PhD student position in Yield stress fluids in industrial flows

General information about YIELDGAP
YIELDGAP is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovation Training Network (ITN), funded by the European Commission, Horizon 2020 Program. Commencing its activities in January 2021, the Network will provide PhD training to 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESRs). This will be a great opportunity for you to focus on your own PhD project and at the same time cooperate with 14 other PhD students in a program including eight universities and six companies interested in advanced rheology.

Information about the division and the department
The position will be based at the Division of Engineering Materials, Department of Industrial and Materials Science at Chalmers with main secondments and close cooperation with Tetra Pak AB in Lund, Sweden.

The Division of Engineering Materials is broadly centered on the relationship between technological materials microstructure and their mechanical properties. Specifically, the Kádár Group of the division works in the general area of Rheology and Processing of Soft Matter. Current research activities are centered around three topics: (i) flow-field filler interaction in nanostructured fluids, (ii) multifunctional properties in polymer nanocomposites and (iii) advanced rheological characterization and method development.

Tetra Pak, with headquarters in Lund, Sweden, is the leading global provider of processing equipment for the food industry. The world class equipment from Tetra Pak is used for production of for example mayonnaise, yoghurt, ketchup, all with complex rheologies.

Your project
You will develop methods where you combine measuring of relevant flow properties (for example mayonnaise) and simulation of flow in for example filling mayonnaise in a jar, or in more detail:
(i) develop rheological measurement methods capable of measuring the properties relevant to the modeling of industrial yield-stress fluids
(ii) perform numerical simulations of industrial yield-stress fluid flows in benchmark flows using commercial CFD software
(iii) perform experimental work for the validation of the numerical simulations performed at (ii).

Contract terms
Full-time temporary employment. You are expected to complete a PhD degree in 4.5 years, which may extend to a maximum of 5 years when including teaching or other tasks (<20%).

Qualifications
Applicants can be of any nationality. YIELDGAP supports a balanced gender representation by promoting genuine equal access opportunities throughout the recruitment process.

Applicants are required to undertake transnational mobility (i.e. move from one country to another) when taking up their appointment. At the time of recruitment by the host beneficiary, ESRs must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Sweden for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to the date of appointment.

Applicants must have a diploma (or obtain a diploma before their employment starts) granting access to doctoral studies (typically a MSc degree). Candidates may apply prior to ob­tai­ning their master's degree but cannot begin before having received it.To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field such as Fluid mechanics, Physics, Food Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Chemical Engineering. In this project, you will have to work in both the lab and perform computer simulations (CFD). Candidates with computational background willing to develop on experimental work are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate their ability to understand and express themselves in both written and spoken English at a level that is sufficiently high for them to derive the full benefit from the network training. Swedish is not a requirement but if you have an interest in learning Swedish, Chalmers offers Swedish courses. Fluency in English, good collaborative skills and ability to communicate results in writing and presentations, also to non-experts.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

We offer
Chalmers offers a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the dynamic city of Gothenburg. 
Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

All ESRs will have a personal career development plan and benefit from continuing education, secondments and training/networking events within YIELDGAP. All ESR will be guided by an academic and non-academic supervisor, experiencing a truly intersectoral working environment.

Application procedure
To apply, please go to: https://www.chalmers.se/en/about-chalmers/Working-at-Chalmers/Vacancies/Pages/default.aspx?rmpage=job&rmjob=9261


Application deadline: 1 April, 2021