PhD Scholarship in Multi-Physics Modelling of Bearingless Pumps

Technical University of Denmark; Denmark; On-site; DKK 270,000 - 340,000; Full time

Job summary

Technical University of Denmark (DTU) invites applications for a PhD candidate in the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (DTU Construct). You will join an international research collaboration with DTU, The University of Queensland, Australia, and Danfoss to develop multi-physics modelling for bearingless pumps and related energy systems.

You will address coupled thermofluid, electromagnetic, and rotordynamic phenomena, hoping to build predictive tools and potentially a prototype for

Qualifications

• Strong background in mechanical engineering, energy engineering, or engineering physics with interest in computational modelling and multiphysics analysis.
• Collaborative, interdisciplinary research with academic and industrial partners (DTU, UQ, Danfoss).
• PhD project on multi-physics modelling of bearingless pumps; possible prototype testing at Danfoss.

Responsibilities

• Develop coupled thermofluid-electromagnetic-rotordynamic models of bearingless pumps.
• Quantify flow-induced radial and axial forces under design and off-design conditions.
• Identify and model dominant loss mechanisms and their thermal and mechanical interactions.
• Assess the influence of thermal effects on force generation and material properties.
• Validate numerical models against experimental results and literature data.
• Disseminate findings through publications and conferences.
• Contribute to teaching and supervision of BSc/MSc projects within the department.

Skills

Mechanical engineering

Energy engineering

Engineering physics

Multiphysics modelling

Education

Master's degree (2-year / 120 ECTS)

Tools

Computational modelling software

Job description

If you are establishing your career as a scientist and are looking for the best possible foundation for fulfilling your ambitions, this is your opportunity. At the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (DTU Construct), Technical University of Denmark (DTU), you will help advance the state of the art in multiphysics modelling through a unique international research collaboration involving DTU, The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, and Danfoss.

You will join a highly interdisciplinary research environment and work closely with leading academic and industrial partners to develop next-generation pumping technologies for future electrified energy systems. We are currently recruiting a PhD candidate at DTU for a project on the multi-physics modelling of bearingless pumps. A parallel PhD position is being advertised at UQ, and the two PhD candidates will collaborate closely under a joint DTU-UQ supervision framework, with opportunities for research exchange and interaction between the two universities.

The transition towards electrified and energy-efficient energy systems poses significant challenges in predicting the coupled behaviour of thermofluid, electromagnetic, and rotordynamic processes. Bearingless pumps are a promising solution because they eliminate mechanical bearings and shaft seals, thereby reducing frictional losses, wear, and maintenance requirements while enabling fully electrified actuation and control. Although research has demonstrated stable levitation and contact-free pumping in laboratory-scale systems, reliable design methods for realistic industrial operating conditions remain largely undeveloped. Addressing this challenge will be the central objective of your PhD research.

Responsibilities and qualifications

You will develop a physics-based modelling framework for bearingless pumps, focusing on the coupled thermofluid, electromagnetic, and rotordynamic phenomena that arise in the absence of mechanical bearings and seals. Working together with researchers at DTU, UQ, and Danfoss, you will combine thermofluid modelling, reduced-order multiphysics methods, and nonlinear rotor dynamics analysis to develop predictive modelling tools that support the industrial design of bearingless pumps. Depending on the outcomes of the modelling work, a prototype may be built and tested at Danfoss under realistic operating conditions.

You must have a strong background in mechanical engineering, energy engineering, engineering physics, or related discipline, as well as a keen interest in computational modelling and multiphysics analysis. You should be motivated to pursue fundamental and applied research in close collaboration with both academic and industrial partners.

• Develop coupled thermofluid-electromagnetic-rotordynamic models of bearingless pumps.
• Quantify flow-induced radial and axial forces under design and off-design operating conditions.
• Identify and model dominant loss mechanisms and their thermal and mechanical interactions.
• Assess the influence of thermal effects on force generation, material properties, and geometric clearances.
• Validate numerical models against experimental results and data available in the scientific literature.
• Disseminate research findings through scientific publications and conference presentations.
• Contribute to teaching and supervision activities within the department, including supervision of BSc and MSc student projects.

You must have a two-year master's degree (120 ECTS points) or a similar degree with an academic level equivalent to a two-year master's degree.

Application deadline:11 October 2026

You can read more about Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at https://construct.dtu.dk/ and about DTU at www.dtu.dk/english

see DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff