PhD Candidates in Experimental Fluid Mechanics: turbulent mixing and combustion of zero carbon fuels

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At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

   

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About the project

To limit climate impact and ensure energy security, future gas turbine technology (amongst other technologies) must be fuel flexible and capable of operating on zero carbon fuels and fuel blends. However, the turbulent mixing, transport properties and combustion physics of fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia are significantly different to conventional fossil fuels and are not well understood.

We are looking to recruit up to 4 PhD positions that will focus on understanding the fundamental physics of turbulent mixing and combustion of hydrogen and ammonia (and their blends) which is the subject of several research projects including an ERC Synergy Grant – HYROPE and an EU project InsigH2t.  Hydrogen is highly diffusive, extremely reactive, and we do not understand how the turbulent burning rate scales with pressure which is important for practical applications. Ammonia is a hydrogen carrier (a way to store and transport hydrogen) but has a poor reactivity and can result in significant NOx emissions. The overriding aim of the research is to understand, in detail, the impact of turbulent mixing, new turbulent mixing strategies using active grids, and the effect of pressure on the behaviour of these zero carbon fuels. However, this is a multi-dimensional problem with many constituent parts that need to be investigated in detail.  Experiments will be conducted in a range of experimental facilities from atmospheric to high pressure. A range of advanced laser diagnostic measurements methods including high and low speed PIV, PLIF of various species, emissions, and chemiluminescence systems will be used to understand the impact of turbulent scalar mixing, the effect of pressure and structure of turbulent flames for hydrogen, flame stability and methods to control emissions of ammonia and various blends.

The positions are funded from the ERC synergy grant, HYROPE which will involve collaborations with other researchers at ETH Zurich, IMFT/CNRS in Toulouse and TU Darmstadt. The EU Project, InsigH2t and internal funding linked to these projects.

About the position

Are you motivated to undertake a doctorate and embark on new exciting career opportunities that contribute to the major societal challenge of clean and secure energy? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

As a member of the Thermofluids research group at EPT, we are looking for talented, ambitious researchers who are motivated to solve difficult problems and conduct fundamental research at the highest international level. You will attend internationally leading conferences, present and publish your work in high impact journals. 

Your immediate leader will be Professor James Dawson. You will also work with Professor Jason Hearst, Dr. Håkon Nygård, and Dr. Eirik Æsøy.

Duties of the position

• You will design, develop, setup, and optimise of experiments, including accurate characterisation of boundary conditions.
• You will conduct detailed measurements of turbulence, turbulent mixing, flame structure, chemiluminescence, emissions measurements using a range of different experimental configurations and laser diagnostics.
• You will develop and implement new analysis methods to experimental data.
• You will contribute and collaborate with the group and international collaborators.
• You will disseminate your results in scholarly journals and at international conferences.

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

• You must have a relevant Master's degree in engineering, applied mathematics, physics or equivalent. Your course of study must correspond to a five-year Norwegian course, where 120 credits have been obtained at master's level. Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than September 2026, unless applying through the integrated PhD programme.
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be considered if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
• You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty's Doctoral Programme.
• Strong background in fundamental or applied fluid mechanics and/or combustion.
• Programming skills in MATLAB, C, Python, or similar packages.
• Excellent command of the English language, and skilled in academic writing

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

Preferred selection criteria

• Experience with state-of-the-art experimental fluid mechanics measurement methods (e.g., Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), high-speed and low-speed imaging, hot-wire and pressure measurements).
• Experience with Computer Aided Design (CAD).

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to: 

• Show critical thinking, curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Analyze data, assess different perspectives and draw well-founded conclusions 
• Work both independently and as part of a larger research team 
• Present and discuss your research
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity 
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• Career guidance and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Mentor programme as a new employee at NTNU
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)
• Free Norwegian language training at a basic level (A2)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals. 

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education. 

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality.

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 550 800,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary. 

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in Engineering within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in English. 

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Short letter of motivation (400 words/1 page)
• CV 
• A 1 page “qualifications” document explicitly detailing how you meet each of the required and some (or all) of the desired qualifications listed above. An application missing this document may be considered incomplete by the selection committee.
• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• Copy of Master's thesis if available. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well. 

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor James Dawson, email james.r.dawson@ntnu.no. 

If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact HR Consultant Martha Aftret Karlsvik, e-mail: hr@ept.ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 14.05.26

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage. 

The city of Trondheim has a population of 200 000. It is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene and is known as the tech capital of Norway. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is among the best of its kind in the world. Professional, subsidized day-care for children is easily available, as is children`s education (including two international schools). Trondheim has low crime rates, clean air quality, and offers great opportunities for enjoying nature, culture and family-life.

Further information

The positions are funded by the ERC synergy grant HYROPE (Grant agreement number 101119058), and the EU Project InsigH2t (Grant agreement number 101192349).