Hydrogen generated from green electricity in water electrolysers is destined to play a prominent role in the energy transition away from fossil fuels. A main source of inefficiency is the membrane. By flowing through porous electrodes in opposite directions, the hydrogen gas can be separated from the oxygen, without a membrane. Without a membrane, the electrodes can be brought closely together to create microfluidic devices with very low electric resistance. This makes it possible to use electrolytes that have only limited conductivity, opening up the way towards purifying various industrial wastewater streams while at the same time making hydrogen.

Within a European consortium of several universities and a microfluidics company, MacGhyver (https://greenhydrogen-pathfinder.eu/), you will work on simulations of several innovative prototypes. To optimize these, computer simulations can be very useful (https://spectrum.ieee.org/eden-tech-water-treatment). Computational Fluid Dynamics will allow identifying dead zones in which bubbles tend to nucleate, something you may simulate with two-fluid multiphase flow models. Multiphysics simulations in e.g. COMSOL or Fluent will allow you to simulate the electric fields and current distributions, allowing optimization of more complex geometries.

You will be part of a lively research group (http://jwhaverkort.weblog.tudelft.nl) consisting of a nice mix of experimental and computational students, PhDs, and postdoctoral researchers. Occasional work visits or consortium meetings to the collaborative partners are foreseen. An experimental PhD project is running in parallel, which will allow you to walk away from your computer 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)

If you are enthusiastic to use your skills in CFD to help the energy transition, we look forward to meet you and work on this challenging topic together. 

Need to have:

• You are a self-motivated conscientious researcher (f/m) with good communication and self-management skills, a PhD degree and you have experience with CFD.

Nice to have:

• Experience with COMSOL, Fluent, multiphase flow, water electrolysis, or electrochemistry.

The exact research questions to be answered and methods to use may be tailored somewhat to the interests and skills of the candidate.

Fixed-term contract: 1,5 years.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (salary indication: € 4.036 - € 5.090 per month gross). 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.

This position is a temporary assignment for 18 months.

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.