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EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 17,000 people, including over 12,500 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

PhD position - Experimental study of vortex interactions with application to hydropower

Mission

The Unsteady Flow Diagnostics Laboratory (UNFoLD) led by Prof. Karen Mulleners at EPFL in Lausanne is looking for a new PhD student to experimentally study the formation and interaction of vortices with application to hydropower in the framework of the collaborative project VORTEX-FLEX with the group of Dr. Elena Vagnoni at the Technology Platform for Hydraulic Machines (PTMH) at EPFL funded by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). 

Our lab specialises in the experimental measurements, analysis, and modelling of unsteady vortex-dominated flow phenomena, with past applications in bio-inspired propulsion, wind turbine rotor blade aerodynamics, and gust interactions. Our research focuses on unfolding the origin and development of unsteady flow separation and vortex formation and we have built a reputation for carefully designed and precisely controlled experiments, high quality temporally and spatially resolved field experiments using particle image velocimetry combined with synchronised measurements of the technically relevant quantities, such as aerodynamic forces or power output, exploratory data analyses to bridge the gap between our observations and understanding of the development and interaction of vortices, and the technically relevant quantities.

Switzerland has a strategic goal to increase hydropower electricity production to 37,400 GWh by 2035 and to 38,600 GWh by 2050, which highlights the critical role of hydropower in securing the national energy supply. To meet this goal, there is an urgent need for a thorough review of technical setups and operational strategies, including more flexible operations and more frequent start-up cycles to guarantee grid stability. The transient flow behaviour during start-up cycles leads to the formation of vortical structures that have a different topology than the vortices that develop during steady-state operation and lead to adverse fluid-structure interactions increase e.g. fatigue damage. The collaborative VORTEX-FLEX project aims to gain insight into the parameters that govern the formation, interaction, and evolution of the vortices during the start-up process to develop guidelines for optimal start-up procedures and accurately predict the expected lifetime and maintenance intervals of hydraulic machines. Your role in this project will be to develop a new experimental setup and systematically analyse and model the topological and temporal characteristics of draft-tube-like vortical structures to complement the experiments in a fully homologous reduced-scale model of the hydraulic machine that will be conducted by our partners at PTMH. 

Main duties and responsibilities

  • Perform original research in the field of experimental unsteady vortex dynamics and hydropower.

  • Lead and contribute to publications in scientific journals.

  • Contribute to general lab activities (including teaching assistance and co-supervision of student projects)  

Profile

  • A master's degree in engineering, environmental sciences, or physics.
  • Strong interest in experimental fluid mechanics and hydropower.
  • Experience with experimental (fluid)mechanics or in designing laboratory experiments.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. (French is not required.)

We offer

  • Opportunity to perform state-of-the-art research in one of the most dynamic scientific institutions in Europe.
  • Competitive salary and excellent educational conditions.
  • Term of employment: 1-year fixed-term contract (CDD), renewable for 4 years.

Informations

Interested applicants should upload the following documents:

  • CV
  • Motivation statement
  • Grades from bachelor and master studies

 

Screening will start immediately and will continue until a suitable candidate has been found.

To be eligible for a PhD at EPFL, note that candidates also need to be enrolled in one of the EPFL doctoral school programs. This is a separate application process that you can start in parallel. We suggest that you apply to the Doctoral Program in Mechanics (EDME) or the Doctoral Program in Energy (EDEY).

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Prof. Karen Mulleners (karen.mulleners@epfl.ch).










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