项目介绍

2025年4月4日

Eindhoven University of Technology is an internationally top-ranking university in the Netherlands that combines scientific curiosity with a hands-on attitude. Our spirit of collaboration translates into an open culture and a top-five position in collaborating with advanced industries. Fundamental knowledge enables us to design solutions for the highly complex problems of today and tomorrow.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering department conducts world-class research aligned with the technological interests of the high-tech industry in the Netherlands, with a focus on the Brainport region. Our goal is to produce engineers who are both scientifically educated and application-driven by providing a balanced education and research program that combines fundamental and application aspects. We equip our graduates with practical and theoretical expertise, preparing them optimally for future challenges.

Introduction

Do you find geometry intriguing? Do you find flow fascinating? Have you ever travelled on a train moving so fast that you wondered why it didn’t simply break up?

If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then this PhD in Modelling High-speed Bubble Trains could be for you.

Job Description

In recent years, lab-on-a-chip microfluidic technology has revolutionised many fields: biology, medicine, analytical chemistry and also printing processes. However bottlenecks remain for improving the technology even further. One issue is that many microfluidic flows involve multiphase fluids, in which bubbles (or analogously droplets) are present: multiphase fluids are inherently more complex than single phase ones.  A second issue is that the technology is continually seeking to increase throughput by increasing flow speed along a microfluidic channel: as the throughput increases however, so does the viscous drag between the flow and the channel wall, and that drag can tend to deform the bubble shapes.

Taken together, these two issues lead to a third one. In a slow multiphase flow, bubbles can be organised in a very particular geometric fashion, e.g. with bubbles arranged into a regular train. As the flow speed increases though, there is a risk that viscous drag might disrupt that regular geometry so much that it causes the train to fall apart.

The aim of the present PhD project is to develop models for bubble flows along channels, and then to deploy those models to design bubble trains that can retain their geometric structure despite high-speed flow.  By manipulating the bubble size relative to channel size and also manipulating the number of bubbles in a train, it is expected that we will identify structures which are stable against the effects of viscous drag. These then will be candidate structures to use in high-throughput microfluidic devices in the future.

Research questions to be addressed include:

How is a given bubble train predicted to reconfigure as flow speed is increased?

What geometric properties of a bubble train allow it to survive high speed flow along a channel?

How does varying the number of bubbles in a train influence the train’s ability to survive high speed flow?

As a PhD candidate you will contribute to the research programme of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at TU Eindhoven, in which there is considerable expertise on flow and microsystems.

In order to address the project aim and research questions, in your role you will:

• develop models on the bubble scale for bubble trains flowing in channels.
• implement the models in a computer simulation program.
• analyse simulation results.
• prepare manuscripts for publication in the scientific literature.
• prepare presentations for scientific conferences.
• report to and interact with the supervisory team.
• interact with external collaborators.

TU Eindhoven values diversity and inclusivity within research teams, so we encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.

Job Requirements

• A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in mechanical engineering or a cognate discipline (e.g. applied mathematics, physics, computation, chemical engineering).
• A research oriented attitude.
• Strong mathematical skills.
• Ability to demonstrate physical intuition.
• Computer programming skills.
• Ability to demonstrate initiative.
• Ability to work in a team.
• Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• A creative, critical and analytical mind.
• Past research experience on bubbles/droplets or on modelling flows will be an advantage.

Conditions of Employment

• A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you: 
• Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment. 
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. € 2,901 max. € 3,707).  
• A year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%. 
• High-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process. 
• An excellent technical infrastructure, on-campus children’s day care and sports facilities.  
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs. 
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates. 

Information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Paul Grassia, Associate Professor, p.s.grassia@tue.nl

Visit our website for more information about the application process or the conditions of employment. You can also contact HR advice ME, HRadviceME@tue.nl.

Are you inspired and would like to know more about working at TU/e? Please visit our career page.

Application

We invite you to submit a complete application by using the ‘apply now’-button on this page. The application should include a:

• Cover letter in which you describe your motivation and qualifications for the position.
• Curriculum vitae, including a list of your publications and the contact information of three references.
• Brief description of your MSc thesis (maximum 1 page).

We look forward to your application and will screen it as soon as we have received it. Screening will continue until the position has been filled.