== 2 PhD Students Positions Available in Heat Transfer/Fluid Mechanics/Energy ==
Dr. Like Li’s research group, the Thermal Energy Storage and Decarbonization
(TESD) Lab, at the University of Central Florida (UCF), invites enthusiastic
applications from highly motivated and talented individuals for two PhD graduate
assistantships with focus on computational modeling of heat transfer/gas
flow/energy transport in materials, structures, and thermochemical reactors.
Students with the following qualifications are encouraged to apply:
1. BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Applied
Mathematics, Applied Physics, or a closely aligned field.
2. Experience in numerical modeling of thermal-fluid systems (e.g., CFD).
3. Computational skills in developing in-house code (using FORTRAN, C, MATLAB,
or others) and in using CFD-related commercial software such as ANSYS Fluent or
others.
4. A team player that is able to work together with experimental collaborators
on thermal-fluid systems design and model validation, and possess good oral and
written communication skills.
Interested applicants should email Dr. Like Li (like.li@ucf.edu) their CV,
transcripts and English tests scores:
About the research group:
Dr. Li begins his UCF career in December 2023, as an Associate Professor in the
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), and an affiliated
faculty member of the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research
(CATER). He was a faculty member at Mississippi State University from 2017-2023.
The research focus in Dr. Li’s lab includes: (1) modeling and testing of
reactive materials and structures in thermochemical energy storage systems; (2)
fundamental understanding of thermal and chemical transport in thermo-fluids
systems, such as fluidized beds and particle reactors; and (3) experimental
design and testing of lab-scale thermochemical reactors for zero-carbon energy
conversion and storage systems. Dr. Li’s group has received funding from federal
agencies including NSF, DOE, NASA, DOD and also one grant from a utility company
– the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Dr. Li’s lab will be located in the Siemens Energy Center in the UCF Research
Park. Siemens Energy Center has over 10,000 sqft of space for state-of-the-art
experimental rigs, staff/student offices, Siemens meeting room, and access to
high performance computing clusters. Adjacent to the UCF main campus, the
Research Park has a land of 1,027 acres and more than 58 buildings for housing
more than 125 companies for research and technology transfer. There are
approximately 10,000 employees working in the research park.
About energy and decarbonization at UCF:
Decarbonization is one of the most important topics for a sustainable future.
The world continues to move towards a low-carbon economy, with more than 110
countries and 200 of the world's largest companies pledging to achieve net zero
carbon by 2050. One thing is clear: the energy transition must be clean,
affordable, accessible, and reliable. A transition of this size requires
collaboration across the government, public and private sectors, academia, NGOs,
and communities around the world. As a leader in Decarbonized Energy, the
University of Central Florida (UCF) has committed to the challenge of shaping
this transition through the Zero Carbon Energy (ZCE) initiative. The ZCE
initiative will further strengthen several ongoing research and education
activities at UCF that are focused around zero carbon energy and
decarbonization.
UCF houses four distinct energy-related research centers or clusters: Resilient,
Intelligent and Sustainable Energy Systems (RISES) Center, Renewable Energy and
Chemical Transformation (REACT) Cluster, the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC),
and the Center for Advanced Turbomachinery and Energy Research (CATER).
CATER was founded to focus on student training and research on turbo-machineries
and associated energy systems for application in power generation, aviation, and
space propulsion. CATER currently has 10 core faculty members from MAE, with a
staff of 12 postdoctoral researchers and 75 doctoral students who brought in
$7.9M of external funding and graduated 16 doctoral students in AY2021-2022.
More about UCF:
UCF is one of the nation's largest universities with a diverse student body of
approximately 70,000 students and has grown substantially in size, quality,
diversity, and reputation. Today, the university offers more than 230 degree
programs. UCF's students represent all 50 states and over 120 countries. UCF is
in a centralized location that is 30 minutes to Walt Disney World and Universal
Orlando and 60 minutes to the beach. UCF has 16 sports teams, including
football, soccer, tennis, volleyball, and 600+ cultural, academic, and social
student clubs and organizations all led by faculty mentors.
The Carnegie Foundation has classified UCF as a R1 Doctoral University for its
high research activity and community engagement. According to the most recent US
News in 2024, UCF was ranked #124 in National Universities and #14 in Most
Innovative Schools. This past fiscal year, UCF brought in nearly $205M. For the
fifth consecutive year, UCF has been recognized among the nation's most
innovative universities according to U.S. News & World Report, while Kiplinger's
and The Princeton Review have ranked UCF as one of the nation's best values for
a college education.
Central Florida has been also home to several global energy companies. With NASA
Kennedy Space Center less than an hour away from Orlando, many well-known
companies such as Siemens Energy, Mitsubishi Power, and Lockheed Martin have
their major headquarters in Orlando. Others such as Pratt & Whitney (Raytheon)
and Northrop Grumman have their headquarters within easy drivable distances. All
these companies share the same talent pools available in this region.
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