Are you interested in conducting cutting edge research on green hydrogen production? Can you contribute to the development of numerical solutions and new solvers? Do you have experience in open-source CFD – particularly OpenFoam? Then the Department of Mechanical & Production Engineering at Aarhus University invites you to apply for a 2-year post-doc position.
 

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 2–year position from 15 August 2024 or as soon possible thereafter.
 

Job description

You will be a part of a ‘Grand Solution’ project with academic and industrial partners working on development of new foam-like electrodes to minimize cost of green hydrogen production.

Green hydrogen is a pillar of green energy transition. The ambition to reach net zero emission means that the production capacity of green hydrogen needs to increase multiple times in the coming years. Among technologies used to that end, alkaline electrolyzers are the most mature option; however, there is a clear room for improvement of their energy efficiency. The current project aims to develop a new porous electrode concept, and modeling provides a basis for understanding and optimization of the performance of this novel concept.

Your tasks in the project consist of development/improvement of numerical solvers for two-phase flow and mass transfer, conducting the simulations, analyzing the results, communicating and discussing the findings with project partners, and disseminating the results in form of articles, presentations, and the like. Numerical simulations are mostly done using OpenFoam, but use of other open-source research solvers can be considered.
 

Your profile

Applicants should hold a PhD in Mechanical Engineering or other relevant subjects.

The tasks in the project are mainly carried out using OpenFoam, hence the main requirement for the candidates is:

• hand-on experience in using OpenFoam.

The successful candidate is also expected to have:

• strong research and publication track record,
• deep knowledge of fluid dynamics,
• good English communication skills and enthusiasm for collaborative research.

Who we are

You will be a member of the Heat and Fluid Flow research group, where research in the general area of fluid mechanics and heat transfer is performed. A focus area in the group is modeling of multiphase flows with application in green hydrogen; what will give you a chance to be a part of a collaborative research environment and boost your research productivity.
 

What we offer

Moreover, the department offers:

• a well-developed research infrastructure and access to shared equipment,
• an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators
• a research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
• a work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities
• a workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.

 

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Katrinebjergvej 89F, 8200 Aarhus N, Department of Mechanical and Production Engineering and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 
 

Contact information

For further information, please contact: Associate Professor Pourya Forooghi +45 9352 2303, forooghi@mpe.au.dk.

Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 31 May 2024.
 

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

Formalities and salary range

Technical Sciences refers to the Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here. Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here.

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here.

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.