Postdoctoral Fellow in Processing and Handling of CO2 with Impurities During Maritime Transport

About the job

A Postdoctoral Fellow position is available at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) on the subject of ‘Processing and handling of CO2 with impurities during maritime transport and offshore injection’. The position is part of the KSP-project ‘Data and models to optimize maritime CO2 transport and offshore injection (CO2FFER) which is a spin-off from NCCS – Norwegian CCS Research Centre, one of the Centres for Environment-friendly Energy Research, coordinated by SINTEF and co-funded by the Research Council of Norway and the industry and research partners. The appointment has a duration of 24 months. The candidate will work in a team with the other researchers in the centre on this subject.

CO₂ capture, transport and storage (CCS) systems are an important part of our toolbox for mitigating climate change. However, increased R&D efforts are needed to facilitate an efficient and safe scaling up of CCS to the required level of gigatonnes of CO2 per year. The present Postdoctoral Fellow position will be part of the team at SINTEF and NTNU working to provide engineers with experimental data and validated models describing the fluid dynamics of CO2 in pipes and injection wells.  In particular, in order to develop adequate and safe operational routines close to the triple point of CO2, we need to develop process and vessel models properly taking dry-ice formation and melting/sublimation into account. The knowledge gained will also be employed to understand the behaviour of CO2 with impurities in order to relax current strict CO2-purity specifications within CO2 transport and storage.

The experience by the candidate in this position will constitute a good basis for continued work on CO2 transportation within academia or industry.

Duties of the position

The main duty and subtopics of the Postdoctoral Fellow within the project are:

• To understand the main physical effects governing the state in CO2 transport vessels, including outflow under choked conditions, dry-ice formation, heat ingress and stratification, as well as  non-equilibrium, e.g., different chemical potential between the phases. The flow in CO2 injection wells is also relevant.
• To propose, implement, analyse and validate such models.

The main ingredients are:

• Performing and analysing experiments
• CFD/Programming and simulation. The candidate must have or obtain very good programming skills.
• Physics/Modelling
• Mathematics/Analysis

The candidate can influence the amount of each ingredient.

In particular, we have an open-source thermodynamic modelling package, thermopack. Thus, the candidate has the possibility for a ‘flying start’. However, there is much room for further research. The laboratory to be used, part of the ECCSEL depressurization facility, is already commissioned, but has minor modifications foreseen in the present project.

Required selection criteria

• You must have completed a Norwegian doctoral degree or corresponding foreign doctoral degree in physics, mechanical engineering or similar. If you can document that the PhD thesis has been submitted, your application can be assessed even if you have not yet defended your dissertation. Documentation of the obtained doctoral degree must be presented before you can take up the position.
• A strong background in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, numerical methods for (hyperbolic) partial differential equations and programming is required.
• Detailed knowledge of relevant models, such as the homogeneous equilibrium model for compressible two-phase flow, and numerical methods that can be applied to solve it, is a strong advantage.
• Experience with open-source CFD modelling packages and proficiency in the GNU/Linux environment is an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills in scientific writing and oral presentations are needed. Due to the laboratory work, proficiency in Norwegian is an advantage. Excellent English skills, spoken and written, are required. Applicants from non-English speaking countries outside Europe must document English skills by an approved test. Approved tests are TOEFL, IELTS, and Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) or Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English (CPE).

The appointment is to be made in accordance with Regulations on terms of employment for positions such as postdoctoral fellow, Ph.D Candidate, research assistant and specialist candidate (in Norwegian)

Preferred selection criteria

Beside a good written and oral English and Norwegian language skills:

• expertise in the topics described above (modelling, etc.)
• expertise and experience in laboratory work or field work
• published number of journal articles in the field described above

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result.

Personal characteristics

• enthusiastic and motivated
• able to work
  • in a structured and goal-oriented manner
  • efficiently both independently and in a team
  • in a multi-cultural environment

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer 

• exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment 
• an open and inclusive work environment (in Norwegian) with dedicated colleagues 
• favourable terms in the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund 
• employee benefits 

Salary and conditions

As a Postdoctoral Fellow (code 1352) you are normally paid from gross NOK 615 200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund

The period of employment is 2 years.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants (in Norwegian), and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU.  

After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution on a daily basis.

About the application 

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must follow the application. Please note that applications are only evaluated based on the information available on the application deadline. You should ensure that your application shows clearly how your skills and experience meet the criteria which are set out above.  

If, for any reason, you have taken a career break or have had an atypical career and wish to disclose this in your application, the selection committee will take this into account, recognizing that the quantity of your research may be reduced as a result. 

The application must include:

• CV and certificates
• transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's-, master's- and PhD degrees. If you have not yet completed your Ph.D, you must provide confirmation on your estimated date for the doctoral dissertation, or that your PhD thesis has been submitted
• A copy of the doctoral thesis. If you are close to submitting, or have recently submitted your thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed doctoral degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Academic works - published or unpublished - that you would like to be considered in the assessment (up to 3 items)
• Research plan: Candidates are required to submit a one-page sketch on how they plan to use their scientific background and research ambitions to address the research challenges of this position.
• Name and contact information of three referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education. Description of the documentation required can be found here. If you already have a statement from NOKUT, please attach this as well. 

Joint works will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint works, you must attach a brief description of your participation. 

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates. 

NTNU is committed to following evaluation criteria for research quality according to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment - DORA. 

General information 

Working at NTNU 

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is a strength. We want our faculty and staff to reflect Norway’s culturally diverse population and we continuously seek to hire the best minds. This enables NTNU to increase productivity and innovation, improve decision making processes, raise employee satisfaction, compete academically with global top-ranking institutions and carry out our social responsibilities within education and research. NTNU emphasizes accessibility and encourages qualified candidates to apply regardless of gender identity, ability status, periods of unemployment or ethnic and cultural background.

NTNU is working actively to increase the number of women employed in scientific positions and has a number of resources to promote equality. EPT has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows, Research Assistants and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the careers of female PhD Candidates, Postdocs and Research Assistants, and is also made visible to our student body to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we are building an international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.

The city of Trondheim is a modern European city with a rich cultural scene. Trondheim is the innovation capital of Norway with a population of 200,000. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools, kindergartens and overall equality, is probably the best of its kind in the world. Professional subsidized day-care for children is easily available. Furthermore, Trondheim offers great opportunities for education (including international schools) and possibilities to enjoy nature, culture and family life and has low crime rates and clean air quality.  

As an employee at NTNU, you must at all times adhere to the changes that the development in the subject entails and the organizational changes that are adopted. 

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you want to reserve yourself from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the reservation is not accepted.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Armin Hafner, email: armin.hafner@ntnu.no, or Cheif Scientist Svend Tollak Munkejord, email: svend.t.munkejord@sintef.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Emmy Høiseth, e-mail: emmy.a.hoiseth@ntnu.no.

If you think this looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, please submit your application electronically via jobbnorge.no with your CV, diplomas and certificates attached. Applications submitted elsewhere will not be considered. Upon request, you must be able to obtain certified copies of your documentation. 

Application deadline: 22.10.2023

NTNU

NTNU - knowledge for a better world

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Energy and Process Engineering

We conduct research and teaching covering the entire energy chain, from resources to the end-user. We look at how energy is produced and used by humans and machines in a sustainable way with regard to health, climate change and the resource base. The Department of Energy and Process Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Engineering.

Deadline 22nd October 2023
Employer NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Municipality Trondheim
Scope Fulltime
Duration Temporary
Place of service Kolbjørn Hejesvei 1B, 7034 Trondheim