Ledige stillinger

A Postdoctoral Fellow position is available at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) on the subject of ‘Processing and handling of CO2 with impurities during maritime transport and offshore injection’. The position is part of the KSP-project ‘Data and models to optimize maritime CO2 transport and offshore injection (CO2FFER) which is a spin-off from NCCS – Norwegian CCS Research Centre, one of the Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research, coordinated by SINTEF and co-funded by the Research Council of Norway and the industry and research partners. The appointment has a duration of 24 months. The candidate will work in a team with the other researchers in the centre on this subject.

CO₂ capture, transport and storage (CCS) systems are an important part of our toolbox for mitigating climate change. However, increased R&D efforts are needed to facilitate an efficient and safe scaling up of CCS to the required level of gigatonnes of CO2 per year. The present Postdoctoral Fellow position will be part of the team at SINTEF and NTNU working to provide engineers with experimental data and validated models describing the fluid dynamics of CO2 in pipes and injection wells.  In particular, in order to develop adequate and safe operational routines close to the triple point of CO2, we need to develop process and vessel models properly taking dry-ice formation and melting/sublimation into account. The knowledge gained will also be employed to understand the behaviour of CO2 with impurities in order to relax current strict CO2-purity specifications within CO2 transport and storage.

The experience by the candidate in this position will constitute a good basis for continued work on CO2 transportation within academia or industry.

The main duty and subtopics of the Postdoctoral Fellow within the project are:

• To understand the main physical effects governing the state in CO2 transport vessels, including outflow under choked conditions, dry-ice formation, heat ingress and stratification, as well as  non-equilibrium, e.g., different chemical potential between the phases. The flow in CO2 injection wells is also relevant.
• To propose, implement, analyse and validate such models.

The main ingredients are:

• Performing and analysing experiments
• CFD/Programming and simulation. The candidate must have or obtain very good programming skills.
• Physics/Modelling
• Mathematics/Analysis

The candidate can influence the amount of each ingredient.

In particular, we have an open-source thermodynamic modelling package, thermopack. Thus, the candidate has the possibility for a ‘flying start’. However, there is much room for further research. The laboratory to be used, part of the ECCSEL depressurization facility, is already commissioned, but has minor modifications foreseen in the present project.

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree in physics, mechanical engineering or similar. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
• A strong background in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, numerical methods for (hyperbolic) partial differential equations and programming is required.
• Detailed knowledge of relevant models, such as the homogeneous equilibrium model for compressible two-phase flow, and numerical methods that can be applied to solve it, is a strong advantage.
• Experience with open-source CFD modelling packages and proficiency in the GNU/Linux environment is an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills in scientific writing and oral presentations are needed. Due to the laboratory work, proficiency in Norwegian is an advantage. Excellent English skills, spoken and written, are required. Applicants from non-English speaking countries outside Europe must document English skills by an approved test. Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS, and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate (in Norwegian)

Beside a good written and oral English and Norwegian language skills:

• expertise in the topics described above (modelling, etc.)
• expertise and experience in laboratory work or field work
• published number of journal articles in the field described above

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

• enthusiastic and motivated
• able to work
  • in a structured and goal-oriented manner
  • efficiently both independently and in a team
  • in a multi-cultural environment

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment 
• an open and inclusive work environment (in Norwegian) with dedicated colleagues 
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund 
• employee benefits