Passionate about the energy transition? Join us in pioneering green hydrogen 
technology! We're seeking a skilled CFD researcher to optimize innovative 
prototypes within a European consortium.

JOB DESCRIPTION
Hydrogen generated from green electricity in water electrolysers is destined to 
play a prominent role in the energy transition away from fossil fuels. A main 
source of inefficiency is the membrane. By flowing through porous electrodes in 
opposite directions, the hydrogen gas can be separated from the oxygen, without 
a membrane. Without a membrane, the electrodes can be brought closely together 
to create microfluidic devices with very low electric resistance. This makes it 
possible to use electrolytes that have only limited conductivity, opening up the 
way towards purifying various industrial wastewater streams while at the same 
time making hydrogen.

Within a European consortium of several universities and a microfluidics 
company, MacGhyver (https://greenhydrogen-pathfinder.eu/), you will work on 
simulations of several innovative prototypes. To optimize these, computer 
simulations can be very useful (https://spectrum.ieee.org/eden-tech-water-
treatment). Computational Fluid Dynamics will allow identifying dead zones in 
which bubbles tend to nucleate, something you may simulate with two-fluid 
multiphase flow models. Multiphysics simulations in e.g. COMSOL or Fluent will 
allow you to simulate the electric fields and current distributions, allowing 
optimization of more complex geometries.

You will be part of a lively research group 
(http://jwhaverkort.weblog.tudelft.nl) consisting of a nice mix of experimental 
and computational students, PhDs, and postdoctoral researchers. Occasional work 
visits or consortium meetings to the collaborative partners are foreseen. An 
experimental PhD project is running in parallel, which will allow you to walk 
away from your computer into the lab and directly compare your results to 
experiments. Within Delft there is a flourishing community of researchers 
working on various types and aspects of electrolysis (https://www.tudelft.nl/e-
refinery)

If you are enthusiastic to use your skills in CFD to help the energy transition, 
we look forward to meet you and work on this challenging topic together. 

REQUIREMENTS
Need to have:

You are a self-motivated conscientious researcher (f/m) with good communication 
and self-management skills, a PhD degree and you have experience with CFD.
Nice to have:

Experience with COMSOL, Fluent, multiphase flow, water electrolysis, or 
electrochemistry.
The exact research questions to be answered and methods to use may be tailored 
somewhat to the interests and skills of the candidate.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Fixed-term contract: 1,5 years.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for 
Dutch Universities (salary indication: € 4.036 - € 5.090 per month gross). The 
TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health 
insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be 
arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This 
service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare 
the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service 
offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand 
your (social) network.

This position is a temporary assignment for 18 months.

EMPLOYER
Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of 
the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top 
international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers 
world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges 
in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For 
generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, 
both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively 
engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value 
different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more 
innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. 
Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a 
positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your 
application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

DEPARTMENT
Faculty Mechanical Engineering
From chip to ship. From machine to human being. From idea to solution. Driven by 
a deep-rooted desire to understand our environment and discover its underlying 
mechanisms, research and education at the ME faculty focusses on fundamental 
understanding, design, production including application and product improvement, 
materials, processes and (mechanical) systems.

ME is a dynamic and innovative faculty with high-tech lab facilities and 
international reach. It’s a large faculty but also versatile, so we can often 
make unique connections by combining different disciplines. This is reflected in 
ME’s outstanding, state-of-the-art education, which trains students to become 
responsible and socially engaged engineers and scientists. We translate our 
knowledge and insights into solutions to societal issues, contributing to a 
sustainable society and to the development of prosperity and well-being. That is 
what unites us in pioneering research, inspiring education and (inter)national 
cooperation.

Click here to go to the website of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. Do you 
want to experience working at our faculty? These videos will introduce you to 
some of our researchers and their work.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Are you interested in this vacancy? Please apply no later than April 15th, 2024 
via the application button and upload:

A motivation letter.
A detailed CV, including a list of publications.
Contact details of 2-3 references.  
Notes:

You can apply online. We will not process applications sent by email and/or 
post.
Please do not contact us for unsolicited services.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact dr.ir. Willem Haverkort 
(j.w.haverkort@tudelft.nl).