PhD M/F Development of Numerical Methods for Simulating Two-Phase Flows with Interface Resolution and Property Jumps

CNRS; France; On-site; EUR 21,000 - 27,000; Full time

Job summary

CNRS through the Laboratoire Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire (PROMES) seeks a PhD researcher to advance numerical methods for two-phase flows with interface resolution and property jumps. The project combines theory, open-source code development (Basilisk, TrioCFD, JADIM), and rigorous validation on academic and applied test cases.

The three-year PhD, funded by ANR REGIME, involves development, implementation, and evaluation of novel regularization techniques with stays at Paris and

Qualifications

• Master's degree in computational fluid mechanics, applied mathematics, or computational engineering.
• Proficiency in numerical methods (finite volumes, finite elements).
• Experience in scientific programming (C++, Python, Fortran).
• Knowledge of fluid-fluid two-phase flows and HPC (a plus).

Responsibilities

• Development of hybrid cut-cell and one-fluid methods.
• Implementation of these methods in TrioCFD (CEA's front-tracking code).
• Validation and evaluation of methods for heat transfer problems.

Skills

Numerical methods

Scientific programming

C++

Python

Fortran

HPC

Two-phase flows

Education

Master's degree in computational fluid mechanics

Tools

Basilisk

TrioCFD

JADIM

Job description

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire Procédés, Matériaux et Energie Solaire Research Field Engineering Chemistry Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 28 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 4 Jan 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Context and Motivation
Two-phase flows with resolved interfaces (e.g., particles, bubbles, droplets, liquid films) are ubiquitous in industrial (energy, concentrated solar power, chemical, nuclear, etc.) and environmental applications. Their accurate numerical simulation remains a major challenge due to strong discontinuities at interfaces (material property jumps, surface tension). Classical methods, such as the one-fluid approach or front-tracking methods (used in TrioCFD), introduce regularization errors that degrade the convergence order of numerical schemes, limiting simulation accuracy, especially at high Reynolds or Weber numbers.
The ANR REGIME project aims to develop innovative regularization models to quantify and reduce these errors by combining:
1. A theoretical analysis of errors introduced by regularization methods.
2. Their discrete implementation in open-source codes (Basilisk, TrioCFD, JADIM).
3. Validation on academic and applied test cases.
This PhD focuses on the implementation, validation, and evaluation of these methods within the TrioCFD software.

Objectives

• Development of hybrid cut-cell and one-fluid methods.
• Implementation of these methods in TrioCFD (CEA's front-tracking code).
• Validation and evaluation of these methods, particularly for problems involving heat transfer.

Methodology

• Conduct a comparative study of existing methods.
• Propose hybridizations between these methods.
• Develop corrections to mitigate errors due to regularization.

Candidate Profile

• Education: Master's degree in computational fluid mechanics, applied mathematics, or computational engineering.
• Skills:
  • Proficiency in numerical methods (finite volumes, finite elements).
  • Experience in scientific programming (C++, Python, Fortran).
  • Knowledge of fluid-fluid two-phase flows and HPC (a plus).
• Qualities: Independence, ability to work in a team (multi-site collaborations).

Funding and Duration

• Funding: PhD grant via the ANR REGIME project.
• Duration: 3 years (starting January 2027).
• Primary Location: PROMES (Perpignan), with regular stays at D'Alembert (Paris).

PhD Title: Development of Numerical Methods for Simulating Two-Phase Flows with Interface Resolution and Property Jumps

Keywords: Fluid mechanics, numerical methods, two-phase flow, numerical simulation