Condensation of Humid Air during Loss of Insulation Accident in a LH2 tank 
(CHALIA Project) 
Post Doctoral Position at CEA
Granted by the Franco-Australian Center for Energy Transition

Liquid hydrogen is increasingly becoming the key energy vector for industrial 
decarbonization in heavy mobility. It is stored at 20K in a double-walled tank 
with an insulating vacuum. Any compromise to the integrity of the outer wall 
will allow hot air to enter the insulating vacuum. Nitrogen, oxygen, and water 
vapor will condense or even desublimate on the cold wall of the inner tank, 
thereby transferring heat to the cryogen, which will begin to boil. This boiling 
causes a pressure increase, leading to the opening of safety valves to prevent 
tank rupture. To better understand these complex phenomena, the CEA, Fenex 
Collaborative Research Center, and the University of Western Australia have 
submitted the CHALIA project to the Franco-Australian Center for Energy 
Transition. This project was approved in October. The post-doctoral position 
offered by the CEA involves setting up an analytical experiment using an 
existing glass cryostat to study in detail the various phenomena and measure the 
heat fluxes transmitted to the cryogen during the different phases of the 
accident. A gradual approach is proposed, starting with nitrogen entry before 
progressing to a binary mixture (synthetic air) or a ternary mixture (humid 
air). The project also aims to identify and quantify the phases involved in the 
process using various optical methods. The work will be conducted in close 
collaboration with researchers from the University of Western Australia, who 
will focus on scaling up the findings.
The ideal candidate has a strong background in experimental fluid mechanics and 
preferably has experience in cryogenics or condensation/desublimation. They must 
hold a doctoral degree.
Duration: 18 months (+ 18 months possible extension)