Research Assistant/Associate (f/m/d) - Hybrid Heating Technologies for Industrial Furnaces Simulation and Validation of an innovative Hybrid Heating Technology for Reheating Furnaces in an EU-funded Demonstration Project

Weitere Informationen

The successful candidate will be employed under a regular employment contract.
The position is to be filled at the earliest possible date and offered for a fixed term of two years.
It is intended to extend the contract initial contract period by two years. There is an option to extend the position to a total of 5 years.
The fixed-term employment is possible as it constitutes one of the fixed-term options of the Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (German Act on Fixed-term Scientific Contracts).
This is a full-time position.
The successful candidate has the opportunity to pursue a doctoral degree in this position.
The salary is based on the German public service salary scale (TV-L).
The position corresponds to a pay grade of EG 13 TV-L.

Unser Profil

The Department for Industrial Furnaces and Heat Engineering (IOB) at RWTH Aachen University is the leading research institute in industrial furnace technology and specialises in sustainable thermal process technology. In this context, research topics relating to process and plant optimisation in the areas of production, processing and recycling of iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, glass and ceramics are addressed by a total of five scientific working groups.

The particular focus is currently on the defossilisation of melting, reheating and heat treatment processes. This includes the use of renewable hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives as well as electric heating and, building on this, the development of new process technology and plant engineering. This leads to another focus, namely making plants more flexible, for example through hybrid heating technologies.

Other focus areas include process modelling and simulation, as well as the energy and resource efficiency of industrial furnaces. The topic of completed and current research projects is, in particular, the combustion of low-CO2 fuels for heating industrial furnaces in the course of defossilisation. The IOB has numerous test benches and high-quality measurement technology at its disposal for this purpose, which are used for pilot-scale experiments. Significant computing capacity is also available for simulation.

In addition to its specialisation in terms of content, the IOB is characterised by application-oriented research in close cooperation with industry. Our partners include renowned research institutes and well-known companies, primarily from the steel, aluminium and glass industries, as well as mechanical and plant engineering. Cooperation also takes place at an international level, currently particularly through cooperation projects with institutes and companies around Europe.

Ihr Profil

As a research assistant/associate (f/m/d) at our institute, you will be part of an innovative research environment that promotes defossilisation and the circular economy in energy-intensive industries. The position is explicitly linked to an EU-funded project with several industry partners. These include steel manufacturers, plant engineering companies and technology suppliers for innovative heating solutions.

To join the IOB, you must have completed a technical university degree (master's degree or equivalent) with above-average results in the field of materials engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering or comparable fields of study, and have a good written and spoken knowledge of German and English. If possible, you should already have knowledge of CFD simulation of turbulent flows, combustion and chemical kinetics. Knowledge of programming with Python and experience with ANSYS Fluent® and Cantera software is a plus.

You have a high degree of independence, commitment and organisational skills. You want to develop and implement your own ideas. You enjoy working in a team, but can also motivate yourself to carry out project work independently and concentrate on writing scientific articles. Organising a project team and maintaining regular contact with industry partners motivates and inspires you.

If you would like to work with our team to help shape a pioneering EU-funded project and thus contribute to the transformation of industry, one of the most exciting topics of our time, please send your detailed application (cover letter, CV and references) preferably by email to the contact person above.

Ihre Aufgaben

As a research assistant/associate (f/m/d) at the IOB, you can realise your potential in the following fields of activity, which offer a varied spectrum of theoretical, practical and organisational work:

Research – As part of a European-funded research project coordinated by the IOB, you will be the main contact person for the consortium. You will mainly be involved in CFD simulations of a hybrid heating system – initially on a pilot plant scale and later in an industrial reheating furnace. In addition, you will accompany the development of the heating technology and support colleagues in taking measurements at the industrial plant.

One focus of the work is the validation and further development of existing simulation frameworks for very high air preheating temperatures and their impact on the formation of air pollutants (especially NOx) – for metallurgical process gases, natural gas and hydrogen. Another goal is to simulate the entire industrial process in an efficient manner – various modelling strategies from partners and approaches developed at the IOB can be used for this purpose. The design and methodology are your responsibility.

In addition, there is the opportunity to participate in other nationally and internationally funded research projects. Further work to ensure the scientific excellence of your work complements the scope of this position. This includes the publication of your scientific results, e.g. through presentations at national and international conferences and publications in high-quality journals.

Industrial cooperation - Close cooperation with industry is another important area of responsibility. In industrial projects, you will be involved in carrying out CFD simulations of industrial plants or process analyses for our partners. The analyses are used to derive and implement optimisation potential or strategic issues such as technology changes. In this way, future-orientated concepts are developed together. You will also have the opportunity to expand and deepen your contacts in industry.

Further training - At national and international conferences, seminars and congresses, you have the opportunity to present the knowledge gained from research and promote its transfer into industrial practice. At the events and training courses for specialists and managers, it is possible to exchange expertise, develop new ideas and establish contacts.

Teaching - The department offers events and internships for RWTH Aachen University students. As part of the department, you will support the lectures and at the same time take responsibility for the practice and internship programme. There is also the opportunity to supervise ambitious students working on their theses. You can gain your first experience of management responsibility by enabling student assistants to apply and expand the knowledge they have gained in practice.

Über uns

RWTH is a certified family-friendly University. We support our employees in maintaining a good work-life balance with a wide range of health, advising, and prevention services, for example university sports. Employees who are covered by collective bargaining agreements and civil servants have access to an extensive range of further training courses and the opportunity to purchase a job ticket.
RWTH is an equal opportunities employer. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates, particularly from groups that are underrepresented at the University. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability or age. RWTH is strongly committed to encouraging women in their careers. Female applicants are given preference if they are equally suitable, competent, and professionally qualified, unless a fellow candidate is favored for a specific reason.
As RWTH is committed to equality of opportunity, we ask you not to include a photo in your application.
You can find information on the personal data we collect from applicants in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) at http://www.rwth-aachen.de/dsgvo-information-bewerbung.

Besoldung / Entgelt

EG 13 TV-L