PhD Position CFD-FEM Modelling of Electrically Heated Reactor Concepts With and Without Reactions

Job description
CO2 conversion reactors depend on adequate heating and heat management. Several thermochemical pathways involve high-temperature (> 300 °C) endothermic reactions, that depend on technically feasible, efficient and economically attractive heating by green electricity. A typical example is the dry reforming of biomethane, which is taken in this project as a model reaction to develop and further mature electric heating technologies. The developed technologies can be readily transferred to other relevant reactions for carbon-based chemistry, including reverse water-gas shift (CO2 + H2 <-> CO + H2O), leading to technology transition moving away from conventional fossil-fuel heated refining processes to the refinery of the future.

In this challenging PhD project we ask you to combine knowledge and models from three different domains: electromagnetism, thermo-hydraulics and reaction kinetics.

In particular, we aim to develop both surface heating solutions (through resistive and impedance heating) and volume heating solutions (through impedance and induction heating) for catalytic flow reactors. The work will be performed in the Process and Energy Department of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty (Johan Padding), in close collaboration with the Electrical Engineering Faculty of TU Delft (Mohamad Niasar) and the Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Department at TU Eindhoven (Martin van Sint Annaland).

Your work will start with the design, modelling and evaluation of resistive heating concepts in collaboration between T.EN, NEM, TU/e, and TNO. A theory review will be performed jointly, resulting in guidelines for reactor design, taking into account the electrical breakdown strength of the reaction environment. Based on advanced technology for internal resistive heating of chemical reactors, several different configurations will be evaluated with your CFD-FEM models and tested at TRL4 (10 kWe) at TU/e to identify the most promising configurations and operation modes, first only for heating purposes, followed by an experimental demonstration for dry methane reforming. For volume heating, T.EN with TUD and TU/e will design integrated 3D-printed structures that combine heating functionality with active materials (catalysts).

Next to the resistive heating solutions, you will design, model and evaluate impedance and inductive heating concepts in collaboration with T.EN, NEM, TU/e, and TNO. Several different configurations, which include direct inductive heating (using a dedicated coil) and impedance heating using auto-inductive effects in different reactor geometries, will be evaluated by your CFD-FEM models and tested at TRL4 (10 kWe) at TU/e to identify the most promising configurations and operation modes, first only for heating purposes, followed by an experimental demonstration for DRM.

Job requirements
You are a recent graduate looking to use your modelling skills and curiosity to create a greener process industry. With your pioneering mindset and communicative nature, you thrive in a complex multi-disciplinary team consisting of universities, knowledge institutes and companies and you are not overwhelmed by the ambitious nature of the project. You also have:

• An MSc in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics or related field
• Proven experience with finite element and/or finite volume modelling of continuous fields in a multi-physics context
• Affinity with chemical reactor engineering
• Sound knowledge of Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic fields

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.

PhD Position CFD-FEM Modelling of Electrically Heated Reactor Concepts With and Without Reactions

Job description
CO2 conversion reactors depend on adequate heating and heat management. Several thermochemical pathways involve high-temperature (> 300 °C) endothermic reactions, that depend on technically feasible, efficient and economically attractive heating by green electricity. A typical example is the dry reforming of biomethane, which is taken in this project as a model reaction to develop and further mature electric heating technologies. The developed technologies can be readily transferred to other relevant reactions for carbon-based chemistry, including reverse water-gas shift (CO2 + H2 <-> CO + H2O), leading to technology transition moving away from conventional fossil-fuel heated refining processes to the refinery of the future.

In this challenging PhD project we ask you to combine knowledge and models from three different domains: electromagnetism, thermo-hydraulics and reaction kinetics.

In particular, we aim to develop both surface heating solutions (through resistive and impedance heating) and volume heating solutions (through impedance and induction heating) for catalytic flow reactors. The work will be performed in the Process and Energy Department of the Mechanical Engineering Faculty (Johan Padding), in close collaboration with the Electrical Engineering Faculty of TU Delft (Mohamad Niasar) and the Chemical Engineering and Chemistry Department at TU Eindhoven (Martin van Sint Annaland).

