Junior Researcher in Screening Subsurface Hydrogen Storage Sites

Are you interested in developing screening methods to enable subsurface H2 storage? If you enjoy working at the interface between geoscience and engineering then this project may be right for you.

Job Description

The geological storage of hydrogen is a promising alternative for large-scale energy storage in support of expanding renewable energy systems. The North Sea has hundreds of depleted and abandoned gas fields that are potential storage sites. Robust screening procedures are necessary to select the most suitable reservoirs in terms of geology.

Using advanced geological modelling and numerical simulation techniques, this position will investigate the geological controls on hydrogen storage in depleted natural gas fields of the Bunter sandstone, an important formation in the North Sea. Specifically, the position will investigate how chemical reactions impact the recovery rates of hydrogen during cyclic hydrogen storage, and how engineering designs (e.g., well controls) can be optimised to maximise hydrogen recovery given the different depletion states of the reservoirs.

The ultimate aim is to develop a set of geologically-informed screening techniques and performance criteria that enable us to quickly assess, rank, and identify the most promising fields for cyclic hydrogen storage such that they can be assessed in more detail using traditional reservoir characterisation, modelling, and simulation techniques.

Specific tasks for this project include:

• Adapt the open-DARTS simulator to account for chemical reactions during subsurface hydrogen storage and calibrate reaction parameters using experimental data.
• Perform numerical simulations of subsurface hydrogen storage including chemical reactions for an ensemble of geological models that were developed in the Rapid Reservoir Modelling software.
• