JOB DESCRIPTION
TU Delft – Almatis PhD Position in Mathematical Modeling of Turbulent Combustion
The TU Delft has been collaborating with specialized cement producer, Almatis BV, for four years with significant results in applied mathematics [1]. In 2014, the rotary kiln project won the university award DIG IT - Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science Prize for innovative research. Both institutions aim to continue their very successful collaboration by hiring a PhD candidate who will continue previous work on the mathematical modeling and numerical simulation of the rotary kiln furnaces at Almatis BV based in Rotterdam.
What We Offer:
1. the successful candidate will hold a four year fixed-term employment contract at Almatis BV. At the same time, he/she will hold a four year external PhD candidature affiliation with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science at the TUDelft.
2. supervision under Professor Kees Vuik, head of the Scientific Computing Group and Dr. Domenico Lahaye
3. CAO (Collective Labour Agreement) shall be used as a guideline for Almatis BV contracts subject to further negotiation. CAO for PhD candidates in Dutch universities sets compensation at 2062 – 2638 Euros gross/38 hour work week.
Research Project:
The research aims to:
1. optimize the operation of currently existing furnaces used in the production of temperature resistant, short-setting time, top quality cement
2. design next generation industrial furnaces that will meet and exceed EU emission standards
Primary Interest: Currently, due to multiple supply sources, the composition of natural gas used for the furnaces becomes unpredictable. This causes the temperature in the oven to fluctuate, NOx production to increase and productivity to decrease. We are focusing our attention to develop a model to capture these variability.
Other Potential Research Topics:
1. Refine the previous models to design of the burner of the furnace
2. Refine the existing model to predict the furnace insulating lining degradation over time
3. Develop accurate models to predict heat absorption and peak temperature of the granular material as it is being mixed and transported in the furnace
4. Develop models to capture the dynamic of material mixing in an inclined rotating furnace
How To Apply
The application dossier should include the following 6 parts:
1. A Curriculum Vitae listing most recent events first; include: contact information, education, work experience, programming skills, use of simulation packages, language skills, relevant document attachments i.e. publications, reports, etc.
2. A letter explaining your interest in the current position;
3. A report discussing your experience in the use of computational fluid dynamics techniques to model turbulent combustion. The report [2] can be used as guide. Attempts to reproduce results in [2] using a CFD package will have an advantage
4. Copy of MSc diploma and transcript; if applicable, all other relevant certificates;
5. Proof of English language competency (waived if native speaker or attended a BSc/MSc program where the medium of instruction was English)
6. Two academic or work references and their contact details
Submit your application documents by clicking the APPLY button.
DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Who We Are Looking For:
Master’s degree in applied mathematics, aerospace, mechanical, physical, mineral or chemical engineering that is able to demonstrate outstanding mathematical skills.
Demonstrate affinity with the modeling of complex flow phenomena in terms of partial differential equations and with numerical methods to solve these equations
Demonstrate examples of his ability to relate modeling techniques to real-life applications (attach previous projects, reports, etc.)
Excellent written and oral communication in English (Dutch is an advantage, German is an asset)
Previous exposure/experience with computational fluid dynamics packages is an asset.
Previous work on the computer simulation of turbulent flows, combustion processes, complex chemical reactions or granular flows will similarly be considered a distinct advantage