maximise natural convection, you will make, validate, improve, and use a comprehensive computational multiphase flow model including heat and mass transport.

As part of a consortium of Dutch universities and companies HyPro, (https://groenvermogennl.org/project/hypro-onderzoek-naar-technische-risicos-en-kostenverlaging-van-groene-waterstof/) you will look at flow phenomena in good contact with researchers from the companies AVOXT and NEWES. These companies develop membraneless and high-pressure tubular natural-convection driven electrolysers, respectively. Due to their innovative nature, there are still several open questions that modelling can help answer.

A turbulent Euler-Euler two-fluid model or mixture model is envisioned, coupled to transport of current, heat and dissolved gas. The model will be implemented in commercial software like COMSOL, Ansys Fluent, or an open-source code like OpenFoam. Working models for various aspects of electrolyser modelling are already used in our groups and may be expanded upon.

You will be part of the lively research groups of Willem Haverkort (http://jwhaverkort.weblog.tudelft.nl), including a mix of experimental and computational students, PhDs, and other researchers. Occasional work visits or consortium meetings to the collaborative partners are foreseen. Various experimental projects are running in parallel, and you are encouraged to regularly leave your computer, go into the lab and directly compare your results to experiments. Within Delft there is a flourishing community of researchers working on various types and aspects of electrolysis (https://www.tudelft.nl/e-refinery).

We can use your enthusiasm for CFD to help the energy transition and look forward to meeting you and work on this challenging topic together!

Job requirements 

As our new colleague you:

• Hold a PhD degree in an engineering or scientific discipline.
• Have a proven track record in computational modelling and fluid mechanics.
• Are a highly motivated and self-driven researcher, capable of working both independently and as part of a team.
• Have an excellent command of written and spoken English.

Experience with Ansys Fluent, OpenFoam, or COMSOL or multiphase flow modelling is a big plus.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology) 

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! 

Faculty Mechanical Engineering 

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. 

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to some of our researchers and their work. 

 
Conditions of employment 

• Duration of contract is 2 years.
• A job of 32-40 hours per week. 

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. 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. 

Additional information

If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Willem Haverkort via, j.w.haverkort@tudelft.nl.

Application procedure

Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than 23 March 2025 via the application button and upload the following documents:

• A motivation letter,
• A detailed CV,
• A list of your publications,
• A contact details of 2-3 references.

After an initial selection, a first round of online interviews will be planned in the first two weeks after the deadline. We look forward to your application.   

You can address your application to Willem Haverkort.

Please note:

• You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or post. 
• A pre-employment screening can be part of the selection procedure.
• For the final candidates, a knowledge security check will be part of the application procedure. For more information on this check, please consult Chapter 8 of the National Knowledge Security Guidelines. We carry out this check on the basis of legitimate interest.
• Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.