1) Context

Join EDF (Electricity of France) in pioneering the future of dam safety!

With over 250 dams under our vigilant watch across France, we are committed to ensuring their
resilience and reliability. Our dams are equipped with advanced spillway structures (EVC) to address
critical safety concerns. As part of our team, you will delve into the dynamic analysis of spill
behavior over the crowning, rigorously assessing the stability of support structures under varying
load conditions. This role demands a deep dive into the physics of overflowing blades, enhancing our
control over installation safety and pushing the boundaries of engineering excellence.

Your research will delve into the fascinating dynamics of water jet pressure from dam spillways. You
will characterize the behavior of overflowing liquid jets, propose innovative design modifications to
flood spillways aimed at mitigating water pressure impacts, and develop sophisticated numerical models
to simulate these water jet spillways. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the
advancement of dam safety and engineering innovation.

2) Objectives

The primary objectives of this Ph.D. thesis are:
- To understand the physical mechanisms of water jet spillways destabilization and stabilization.
- To propose design changes to flood spillways.
- To propose, improve, and develop Finite Volume numerical models using Euler-Euler (EE) two-fluid
 or Volume of Fluid (VoF) approach (choice to be revised at the beginning of the thesis and/or during
 a previous internship described below). 

Ideally, a 5-month internship is also available for potential candidates before the doctorate
(URL link for more information).

The internship will focus on the viability of reproducing water-air interface instabilities during
spills using existing/proposed turbulence and numerical models (RANS and LES). Two numerical approaches
would be tested/compared, the EE and VoF method already available respectively in neptune_cfd
and code_saturne software.

3) Work Environment

The research will be conducted between CORIA (a Joint Research Unit attached to the Institute of
Engineering and Systems of CNRS) and EDF (Electricity of France). The work will build upon a Post-Doc
research (2020), which evolved the ELSA (Euler-Lagrange Spray Atomization) model to account for
gravity in the destabilization/stabilization of the liquid-air interface, and a Ph.D. thesis (2023),
which reproduced the PDF of pressures at the base of the fall by finely reconstructing the liquid-air
interface near the impact zone. The stratified/dispersed multi-regime numerical model of neptune_cfd
will be used to focus mainly on large structures of the flow.

4) General information

5-month internship and/or 3-year PhD thesis, at the EDF laboratory, Chatou, France.
- Contract start date: preferably 4th November 2024
- Academic supervisor : François-Xavier Demoulin (CORIA)
- Industrial supervisor : Yvan bercovitz, Javier Anez (EDF)
- Contacts: Yvan Bercovitz (yvan.bercovitz@edf.fr)
- Funding: Industrial PhD scholarship (CIFRE), tuition, health insurance. This position
also offers opportunities for travel to conferences and research-related events.

5) Applicant Profile

The ideal candidate should be:
- Autonomous: Capable of working independently and taking initiative.
- Proactive: Able to anticipate problems and take action to prevent them.
- Motivated: Driven to achieve goals and continuously learn and improve.
- Curious: Interested in learning more about the field and exploring new ideas.
- Team Spirit: Able to work well in a team and contribute to a positive working environment.
- Resilient: Able to persevere through complicated tasks and challenges.

This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to important research in the field of hydrodynamics.
Your research could potentially revolutionize the design of flood spillways and contribute to safer
and more efficient hydroelectric power plants. This is not just a Ph.D. thesis, but a chance to make a
real-world impact. We look forward to receiving your application.

Application procedure:

   - Send CV, cover letter and Grades from Master 1 and 2 or equivalent engineering level to javier.anez-perdomo@edf.fr 
   - Applications are to be sent before 31st October 2024.
   - Incomplete applications will not be considered.