Your work will start with the design, modelling and evaluation of resistive heating concepts in collaboration between T.EN, NEM, TU/e, and TNO. A theory review will be performed jointly, resulting in guidelines for reactor design, taking into account the electrical breakdown strength of the reaction environment. Based on advanced technology for internal resistive heating of chemical reactors, several different configurations will be evaluated with your CFD-FEM models and tested at TRL4 (10 kWe) at TU/e to identify the most promising configurations and operation modes, first only for heating purposes, followed by an experimental demonstration for dry methane reforming. For volume heating, T.EN with TUD and TU/e will design integrated 3D-printed structures that combine heating functionality with active materials (catalysts).

Next to the resistive heating solutions, you will design, model and evaluate impedance and inductive heating concepts in collaboration with T.EN, NEM, TU/e, and TNO. Several different configurations, which include direct inductive heating (using a dedicated coil) and impedance heating using auto-inductive effects in different reactor geometries, will be evaluated by your CFD-FEM models and tested at TRL4 (10 kWe) at TU/e to identify the most promising configurations and operation modes, first only for heating purposes, followed by an experimental demonstration for DRM.

Job requirements
You are a recent graduate looking to use your modelling skills and curiosity to create a greener process industry. With your pioneering mindset and communicative nature, you thrive in a complex multi-disciplinary team consisting of universities, knowledge institutes and companies and you are not overwhelmed by the ambitious nature of the project. You also have:

• An MSc in Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics or related field
• Proven experience with finite element and/or finite volume modelling of continuous fields in a multi-physics context
• Affinity with chemical reactor engineering
• Sound knowledge of Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic fields

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.

Management Assistent

Functieomschrijving

Ben jij iemand die er oprecht van geniet om anderen te ondersteunen, structuur aan te brengen in complexe omgevingen en ervoor te zorgen dat alles soepel blijft verlopen? Haal jij voldoening uit administratief werk en het opbouwen van langdurige, vertrouwensrelaties?

Binnen de divisie Quantum Internet zijn wij op zoek naar een ervaren managementassistent die dit vak echt waardeert en gemotiveerd is om anderen te helpen succesvol te zijn. Dit betreft een functie voor de lange termijn, en we zoeken specifiek iemand die zich thuis voelt in een ondersteunende rol en graag bijdraagt aan stabiliteit en continuïteit binnen een team.

Jouw rol
Als managementassistent binnen de divisie Internet speel je een centrale rol in de ondersteuning van een groep Principal Investigators (PI’s). Geen dag is hetzelfde, en jouw kracht ligt in het brengen van overzicht, structuur en rust in een dynamische academische omgeving.

Je beheert de agenda’s van 7 PI’s (hoogleraren en universitair (hoofd)docenten), coördineert complexe planningen en zorgt ervoor dat de dagelijkse gang van zaken over meerdere projecten soepel verloopt.

Belangrijkste verantwoordelijkheden

• Beheren van complexe agenda’s, plannen van afspraken en prioriteren van e-mails voor enkele PI’s.
• Fungeren als centraal aanspreekpunt voor interne en externe stakeholders.
• Coördineren van vergaderingen, opstellen van agenda’s en bewaken van opvolging van actiepunten.
• Ondersteunen van HR-administratie rondom de onboarding van promovendi (PhD’s) en postdocs.
• Organiseren van reizen, inclusief boekingen, goedkeuringen en onkostenafhandeling.
• Verwerken en monitoren van inkooporders.
• Organiseren van kleinschalige evenementen van begin tot eind.
• Notuleren en zorgen voor duidelijke verslaglegging van vergaderingen en besluiten.

Functie-eisen
Wij zoeken een toegewijde professional die waarde hecht aan het leveren van hoogwaardige ondersteuning en minimaal 3 jaar ervaring heeft in een management- of directieondersteunende rol. Je hebt een afgeronde mbo-opleiding (of vergelijkbaar), bij voorkeur in een administratieve of aanverwante richting.

