PhD Position on Impact Analysis of Composite Structures

NLR; Delft; Hybrid; EUR 32,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

45 days off

8% end-of-year bonus

Healthcare cost contribution

Parental leave

Work from home where possible

Job summary

The Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) is seeking a PhD candidate to join the Computational Mechanics team to study high-velocity impact events on advanced composite structures. You will investigate FEM, mesh-free methods, and SPH to capture delamination, fiber breakage, and matrix cracking, and conduct a comprehensive literature review.

You will implement and refine methods, develop material models, and translate high‑fidelity results into fast surrogate tools for a design optimisation

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience with Finite Element Modelling (FEM), aerospace structures, and damage mechanics.
• Excellent communication skills in spoken and written English.
• Able to balance broad research scope and real‑world application.

Responsibilities

• Research available computational methods and open-source software for simulating high-velocity impact events.
• Implement and further develop the selected method and develop material models.
• Translate high‑fidelity models into fast surrogate models for design optimisation and certification.

Skills

FEM modelling

Aerospace structures

Damage mechanics

English proficiency

Education

Master’s degree in Aerospace/Mechanical/Civil Engineering (computational mechanics focus)

Job description

Join us and contribute to a more effective application of advanced composite structures.

Functieomschrijving

Background

The Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) is a leading institute and knowledge organization for aerospace research and development in the Netherlands, involved in various national and international projects focused on innovative technologies and materials for the aerospace industry. As part of our research efforts for the Ministry of Defense, we aim to develop methods to analyse advanced composite structures. The main focus is on implementing high-fidelity computational methods for reliable analysis of high-velocity impact events, with the goal of transforming these into computationally efficient, robust tools suitable for rapid design iteration, optimization, and certification of these advanced composite structures. Within this project, we are seeking a highly motivated PhD candidate to join our Computational Mechanics team.

Project description

The candidate will research the available computational methods and (open-source) software suitable for simulating high-velocity impact events. The method should be capable of predicting all relevant damage mechanisms observed in experimental testing that will be performed by the candidate in the first phase of the project. This includes investigating methods such as finite element analysis, mesh-free methods, and smoothed particle hydrodynamics, among others, to determine their suitability for capturing complex damage phenomena like delamination, fiber breakage, and matrix cracking. The first phase of the project is concluded with a comprehensive literature review that summarizes the state-of-the‑art in computational modelling of high-velocity impacts on composite structures, highlighting the strengths and limitations of existing approaches. After selecting the most promising method, the candidate should implement and further develop it, which may involve modifying existing algorithms and developing new material models.

The last phase of the project aims to develop computationally efficient tools for the design and optimisation of large-scale advanced composite structures. It involves translating the high‑fidelity models into fast‑running surrogate models using novel techniques within the field of machine learning and model order reduction. The surrogate models will be integrated into a design optimisation framework to enable automatic generation of optimal material architectures and layups for specific impact scenarios. The ultimate goal is to provide industry‑applicable tools and design guidelines for certification of impact protection systems for advanced composite structures.

Your profile

• Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Civil Engineering with a focus on computational mechanics
• Experience with Finite Element Modelling (FEM), aerospace structures, and damage mechanics
• Excellent communication skills in spoken and written English
• Able to balance broad research scope and real‑world application

What do we offer?

The candidate will receive a 4-year research contract from NLR and will be enrolled in the Doctoral Education programme of Delft Technical University. During this time, the candidate will work closely together with NLR colleagues in Marknesse within the Computational Mechanics department, and with supervisors from Delft Technical University. You will work ideally: 3 days in Marknesse together with positieek 1 day in Delft and 1 day from home.

In addition we offer :

• No fewer than 45 days off (  with full‑time employment )
• A fixed end‑of‑year bonus of 8%
• A contribution towards  your healthcare costs 
• Extra paid parental leave
• The possibility to work from home where possible

Your new work environment

NLR is a knowledge organization with the ambition to innovate in aviation and space travel.

A positive outcome of a security screening (VGB) is a condition for employment.