PhD student – HyNOISE Doctoral Candidate (DC7): Identification and modelling of hydrodynamic instabilities driving combustion noise in turbulent hydrogen flames

Polytechnic University of Bari; Italia; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Polytechnic University of Bari is seeking a doctoral candidate for the HyNOISE network to study hydrogen flame acoustics and thermo-diffusive instabilities. The project combines high-fidelity modeling and experimental expertise across a leading European consortium.

The IRP will be hosted by CIEMAT in Spain with secondments to CERFACS (France) and NTNU (Norway). The position offers a 36-month MSCA-funded contract and international training in a multidisciplinary team.

Qualifications

• MSc or equivalent in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics
• Strong knowledge of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics
• Experience with numerical analysis; CFD
• Ability to work in interdisciplinary, multinational environment
• Willing to travel for secondments
• Excellent English communication skills

Responsibilities

• Conduct DNS simulations of sound produced by hydrogen flames
• Collaborate with CIEMAT and partner institutions
• Develop and validate thermoacoustic models
• Participate in secondments and international activities
• Prepare reports and disseminate results at conferences

Skills

English proficiency

Excellent communication

Team collaboration

Willingness to travel

Education

MSc in aerospace engineering

MSc in mechanical engineering

MSc in physics

Job description

Organisation/Company Polytechnic University of Bari Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Engineering » Mechanical engineering Engineering » Simulation engineering Physics » Applied physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 31 Dec 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Rome) Country Italy Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Horizon Europe - MSCA Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About HyNOISE

HyNOISE is a Doctoral Network aimed to train doctoral candidates able to face current and future challenges in the prediction and control of direct and indirect noise generated by hydrogen flames. Four specific research objectives will be pursued: 1) Unveil the dynamics and sound pressure level generated during unsteady ignition and flashback process 2) Investigate the direct broadband sound generated due to the coupling between unsteady flame dynamics and flame-flame interactions, hydrodynamic and thermo- diffusive instabilities, and turbulence. 3) Understand physical mechanisms leading to the onset of thermoacoustic instabilities coupled with different modes at either with a specific focus on high frequencies 4) Study the contribution of convective waves to combustion noise and thermoacoustic instabilities. Multiple hydrogen-air archetypes typical of air-breathing hydrogen combustion systems in both single and annular multi-injector configurations will be investigated. In a collaborative partnership between academic and industry partners who are major European gas turbine manufacturers, HyNOISE bring relevant expertise together and to pursue solutions for hydrogen through integration and combination of unique and advanced theoretical, high-fidelity modelling and experimental expertise. This will lead to the development of new models and tools able to correctly predict hydrogen flame dynamics and its resulting pressure field, and, on this basis, developing control and mitigation methods to overcome current limitations in hydrogen combustion systems and design innovative, quiet, and stable combustion devices. The technologies developed will stimulate the green transition in the power generation and transport sectors, thus contributing to the achievement of the EU's challenging decarbonization goals.

About the host organization

The Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (CIEMAT) is the largest public centre for research in energy in Spain. CIEMAT’s Fluid Mechanics and Combustion Modeling group was created in 2004 and its expertise is theoretical and numerical analysis on non-reacting and reacting flows. They have developed numerical tools for cost-effective numerical analysis of combustion problems, allowing the fast computation of steady-state solutions and their global stability analysis. They also use high-order finite-differencing parallel DNS solvers with simplified or detailed chemical kinetics and species transport. They use these numerical simulations tools to advance in the understanding of problems of ignition, extinction, and stability of laminar flames, with a special focus on hydrogen laminar flames.

Individual Research Project (IRP)

The project aims to unveil the effect of thermo-diffusive instabilities in the sound generated by hydrogen flames. To this end, high fidelity numerical simulations will be used to reproduce the sound produced in canonical configurations, such as the interaction of a cellular hydrogen flame with a pair of counter-rotating vortices and the interaction of a cellular hydrogen flame with a wall. Additionally, we will also study the coupling of flame and acoustics in a hydrogen cellular flame stabilized in a narrow channel, to determine its response to acoustic perturbations (that is, the acoustic flame transfer function). Simulations of planar flames in the same configurations will be used as reference. These configurations will be investigated using direct numerical simulations of the compressible Navier-Stokes and energy-species transport equations, with high-accuracy finite differencing, using simplified and detailed chemical kinetics and transport models, and adequate non-reflecting boundary conditions (NSCBC).

