项目介绍
The PhD research will be conducted at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at KU Leuven and the Institute of Mechanics, Materials and Civil Engineering (IMMC) at UCLouvain. The main supervision will be done by Prof. N. Horsten, who is appointed as academic chair for the thermal-hydraulics research on lead-cooled SMRs. In addition, there will be direct supervision from Prof. M. Blommaert, head of the Innovative Design for Energy Applications Lab (IDEAL) (https://iiw.kuleuven.be/onderzoek/ideal) at KU Leuven and Prof. Y. Bartosiewicz from the Thermodynamics and fluid mechanics (TFL) group at UCLouvain. This way, the years of experience in liquid metal modeling at UCLouvain will be effectively combined with the optimization experience at KU Leuven. There will be close collaboration with the Thermal and Fluids Engineering (TFE) group of Prof. M. Baelmans (https://www.mech.kuleuven.be/en/tme/research/thermal) and SCK∙CEN, the Belgian national centre for nuclear research.
Project
SCK∙CEN has the intention to build a Belgian demonstrator for a GEN IV lead-cooled Small Modular Reactor (SMR) by 2035 (https://www.sckcen.be/en/expertises/nuclear-systems/lead-cooled-fast-reactor-belgium/small-modular-reactor-smr). Optimization of the heat exchangers to generate steam is essential to reduce the size of the reactor and, consequently, its overall cost. The past decades, gradient-based methods have been proven extremely powerful in combination with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, e.g., to obtain innovative designs of aerodynamic surfaces at only a computational cost of a couple of standard CFD simulations. In this PhD project, gradient-based methods will be exploited to improve the design of existing lead – water heat exchangers in SMRs. The low Prandtl number of lead brings some particular challenges for the underlying Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) model that have to be incorporated in the optimization framework. There will be a gradual increase in geometrical complexity for the optimization calculations, starting with size and material optimization of flat plate heat exchangers and striving towards the full shape optimization to end up with completely revolutionary designs that will drastically increase the efficiency. With the adjoint approach, gradients can be obtained at a cost independent of the number of design variables. The ultimate goal is improving the design of the helical coil steam generator, which is envisaged in current designs of lead-cooled SMRs.
Profile
You are a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and communicative researcher, and you are strongly interested in advancing the field of numerical simulation and design of heat exchangers for lead-cooled SMRs. Moreover, you are a team player that enjoys collaborating with people within the research groups at both universities and with other involved partners, and have• A master’s degree in Engineering with a background in mechanical engineering, nuclear engineering, aerospace engineering, mathematical engineering, or a related field, from a reputable institute, with at least distinction• A background in related fields such as numerical modeling, fluid mechanics, and heat and mass transfer• The qualities to carry out independent research, demonstrated, e.g., by the grades obtained on your MSc thesis• An excellent command of the English language, both in spoken and written form• A critical mindset
Additional research/educational experience in any of the following topics is considered a strong advantage:• Coding in languages such as Python and C++• CFD software (OpenFOAM, Ansys, …)• Numerical optimization• Flow solvers• Heat transfer modeling
Offer
• A doctoral scholarship of four years and, if successful, a PhD in Engineering Science• A competitive salary and additional benefits such as health insurance, access to university sports facilities, etc.• The opportunity to be active in an exciting and international research environment, engage in research collaborations and participate at international conferences• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate evaluation after one year• An excellent doctoral training at the doctoral school. This will allow you to gain the skills required to successfully complete your PhD, as well as develop yourself as an independent researcher. Moreover, opportunities are provided to acquire deeper knowledge in subjects related to the topic by participating in trainings, summer schools, or lecture series in- and outside of KU Leuven and UCLouvain• A flexible working culture with opportunity to up to 40% remote workingThe successful candidate is expected to start as early as possible, upon agreement with Prof. Horsten. A targeted start date is to be agreed upon.
Welcome to the group of thermal and fluids engineering! — Thermal and Fluids Engineering
Innovative Design for Energy Applications – IDEAL — IDEAL
Small Modular Reactor (SMR) | SCK CEN
Interested?
Applicants should express their interest by sending an email to Prof. Niels Horsten via the dedicated email address jobs.tfe@kuleuven.be. The email should strictly contain the following information in the text body, in bullets:
– Name
– Master degree (Master specification, University + Country, Year obtained, Promotor)
– Master thesis title
– A one paragraph (up to half an A4 page) statement explaining the motivation for applying for this vacancy at KU Leuven/UC Louvain.
Please also attach an academic CV and a PDF of your diplomas and transcript of course work and grades.
Do not directly apply in the online system as referred to below. This will be only necessary for selected candidates in a second stage. Note that if you do not receive a response to your email within three weeks, this means you have not been selected for the second stage. Decision: as soon as a suitable candidate applies (so do not wait until the closing date to apply).
For more information, please contact Prof. Niels Horsten at jobs.tfe@kuleuven.be.You can apply for this job no later than March 11, 2025 via the online application tool
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
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联系方式
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