Graduation: Ammonia Power System

823 Damen Research Development & Innovation B.V.; Gorinchem; On-site; EUR 7,800 - 12,000; Full time

Job summary

Damen Research Development & Innovation B.V. in Gorinchem is offering an on‑site internship to work on GT‑SUITE models for ammonia‑fuelled ICE and solid oxide fuel cells.

You will develop, validate and integrate these models into a vessel energy system to study performance, energy management and emissions. The project combines marine engineering, alternative fuels and energy systems, with close collaboration to the Damen vessel model and AmmoniaDrive research.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a Bachelor or Master study in Mechanical or Naval Engineering or similar.
• Autonomous, practical and result driven mindset.
• Good command of English, written and spoken.

Responsibilities

• Investigate modelling approaches for ammonia‑fuelled ICE and SOFC, and develop representative models for performance, efficiency, operational constraints, transient behavior and synergies relevant to marine applications.
• Develop models based on experimental data and integrate into Damen Research vessel model.
• Use the models to study vessel performance, energy management, equipment sizing, fuel consumption, efficiency and emissions.

Skills

Bachelor or Master study

Mechanical Engineering

Naval Engineering

English proficiency

On-site thesis

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree

Job description

About us

We offer you an Ocean of Possibilities. Join our family. The Research, Development & Innovation department of Damen helps the company to become the most sustainable and digitally connected shipyard in the world. We give support to the business in the development of an innovative product portfolio and offer pro‑active advice with the aim of further improving the quality and performance of the Damen products and services. The RD&I department is divided into Research, Development, and Enabling Technologies branches. There are six research teams. Damen invests substantially in its own internal R&D projects. Moreover, we are also very active in collaborative R&D projects with industry partners, as well as academia and knowledge institutes, both nationally and internationally.

The Role

The maritime industry must reduce greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining reliable and economically viable vessel operations. Ammonia is seen as a promising future marine fuel due to its carbon-free nature and potential for large-scale renewable production. Within the NWO-funded AmmoniaDrive project, a novel power plant concept is being investigated that combines ammonia‑fuelled Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) to achieve high efficiency and low emissions. To support this concept, simulation models are needed that accurately represent the behavior of the power generation technologies and their interaction within an integrated marine energy system. The objective of this thesis is to develop GT‑SUITE models for both an ammonia‑fuelled ICE and an SOFC system, suitable for system‑level studies of future marine power plants.

Key accountabilities

As an intern you will investigate modelling approaches for both technologies mentioned before, and develop representative models capturing performance, efficiency, operational constraints, transient behavior, and synergies relevant to marine applications. The models will be developed on the basis of experimental data generated within the project and integrated into a vessel model developed by Damen Research. It will also be used to study vessel performance, energy management, equipment sizing, fuel consumption, efficiency, and emissions. The thesis combines marine engineering, alternative fuels, energy systems, and simulation. You will gain experience with GT‑SUITE modelling while contributing to AmmoniaDrive research and practical design studies for future ammonia‑powered vessels.

Desired Outcomes

• Models suitable for integration into vessel‑level simulations within the AmmoniaDrive project.
• GT‑SUITE model of an ammonia‑fuelled internal combustion engine incl validation vs measured data.
• GT‑SUITE model of a solid oxide fuel cell system running on ammonia incl. validation vs measured data.
• Assessment of the performance and operating characteristics of both technologies.
• Recommendations for optimal SOFC–ICE integration (sizing & control) in marine applications based on system level studies of developed models included in a vessel model provided by Damen Research.

Skills & Experience

You are currently enrolled in either a Bachelor or Master study, preferably in the field of Mechanical Engineering, Naval Engineering or similar. Autonomous, practically and result driven. Good command of English, written and spoken. Fulltime availability for on‑site thesis work in Gorinchem.

What we offer

• Competitive internship/graduation fee and travel allowance.
• A pleasant and dynamic, international work environment with informal atmosphere.
• Professional coaching/mentoring.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.

Other

Are you ready to start your new adventure at Damen? Due to housing issues we cannot accept international students that do not have accommodation in the Netherlands yet. This assignment can be taken up as soon as possible or next semester. Damen has 35 shipyards on five different continents and operates in more than 100 countries. We are still growing and that gives you options. You contribute to this growth while benefitting from the diverse development and career opportunities that our company offers. We will continue to challenge you. With our extensive portfolio of products and solutions you will never get bored and never stop learning. We offer you a world of possibilities. Working at Damen means contributing to the highest quality in shipbuilding, with an eye to the future and future generations. We want to make the world a better place by becoming the most sustainable maritime solution provider. For that, we need you. Become part of our family. We are Damen. We’re a family company that has been building ships for almost 100 years. However, our focus is not on the past, however – we’re looking forward. Our ambition is to become the most sustainable and connected maritime solutions provider there is. To achieve this, we combine digital technology with our philosophy of standardised shipbuilding to offer a portfolio of services that takes care of vessels throughout the entire lifecycle. Working at Damen offers the best of several worlds. Active in more than 100 countries, with over 30 shipyards, we are internationally renowned for quality. And we are still growing, still innovating. Which means we will continue to challenge you. You will never stop learning, and you will never get bored – we promise you that. We offer you a world of possibilities. Join our family. To set up a Job Alert, please create an account by clicking on the 'Sign In' option located in the top right corner of the page.