Postdoc: AI-Driven Thermal Systems Modeling & Control

Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site facilities

Flexible work hours

Job summary

Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance data-driven modeling, optimization, and autonomous control of thermal systems across HVAC, water heating, and data center cooling. You will intersect thermal-fluid science, control theory, and AI/ML to develop models, validate them with data, and deploy predictive maintenance strategies.

The role emphasizes physics-based modeling, reinforcement learning for control, and integration of real-time telemetry into

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related discipline within last five years.
• At least 3 years of experience modeling and optimizing complex engineering systems.
• Understanding of thermal-fluid system architecture and system-level performance.
• Experience in control theory and control system design (e.g., MPC, feedback, adaptive).
• Experience applying machine learning/AI to engineering systems.
• Proficiency in Python, MATLAB/Simulink, and ML frameworks.
• Experience with physics-based modeling and strong analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop physics-based and data-driven models of thermal systems to capture dynamic behavior.
• Validate models against experimental data and improve accuracy and efficiency.
• Model design, operation, and maintenance scenarios for optimization and decision-making.
• Improve HVAC, water heating, and data center cooling performance.
• Design and implement advanced control strategies for thermal systems.
• Integrate real-time sensor data into closed-loop control frameworks.
• Test control algorithms via simulation, HIL, or physical testbeds.
• Apply ML to predict performance and detect anomalies.
• Develop AI-driven predictive maintenance strategies.

Skills

Thermal-fluid modeling

Control theory

AI/ML applications

Independent researcher

Education

PhD in related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB/Simulink

TensorFlow

PyTorch

Job description

Oak Ridge National Laboratory seeks a Postdoctoral Research Associate to advance data-driven modeling, optimization, and autonomous control of thermal systems across HVAC, water heating, and data center cooling. You will intersect thermal-fluid science, control theory, and AI/ML to develop models, validate them with data, and deploy predictive maintenance strategies.

The role emphasizes physics-based modeling, reinforcement learning for control, and integration of real-time telemetry into