Research Objectives

• DNS of sound produced by a cellular hydrogen flame interacting with a counter-rotating vortex pair.
• DNS of sound produced by a cellular hydrogen flame impacting on a wall.
• DNS of the response of a cellular hydrogen flame submitted to acoustic perturbations

Expected Results

• Results of the simulations will be analysed and compared to those of reference planar flames to determine: 1) the influence of thermo-diffusive instabilities on sound generation; 2) the influence of thermo-diffusive instabilities on the FTF of hydrogen flames.

Secondments

• CERFACS (France, ca. 3 months): work on the derivation of the subgrid model for hydrogen combustion with DC9 and DC3
• NTNU (Norway, ca. 2 months): identification of direct noise sources in both laminar and turbulent hydrogen flames

The IRP will have a strong link to other IRPs from different DCs for:

• Work on joint simulations and modelling
• Provision of input and data

Where to apply

E-mail [e-mail]

Requirements

Research Field Engineering » Mechanical engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Engineering » Aerospace engineering Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Research Field Physics » Applied physics Education Level Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

Essential skills and requirements

• MSc or equivalent in the field of aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, physics or similar
• Solid knowledge on Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Computer Science (Numerical Analysis; Simulation, optimisation and modelling tools; Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD))
• Ability to work efficiently and self-reliantly in a diverse inter-disciplinary and multi-cultural environment
• Ability to work in a team as well as independently
• Ability to solve complex problems with adherence of strict deadlines
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) in English to derive the full benefit from the network training
• As secondments and events are foreseen, applicants must be ready to travel
• Hands-on experimental experience in combustion/fluid mechanics laboratories will be positively appreciated.
• Hands-on experience in High Performance Computing will be positively appreciated.

Specific Requirements

Applicants can be of any nationality.

Candidates may apply prior to obtaining their master’s degree, but cannot receive an employment contract before having obtained the master degree.

Candidates may apply to multiple positions offered within HyNOISE, but should carefully choose the ones that they apply for.

In addition:

Horizon Europe MSCA Mobility Rule:

Researchers must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of the host organization (Spain) for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately before the recruitment date – unless as part of a compulsory national service or a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention.

Horizon Europe MSCA Eligibility Criteria:

Doctoral Candidates (DC) must, at the date of recruitment by the host organization, have not been awarded a doctoral degree.

Applicants who do not fulfill the Mobility Rule and the Eligibility Criteria CANNOT be considered for the research position.

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Additional Information

• You will be working within our international group of researchers with experience in a broad range of sciences.
• You will get in contact with the other members of this international consortium.
• You will benefit from the well-structured training program offered by the host institution and the HyNOISE consortium to develop skills and thorough understanding of space transportation systems and their environmental impact.
• You will be employed by the host organization for 36 months.
• You will participate in international conferences and secondments to other organizations within the HyNOISE network and in outreach activities targeted at a wide audience.
• A competitive salary according to MSCA regulations (see page 118ff.), including a living allowance, a mobility allowance and, if eligible, a family allowance. The stated allowances represent the gross funding amounts. Employer contributions to social security, health insurance, and other statutory costs will be deducted in accordance with the applicable national regulations.

For the selection procedure, the HyNOISE consortium will appoint a Recruitment Committee (RC) for each position. The selection will be carried out in two consecutive stages. In the primary selection, the RC evaluates all submitted application documents. Eligible candidates of sufficient quality will be shortlisted. In the final selection, short-listed applicants are invited to interviews, held either in person at the host institution or via video-conference, and to complete a position-specific task. Both interviews and tasks are evaluated against predefined criteria, leading to a ranked list of candidates. Final decisions are made by consensus within the RC. Applicants will be informed about rejection or admission to the interview stage by the end of January 2026. The employment and relocation phase will then start immediately, allowing sufficient time for contracting, visa applications, and relocation before the official start of the DC projects by October 2027.

Additional comments

Expected starting date: January - October 2027

Applications and enclosures received after the deadline will not be considered.

More information and other vacant positions can be found at:

Reference to data protection: The personal data you submit will be processed at POLIBA in accordance with its Data Protection Declaration ( https://www.poliba.it/en/protezione-dei-dati-personali ). In addition, your personal data will be shared with the consortium partners (see https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101311721 ) for the purpose of evaluating your application and carrying out the joint selection procedure. The project partners are joint responsible for the processing of personal data.

We in the HyNOISE consortium value diversity and we commit to equal treatment of all applicants irrespective of gender, sexuality, health status as well as social, cultural or religious background.