Digital Twin Intern (Spring 2027)

First Solar Inc.; Perrysburg (OH); On-site; USD 30,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

First Solar Inc. offers a six-month internship focused on CFD-driven digital twins for energy research. You will work with engineers to implement CFD workflows on industrial equipment and deliver quick, virtual CFD results for real-world scenarios.

The role emphasizes hands-on modeling with ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS Twin Builder, and exposure to machine learning while collaborating with an engineering mentor and presenting milestones to leadership.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a degree in CS/Data Science/Engineering; junior/senior or grad student.
• CFD coursework or project experience.
• Experience with ANSYS FLUENT and ANSYS Twin Builder; exposure to ML.

Responsibilities

• Build CFD digital twin for Pilot VCD during Phase 1.
• Build CFD digital twin for PK-α VCD and S7 CHT in Phase 2.
• Deliver virtual CFD results for given inputs within minutes.
• Present project accomplishments to leadership at internship end.
• Support rapid prediction of pressure, velocity, and species for equipment performance.

Skills

Physics and chemistry concepts

CFD modeling

Digital twin (CFD)

Communication and teamwork

ANSYS FLUENT / ANSYS Twin Builder

Mentor collaboration

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in CS/Data Science/Engineering

Junior/Senior or graduate student

Tools

ANSYS FLUENT

ANSYS Twin Builder

Machine learning

Job description

Description

First Solar reserves the right to offer you a role most applicable to your experience and skillset.

Basic Job Scope

• Leading the world’s sustainable energy future, First Solar interns work around the globe/country in research and development, marketing, project development, information technology, engineering, energy services and much more. When you work at First Solar, you will be challenged every day and provided real world experience. You will be given the opportunity to find new solutions and develop new skills to further advance your skillset. At First Solar we strive to foster a culture that encourages innovation through collaboration, urging colleagues to take smart risks, learning from failures and course correcting, and owning personal accountability for contributing to our mission.

Expected Length of Internship

• 6 months, spanning the Spring/Summer or Summer/Fall semesters (minimum length needed to complete both phases of the project scope below).
• As an internship company, we allow flexibility to enroll in classes while working as an intern, as long as it doesn’t interfere with the essential functions of the position.

Education/Experience

• First Solar encourages all interns to register their internship with their university.
• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's, Master's or Ph.D.’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or a related field; upper-level undergraduate (junior/senior) or graduate student.
• Coursework or project experience applying Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD).
• Experience with ANSYS FLUENT, ANSYS Twin Builder, machine learning.

Required Skills/Competencies

• Good knowledge of physics and chemistry concepts;
• Experience in CFD modeling from geometry clean-up, mesh generation and post-processing
• Experience in digital twin with CFD background
• Good communication and teamwork
• Knows how to use ANSYS FLUENT, ANSYS Twin Builder to industrial problems
• Strong communication skills to work effectively with an engineer mentor.

Basic Internship Scope (Project)

• The duty of the intern is to build digital twin for the CFD modelling of industrial equipment.
• Phase 1 (Months 1-3 of internship) to build CFD digital twin for Pilot VCD. Results in Virtual CFD results (in minutes) for a given input scenario (vs multiple days) of CFD simulation.
• Phase 2 (Months 4-6 of internship) to build CFD digital twin for PK-α VCD and S7 CHT. Results in: Virtual CFD results (in minutes) for a given input scenario (vs multiple days) of CFD simulation.
• Upon the completion of this internship, the intern is required to present their accomplishments and project summary to the leadership team.
• Enables rapid prediction of pressure, velocity and species of equipment performance for given boundary conditions. Enabling the optimization of the equipment operation and performance prediction for GMO.

Estimated Salary Range

• $22-$25/hr.

US Physical Requirements

Office Physical Requirements

All positions in our office require interaction with people and technology while either standing or sitting. To best service our customers, internal and external, all associates must be able to communicate face-to-face and on the phone with or without reasonable accommodation. First Solar is committed to compliance with its obligations under all applicable state and federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, it attempts to reasonably accommodate applicants and employees in accordance with the requirements of the disability discrimination laws. It also invites individuals with disabilities to participate in a good faith, interactive process to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made without imposing an undue hardship.

Potential candidates will meet the education and experience requirements provided on the above job description and excel in completing the listed responsibilities for this role. All candidates receiving an offer of employment must successfully complete a background check and any other tests that may be required.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: First Solar is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values and respects the importance of a diverse and inclusive workforce. It is the policy of the company to recruit, hire, train and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a driving force in the success of our company.