Process & Energy

We offer a postdoc position in TU Delft on developing high-performance anion exchange membrans for alkaline conditions- Make an impact towards green hydrogen production! 

Job description

Water electrolysis cells are important devices for producing hydrogen from water. Such devices are normally operated under highly acidic conditions using a proton exchange membrane. Only Pt-based materials can be used as effective electrode catalyst because of the corrosive nature of the system. Alkaline membrane water electrolysis using anion exchange membranes (AEMs) are drawing increased attention as alternative choices since various non-noble metal-based electrode catalysts can be used. The next major challenge is to develop a highly durable and conductive AEM with high alkaline and oxidative stability for the real application. This project is a step in that direction. In this project, HyET E-Trol and Delft University of Technology will work together to develop the next generation of AEMs with improved stability and conductivity. You will: (1) study the state-of-the-art of the alkaline membrane water electrolysis to understand the technology and their underlying working mechanisms; (2) develop novel AEMs with improved chemical stability, conductivity, and handling using multiple approaches; (3) Full characterization of the fabricated membranes via AMWE experiments, Ion exchange capacity (IEC) measurements requiring developing new methods, OH- conductivity measurements based on electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and/or 4 electrode testing cells (needs to be developed). You will work under the supervision of dr. Hanieh Bazyar in a joint project between HyET-E-Trol and the departments of Process and Energy (P&E) at the faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering (3mE). This position will be embedded in the Engineering Thermodynamic section of the P&E department (ETh/3mE). This research will be enabled and supported by the facilities of both TU Delft and HyET E-Trol: state-of-the-art membrane research facilities of the P&E department and the well-equipped laboratories at HyET E-Trol. Read more. 

Intensify the production of green hydrogen with magnetic fields and pulsed electrolysis.

Job description

Green hydrogen from water electrolysis is becoming an important ingredient in realizing the energy transition, by storing large amounts of intermittent electricity and as a base chemical. The electrical resistances due to gas bubbles and those associated with kinetics, are sensitive to the use of pulsed voltages and application of magnetic fields. In this project, in collaboration with HyET E-Trol B.V., both will be studied in a zero-gap AEM electrolysis cell. Very high frequencies of applied voltages can lower the kinetic resistance (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2021.138052) while low frequency pulsing can generate synchronized spatially varying patterns that promote release of bubbles. Magnetic fields influence the multiphase flow through the Lorentz force (https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-015-2029-0) but also impact kinetics. The use of ferromagnetic electrode materials will be further investigated. Read more

Functieomschrijving

Voor de afdeling P&E zijn wij op zoek naar een technicus (1,0 fte) op MBO+/HBO-niveau voor het ondersteunen van het experimentele onderzoek in ons laboratorium in verband met een aanzienlijke uitbreiding van het onderzoek.

De functie heeft als hoofdtaak het beheer van het laboratorium, waarbij je ook een bijdrage levert aan het ontwerp van nieuwe en aanpassingen aan bestaande opstellingen op het gebied van energie- en procestechniek. De functie betreft tevens het mede begeleiden van geavanceerde metingen middels het geven van advies en instructies, borging van veiligheid in het laboratorium alsmede het signaleren en plannen van onderhoud gerelateerd aan onderzoeksopstellingen. Hierbij combineer je verschillende werkzaamheden.

In deze functie werk je veel samen in een multi-disciplinair team van technici en ben je nauw betrokken bij het onderzoek van post-docs, promovendi en studenten binnen de afdeling en help je om ideeën te vertalen in praktisch uitvoerbare oplossingen. Gezien het internationale karakter van de afdeling wordt zowel Nederlands als Engels gebruikt als voertaal. Lees meer.

Job description

The primary objective of the NWO-sponsored AQUA program is to gain a better understanding of the effect of water quality on multiphase flow dynamics, in particular on cavitation and air lubrication for drag reduction. The participating universities and research institutes include Delft University of Technology, University of Twente (Physics of Fluids group), and Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research. At Delft University, we currently have 1 open PhD position related to cavitation research.

Background
Bubbly flows attenuate underwater sound and can reduce the friction drag of a ship, as a result of which less fuel is needed. Although the behavior of air bubbles in freshwater is known reasonably well, bubbles in saline seawater behave very differently. In this program, the researchers will compare the dynamics of bubbly flows in different types of water, varying from freshwater to natural seawater, to gain a better understanding of how bubbles can be used to manage friction, sound propagation and cavitation. The ultimate aim is to be able to predict how the water quality (gas and chemical content) influences drag reduction and cavitation hindrance.

Project description
The advertised position concerns an experimental research project on water quality effects on developed sheet cavitation dynamics and radiated noise. Sheet cavitation is a dominant type of cavitation on hydrofoils and marine propellers. The study will be conducted in the new and unique Delft Multiphase Flow lab which is operational since early 2021. The required infrastructure (high-speed imaging, tomographic particle image velocimetry) is available. Close collaboration with other projects in the AQUA research program is encouraged, as well as with other research groups working in the same discipline.

The total duration of this PhD project is 4 years, with a starting date no later than Dec. 31, 2022. Read more.

Job description

Unsteady aerodynamic forcing affects the operation of a wide variety of natural, biological, and industrial systems: from insect flight to wind turbines. These forces can be understood in terms of simplistic, quasi-steady assumptions, which are inaccurate but interpretable, or they can be predicted via computationally intensive numerical methods which are accurate but do not always provide physical insight. This project will explore methods for incorporating unsteady time-history effects in interpretable low-order models for aerodynamic force prediction.

This four-year PhD project will develop methods for the identification of the dependence of instantaneous forces experienced by unsteadily oscillating bodies, such as the wings of insects or the blades of a wind turbine, on their kinematic time history. The focus will initially be on kinematics related to the flapping flight of insects, because of the complex reciprocating motion they employ and commensurately complex interplay of force-producing mechanisms. The ultimate goal is to develop both physical understanding of the aerodynamic mechanisms involved in wing-wake interaction and a methodology for nonlinear time-dependent system identification which can be more broadly applied to unsteady industrial flows in, for example, wind energy and aerospace applications.

The approach taken will be based on the generation and analysis of experimental data, using a unique unsteady flows facility which combines advanced flow diagnostic methods, including particle image velocimetry (PIV), with industrial robotics hardware. Working from a sufficient database of experimental flow and force measurements, the functional dependence of force on kinematic history in a lower-order space will be regressed. Possible means of performing this data analysis include techniques from dynamical systems theory and machine learning: For example, the extended dynamic mode decomposition or Volterra series representation.

The PhD student will be hosted by the Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime, and Materials Engineering (3mE) of TU Delft, within the Fluid Mechanics group of the Energy, Flow, and Process Technology department and will have the opportunity to collaborate with our partners at the Wageningen University Experimental Zoology group. Read more.