PhD Candidate within thermal cycling of compact steam cycles

Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet (NTNU); Trondheim; On-site; NOK 522,000 - 638,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee benefits

Pension fund SPK

International research environment

Job summary

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering at NTNU seeks a PhD candidate to work on numerical analysis and experiments focused on thermal cycling of compact steam cycles. The position is a full-time, three-year doctoral appointment, supervised by Professor Lars O.

Nord, with duties including research, publications, and teaching-related supervision. The project DUOP aims to improve understanding of Once-Through Steam Generators (OTSGs) through advanced modelling and controlled experiments,

Qualifications

• Master's degree with a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS)
• Strong academic record: average grade B or better or equivalent
• Good English oral and written presentation skills

Responsibilities

• Develop and simulate dynamic models of compact steam cycles.
• Participate in steam laboratory experiments.
• Create automated workflows to process and analyse measurement data.
• Perform transient thermal analysis from data and simulations.
• Identify damage mechanisms under thermal stresses.
• Contribute to a framework for dynamic optimization of OTSG operation

Skills

English communication

Thermodynamics

Heat transfer

Experimental work

Steam power plants

Heat exchangers

Research mindset

Education

Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering or Energy/Process Engineering

Major independent project (≥30 ECTS)

Tools

Laboratory equipment

Job description

About The Position

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/ept) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is seeking a PhD candidate to work with numerical analysis and experimental work applied to thermal cycling of compact steam cycles. The successful candidate will be employed full-time by NTNU for a period of three years.

The candidate will be supervised by Professor Lars O. Nord with expertise in thermal power plants, and process modelling and simulation.

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.

About The Project

Energy efficiency and emission reduction are key challenges in offshore power production. Offshore technology is a strategic sector in Norway, which is a global leader in this field. The field of compact heat exchangers and steam cycles is also applicable to the marine sector and other applications where space and weight are limiting factors.

The project “DUOP - Deeper Understanding of Once-through steam generator Operational Physics,” is a collaborative and knowledge-building project funded by the Research Council of Norway and industry. It is based on a collaboration between NTNU, SINTEF, Cracow University of Technology, and industrial partners. DUOP aims to improve understanding of how Once-Through Steam Generators (OTSGs) operate. By combining advanced modelling with controlled experiments, the project will identify the root causes of damage that affect reliability and maintenance needs. A key focus is understanding how thermal stress, fatigue, creep, and corrosion influence OTSGs tubing during start-ups, shutdowns, and changing operating conditions.

DUOP brings together leading researchers and industry partners to advance compact OTSG technology for offshore applications, so the candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with relevant national and international industry. By enabling more efficient energy use, the project will help reduce emissions from offshore installations and support Norway’s leadership in low-emission offshore solutions. Thermal cycling can lead to creep-fatigue damage and is hard to directly measure. In addition, compact offshore OTSGs have different creep-fatigue characteristics from traditional boilers. Accurate models validated with experimental data are necessary to predict creep-fatigue.

The Tasks For The PhD Candidate Include The Following

• Develop and simulate dynamic process models of compact steam cycles to investigate typical transient operation scenarios.
• Participate in experimental work at a steam laboratory.
• Develop automated scripting workflows to process, validate, and analyse measurement data from the steam laboratory.
• Perform transient thermal analysis based on measurement data and numerical analysis.
• Identify damage mechanisms under thermal stresses.
• Participate in developing a framework for dynamic optimisation of OTSG operation.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education, including PhD course work, until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Publish academic papers and contribute to popular science dissemination
• Co-supervision of Master students
• Participate in the research group Heat-to-Power Laboratory (https://www.ntnu.edu/ept/heat-to-power)
• Participating in international activities such as conferences or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Collaborating with relevant national and international industry

Required Selection Criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Faculty of Engineering’s Doctoral Programme (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme) see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.
• You must have a relevant Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, or related field. 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 01.08.2027.
• 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.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English.
• A good understanding of steam-based power plants and heat exchangers.
• A good foundation in engineering thermodynamics and heat transfer.
• Experience with experimental work in a laboratory.

Preferred Selection Criteria

• A good understanding of process dynamics
• Experience with design of experiments
• Knowledge of thermal stresses and creep-fatigue damage in process equipment

Personal characteristics

• Work independently
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
• Willingness to constructively participate in a collaborative R&D project that includes participants from leading Academic Institutions, Research Organizations and Industry.

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• A professional development plan and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse, and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 580 000,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in in Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the