Je beschikt over:

• Ervaring in een complexe en bij voorkeur internationale werkomgeving.
• Een oprechte passie voor het ondersteunen van anderen en het creëren van structuur en overzicht.
• Een servicegerichte, betrouwbare en consistente werkhouding met oog voor kwaliteit.
• Sterke organisatorische vaardigheden en het vermogen om meerdere prioriteiten tegelijk te managen.
• Nauwkeurigheid en oog voor detail, met een hoge mate van precisie.
• Proactiviteit en goed beoordelingsvermogen: je anticipeert op behoeften, signaleert knelpunten en handelt tijdig.
• Heldere en professionele communicatieve vaardigheden en het vermogen om vertrouwensrelaties op te bouwen.
• Goede beheersing van zowel de Engelse als Nederlandse taal, aangezien beide talen binnen QuTech worden gebruikt.

TU Delft
De Technische Universiteit Delft heeft een sterk fundament. Als bouwer van de wereldberoemde Nederlandse waterwerken en pionier in biotech is TU Delft een internationale topuniversiteit die wetenschap, engineering en design combineert. TU Delft staat voor onderwijs, onderzoek en innovatie van wereldklasse om uitdagingen op het gebied van energie, klimaat, mobiliteit, gezondheid en digitale maatschappij aan te gaan. Generaties Delftse ingenieurs hebben bewezen ondernemende probleemoplossers te zijn in bedrijfsleven en in sociale context.

Bij TU Delft omarmen we diversiteit als een van onze kernwaarden en zetten we ons actief in om een universiteit te zijn waar jij je thuis voelt en kunt floreren. We hechten veel waarde aan verschillende perspectieven en kwaliteiten, omdat wij geloven dat dit ons werk innovatiever, de TU Delft-gemeenschap levendiger en de wereld rechtvaardiger maakt. Samen bedenken en ontwikkelen we oplossingen die een positieve invloed hebben op wereldwijde schaal. Daarom nodigen we jou uit om te solliciteren. Je sollicitatie krijgt een eerlijke behandeling.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

QuTech
QuTech is een missiegedreven onderzoeksinstituut van de TU Delft. Samen werken we aan een radicaal nieuwe technologie die de wereld kan veranderen. We ontwikkelen schaalbare prototypes van een kwantumcomputer en een veilig kwantuminternet.

Wij geloven dat kwantumtechnologie een doorbraak zal betekenen in vele maatschappelijke en economische sectoren – waaronder gezondheidszorg, landbouw, klimaat en veiligheid. Om onze ambitieuze doelen te bereiken, brengen we wetenschappers, ingenieurs en het bedrijfsleven samen in een inspirerende omgeving, met volop ruimte voor ambitie, ondernemerschap en innovatie.

Bekijk onze video en krijg een indruk van QuTech.

Management Assistant

Job description
Are you someone who genuinely enjoys supporting others, bringing structure to complex environments, and being the person who keeps everything running smoothly? Do you take pride in administrative excellence and building long-term trusted relationships?

Within the Division Quantum Internet, we are looking for an experienced Management Assistant who truly values this profession and is motivated by helping others succeed. This is a long-term position, and we are specifically looking for someone who feels fulfilled in a supportive role and enjoys developing stability and continuity within a team.

Your Role

As a Management Assistant within the Internet Division, you will play a central role in supporting a group of Principal Investigators (PIs). No two days are the same, and your strength lies in bringing clarity, structure, and calm to a dynamic academic environment.

You will manage the agendas of several PIs (Professors and Assistant Professors), coordinate complex schedules, and ensure smooth daily operations across multiple projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing complex agendas, scheduling meetings for your PI’s.
• Acting as a central point of contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinating meetings, preparing agendas, and ensuring follow-up on action points.
• Supporting HR administration regarding the onboarding PhD candidates and postdocs.
• Organizing travel arrangements, including bookings, approvals, and expense handling.
• Processing and monitoring purchase orders.
• Organizing small events from start to finish.
• Taking minutes and maintaining clear documentation of meetings and decisions.

Job requirements
We are looking for a dedicated professional who truly values providing high-quality support and has a minimum of 3 years of experience in management or executive support role. You have completed an MBO-level education (or equivalent), preferably in administration or a related field.

