PhD Position Sensing Viscosity with Ultrasound

Job description
Continuous, non-invasive measurements of fluid properties are instrumental in factories that produce food, medicine and semiconductor products such as microchips and solar cells. Such fluid measurements also find application in environmental monitoring and e.g. medical infusion systems in neonatal care. In essence, good in-line measurement systems provide immediate process information and therefore enable high quality products while preventing waste from production errors. Thus they contribute to healthcare and sustainable food production.

This project aims to develop innovative, modular and scalable flowmeters that measure both flow and viscosity by ultrasonic surface acoustic wave sensing principles. Although the basic principle of flow and viscosity measurements using surface acoustic waves is well known and already applied in sensors, viscosity measurements are not fully understood and not carried out using ultrasound in commercial flow meters until now. The quantitative, accurate measurement of viscosity has yet to be demonstrated in ultrasound flow measurement systems.

Your project will be carried out at TU Delft, in close collaboration with Twente University and leading companies in the field of flow sensing.

It is expected that you will:

1. Investigate and conduct research on ultrasound sensors and viscosity of flows.
2. Develop and invent novel measurement strategies and methods.
3. Set up a quantitative, experimentally validated model of the ultrasonic flow sensors
4. Design an experimental sensing platform required for this project.
5. Characterize ultrasound propagation loss, quality factors, and travel speed, while also studying resonance behaviour and determining the optimal excitation frequencies for maximizing signal-to-noise ratios.
6. Write a doctoral dissertation, publish results in renowned peer reviewed journals and presenting research in international conferences.
7. Engage in education activities, such as supervising master students

We hope that you are enthusiastic about this project. Feel free to contact us with questions. .

Job requirements
We are looking for people with:

• MSc in mechanical engineering, physics, materials science or a related area.
• Experience with modeling, experiments and design.
• Team players with good communication skills.
• Creative, independent and self-motivated. with initiative and ability to setup, organise and execute your research.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)
Working at TU Delft means contributing to solutions that really make a difference.

For over 180 years, we have been training engineers who make an impact worldwide in companies, government bodies, or as entrepreneurs. Our alumni turn knowledge into concrete solutions for the challenges of today and tomorrow. These challenges are changing rapidly. That is why we focus on themes such as energy, climate, digitalisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and smart mobility every day. Our education and research are directly aligned with what society needs now and in the future.

At TU Delft, our people make the difference. With their knowledge and curiosity, our staff provide a high-quality education and conduct pioneering research that extends beyond the campus. You will have the opportunity to take the initiative, work with others, and grow as a professional. Working at TU Delft means join an international community of professionals and students. Together, we create knowledge, innovations, and solutions that help move the world forward.

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.