PhD Candidate in drainage-enhanced flow condensation in micro-structured surfaces

Ntnu; Trondheim; Hybrid; NOK 480,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

NTNU invites applications for a PhD Candidate position in drainage-enhanced flow condensation on micro-structured surfaces at the Thermal Two-Phase Flow Laboratory in Trondheim. The project forms part of the SurPhase MSCA Doctoral Network, involving international collaboration and structured training across partner universities and industry.

The successful candidate will conduct experimental studies, contribute to publications and engage in secondments, while working under Professor Maria

Qualifications

• Master's degree in mechanical engineering with a major independent project (≥30 ECTS).
• Strong background in fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
• Experience with experimental work and lab practices.
• Programming experience in MATLAB or Python.
• Experience with image processing and scientific imaging techniques.
• Good English oral and written communication.
• Eligibility for MSCA doctoral network training and mobility.

Responsibilities

• Design, plan and run condensation experiments.
• Contribute to publications, project reports and dissemination.
• Participate in meetings with supervisors and colleagues.
• Engage in secondments as part of project training activities.
• Participate in structured training programs and network events.
• Collaborate with other doctoral candidates in the consortium.

Skills

Fluid mechanics

Heat transfer

Experimental work

Image processing

English presentation skills

Peer-reviewed writing

Education

Master's degree in mechanical engineering

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in drainage-enhanced flow condensation in micro-structured surfaces

NTNU is a broad-based university with atechnical-scientific profile and a focusin professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

You will find more information about working at NTNU and the application process here.

Efficient boiling and condensation are fundamental to thermal management in refrigeration, air conditioning, electronics cooling and energy systems. The transition toward slow Global Warming Potential refrigerants is essential for reducing environmental impact, but these fluids introduce new challenges associated with altered wetting behaviour, nucleation, liquid and vapour transport, dryout and flooding. This PhD project will experimentally investigate droplet shedding, film breakup, flooding, heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop in ribbed and finned micro structured surfaces during flow condensation of low surface tension refrigerants.

The successful candidate will work at at the Thermal Two-Phase Flow Laboratory ( http://folk.ntnu.no/fernandi/ ) at NTNU’s main Gløshaugen campus in Trondheim, Norway. Experiments will be conducted with state-of-the-art equipment and experimental techniques. The candidate will be part of a friendly working environment, with close interaction with our postdoc, PhD and MSc candidates working in our group. The position will be supervised by Professor Maria Fernandino.

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

Your immediate leader will be the Head of Department.

About the project

SurPhase is a Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Network training 12 doctoral candidates in surface engineering and phase-change heat transfer for low-global-warming-potential refrigerants. SurPhase brings together four academic beneficiaries: the University of Birmingham, Sabanci University, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and University of Padova, supported by Ericsson, Arçelik, Fraunhofer IFAM, ANSYS and Hexxcell. The programme combines academic and industrial research, international mobility, network-wide training and cross-sector secondments.

Duties of the position

• Design, planning and running of condensation experiments
• Contribute to academic publications, project reports and other dissemination activities
• Participate in meetings with supervisors and colleagues
• Engage in secondments as part of the project training activities
• Participate in structured training programs and network eventsorganized by the consortium
• Collaborate with other doctoral candidates in the consortium

Be prepared for changes to your work duties after employment.

Required selection criteria

To apply for this MSCA Training position, applicants must fulfil the following criteria:

• At the time of recruitment by the host organisation, candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity, such as work or studies, in the country of the recruiting beneficiary for more than12 months during the 36 months immediately preceding their recruitment date.
• Applicants must be willing and able to undertake the planned international academic and industrial secondments within the SurPhase network.
• You must have a relevant Master's degree in mechanical engineering, thermal engineering, applied physics or equivalent. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a Master’s thesis.
• Master students can apply, but the Master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than June 2027.
• You must have a strong and relevant academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale . If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• You must have good oral and written presentation skills in English.

Specific requirements for the proposed project:

• You must have an academically relevant background within fluid mechanics and heat transfer, demonstrated through projects, activities, and/or theses.
• You must have good experience in experimental work.
• You must have programming experience with Matlab, Python or similar.
• Experience conducting fluids and heat transfer experiments (e.g. scientific imaging techniques, IR cameras).
• Experience with image processing
• Strong fundamentals in condensation and two-phase flow heat transfer will be considered an advantage
• Previous experience writing and contributing to peer-reviewed