Process & Energy

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

Job description 

Hydrogen generated from green electricity in water electrolysers is currently widely considered as an essential ingredient for a successful energy transition. Hydrogen bubbles form, coalesce, rise, and move through various parts of the electrolyser, influencing the distribution of flow, current, dissolved gas, and heat. Various problems associated with gas bubbles can arise, including flow maldistributions, the formation of hot spots, and the unwanted crossover of gas. To minimise energy losses and improve safety, you will build 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 larger-scale flow phenomena in good communication with a similar effort at AVOXT. At the TU/e a postdoc will work on small-scale bubble release, in collaboration with Veco Precision. Battolyser Systems will develop a CFD model of bubble behaviour within a cell on different electrode types and topologies.

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 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) and Johan Padding (https://www.tudelft.nl/en/me/about/departments/process-energy/research/complex-fluid-processing), 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 meet you and work on this challenging topic together! 

Job requirements 

As our new colleague you:

• Hold a master’s degree in an engineering or scientific discpline,
• Have a keen interest 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, and
• Have an excellent command of written and spoken English.

Experience with Ansys Fluent, OpenFoam, or COMSOL or training in multiphase flow is a 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!

Read more and apply online.