The goals for future aviation are ambitious; on a global scale, air traffic is expected to continue growing in the foreseeable future. At the same time, we urgently have to reduce the climate impact of the aviation industry. To achieve this, aircraft concepts are studied with novel energy carriers such as batteries and hydrogen. These novel powertrains lead to different flight performance, aircraft capabilities, and overall airline operations. Despite these challenges, such technologies will have to find the correct market position in multi-fuel fleet operations, ideally, from their first introduction.

Your unique challenge as a PhD student at TU Delft is to develop models and tools to answer the address the following question: What aircraft top-level requirements will maximize the adoption of sustainable technologies, given their current limitations? To drive change in global aviation with novel energy carriers, selecting the correct requirements from the first introduction is essential.

In this research project, the following three aspects will be considered:

• The research will use and/or extend existing open-source traffic data as input for the strategic fleet planning and top-level requirement selection.
• Looking into the future of aviation, many things remain uncertain. Therefore, we are looking for an approach with leads to robust solutions.
• We need to take into account the flight performance and operational constraints of novel hydrogen and (hybrid-)electric aircraft.

You will develop mathematical and computational models to look decades ahead and perform strategic airline planning. You will build upon existing research and collaborate with colleagues in our section studying future operations of sustainable energies. Where needed, we will reach out to collaborate with other departments in the faculty.

You will, of course, be writing papers and attending conferences. In addition, you will supervise labs and coach master students during their graduation research under the flag of the Operations and Environment (O&E) Section. Who are your fellow team members? We are an interdisciplinary and internationally diverse group of some 60 driven assistant and associate professors, lecturers, project managers, PhD students and postdocs. We share the ambition to develop models and tools in which we accumulate our expertise to enable future adaptive, efficient, safe and sustainable air transport operations. Fostering an open, friendly and collaborative atmosphere in which people are approachable, we share knowledge, help each other and meet socially. And you will get all the support and training you need to evolve and grow as a researcher.

You enjoy putting your analytical skills to effective use and using them to derive useful insights for the next generation aircraft. Also, you care about scientific work which is based on openly available data. You work well both independently and in international, interdisciplinary teams, for which you harness your communication skills. And you enjoy coaching master students and contributing to education activities, while developing your own skills and competencies.

You also have:

• An MSc in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics or another relevant subject.
• Good modelling and Python programming skills.
• Due to the expiration date of the funding, you are able to start (and thus have completed your master) before or on 1-1-2025.   

Doing a PhD at TU Delft requires English proficiency at a certain level to ensure that the candidate is able to communicate and interact well, participate in English-taught Doctoral Education courses, and write scientific articles and a final thesis. For more details please check the Graduate Schools Admission Requirements.

Fixed-term contract: 4 years.

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1,5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months. Followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2,5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from € 2872 per month in the first year to € 3670 in the fourth year. As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

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.

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 Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Pieter-Jan Proesmans, p.proesmans@tudelft.nl.