Postdoc Safety and Durability of Liquid Hydrogen Storage

Within the COCOLIH2T project, funded by the Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, we are collaborating with nine other partners to develop a conformal liquid hydrogen tank for aviation.

In this position you will conduct safety and fatigue analyses of the developed tank design. Challenges include analysing the safety requirements and characteristics of the tank in the design stage, conducting fatigue analyses taking into account the complex thermomechanical loading, and coming up with a fatigue management concept for the tank, e.g. should it be based on safety-by-replacement or safety-by-inspection. To inform these analyses you will colloaborate with colleagues at TU Delft, as well as with project partners, working on the tank design, NDT, and life cycle analyses.

In addition to conducting the research, you will be required to communicate it both in academic settings (journal papers and conferences) and towards an industrial audience. You will also be expected to contribute to the management of the project.

In this position you will be supervised by Dr. ir. John-Alan Pascoe and Dr. ir. Alexei Sharpanskykh. At TU Delft the project team further consists of Dr. Roger Groves, Dr. ir. Daniël Peeters, Dr. ir. Julien van Campen, and two additional post-docs (recruitment in progress). The other project partners are: Collins Aerospace (Microtecnica, UTC Aerospace Systems Wroclaw, Goodrich Aerospace, Crompton Technology Group and Simmonds Precision Products), NLR, Unified International, ATR, and Novotech - Aerospace Adavanced Technology. 

Need to have:

• A PhD in a relevant field e.g. aerospace, mechanical, or structural engineering;
• Experience with modelling fatigue of composites;
• An eagerness to learn new skills and knowledge as needed for the project;
• A capacity to work both independently and as a member of a team
• Interest in / willingness to learn safety analysis and risk assessment methods
• The ability to communicate your work and its significance clearly, towards both academic and industrial audiences.

Nice to have:

• Experience with modelling fatigue of large composite structures;
• Experience with conducting safety analyses 

Delft University of Technology is built on strong foundations. As creators of the world-famous Dutch waterworks and pioneers in biotech, TU Delft is a top international university combining science, engineering and design. It delivers world class results in education, research and innovation to address challenges in the areas of energy, climate, mobility, health and digital society. For generations, our engineers have proven to be entrepreneurial problem-solvers, both in business and in a social context.

At TU Delft we embrace diversity as one of our core values and we actively engage to be a university where you feel at home and can flourish. We value different perspectives and qualities. We believe this makes our work more innovative, the TU Delft community more vibrant and the world more just. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale. That is why we invite you to apply. Your application will receive fair consideration.

Challenge. Change. Impact!

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (based on scale 10: € 2.960,00 - € 4.670,00). The employment contract is for 2 years and the position is for 38 hours per week. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, a discount on health insurance and sport memberships, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

For international applicants, TU Delft has the Coming to Delft Service. This service provides information for new international employees to help you prepare the relocation and to settle in the Netherlands. The Coming to Delft Service offers a Dual Career Programme for partners and they organise events to expand your (social) network.

For more information about the content of the position, please contact Dr. ir. John-Alan Pascoe (j.a.pascoe@tudelft.nl) and Dr.ir. Alexei Sharpanskykh (o.a.sharpanskykh@tudelft.nl), assistant professors at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering. For administrative questions relating to the application procedure, please contact Mrs Gemma van der Windt (G.J.M.vanderWindt@tudelft.nl), management assistant in the Aerospace Structures and Materials department.

Please note that applications can only be accepted via the online system, applications submitted via e-mail will not be considered.

Based on the submitted cover letters and CV a shortlist of suitable candiddates will be invited for an (online) interview, in which you will be asked to give a presentation about your research experience.