You bring:

• Experience working in a complex and preferably international environment.
• Have a genuine passion for supporting others and enjoy creating structure and clarity.
• Are service-oriented, reliable, and committed to delivering consistent, high-quality support.
• Demonstrate strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Are accurate and detail-oriented, with a focus on delivering work with a high degree of precision.
• Show proactivity and sound judgement: you anticipate needs, spot potential issues, and act on them early.
• Communicate clearly and professionally, and build trusted relationships with a variety of stakeholders.
• Have a good command of both English and Dutch, as both languages are used within QuTech.

TU Delft
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!

QuTech
QuTech is a mission-driven research institute of TU Delft. Together we are working on a radical new technology with world-changing potential. We are developing scalable prototypes of a quantum computer and a secure quantum internet.

We believe quantum technology will be a game changer in many social and economic sectors - including health, agriculture, climate, and security. To achieve our ambitious goals, we bring scientists, engineers, and industry together in an inspiring environment, with plenty of room for ambition, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

Have a look at our video and get a glimpse of QuTech.

Postdoc Human-Centred Thermal Comfort and Machine Learning for Electric Vehicles

Job description
The Intelligent Vehicles (IV) group* at TU Delft aims to increase the safety, comfort and sustainability of transportation by means of automated driving. The group conducts problem-driven research within the interdisciplinary spectrum of machine perception, dynamics and control, and human factors.

• Website: intelligent-vehicles.org, YouTube: youtube.com/c/IntelligentVehiclesatTUDelft

We are seeking a highly motivated researcher to contribute to the development of next-generation thermal comfort technologies for Battery Electric Vehicles. The successful candidate will develop advanced thermal comfort metrics by combining physiological measurements, subjective user feedback, and environmental data. The research will involve machine learning, human-centred experimentation, real-time comfort prediction, and the integration of intelligent climate control systems into vehicle platforms. The position includes the design and execution of simulator-based studies, development of predictive comfort models, and validation of thermal comfort solutions using diverse participant groups.

This position is part of an ongoing EU project AETHER (Advanced Thermal Comfort and Energy Management for Personalized, Efficient and Weather-Aware Electric Vehicle Operation) involving several partners from the automotive industry and from research institutions across Europe.

The candidate will:

• Develop advanced thermal comfort metrics using multimodal physiological, environmental, and subjective assessment.
• Design and implement machine learning algorithms for real-time prediction of occupant thermal comfort.
• Analyse physiological signals including skin temperature, skin conductance, heart rate, and wearable sensor data.
• Develop and validate comfort prediction models targeting high prediction accuracy using a dynamic driving simulator and real-world operating conditions.
• Integrate thermal comfort models into vehicle climate control systems for adaptive heating, cooling, and ventilation strategies.
• Design, conduct, and analyse human-subject experiments involving diverse participant groups.
• Collaborate with academic and industrial partners on system integration, validation, and dissemination activities.
• Publish research findings in leading scientific journals and present results at international conferences.

Within AETHER the candidate will collaborate with industrial and academic partners focusing on thermal comfort modelling and assessment.

Within TU Delft, the candidate will join a multidisciplinary team working on comfort modelling, and evaluation.

Job requirements
The candidate will:

• Design, conduct, and analyse human-subject experiments involving diverse participant groups.
• Analyse physiological signals including skin temperature, skin conductance, heart rate, and wearable sensor data.
• Develop and validate advanced thermal comfort metrics using multimodal physiological, environmental, and subjective assessment targeting high prediction accuracy using a dynamic driving simulator and real-world operating conditions.
• Design and implement machine learning algorithms for real-time prediction of occupant thermal comfort.
• Integrate thermal comfort models into vehicle climate control systems for adaptive heating, cooling, and ventilation strategies.
• Collaborate with academic and industrial partners on system integration, validation, and dissemination activities.
• Publish research findings in leading scientific journals and present results at international conferences.

Within AETHER the candidate will collaborate with industrial and academic partners focusing on thermal comfort modelling and assessment.

We are looking for participants with the best match in the above requirements, but not explicitly requiring all of them.

Within TU Delft, the candidate will join a multidisciplinary team working on comfort modelling, and evaluation.

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.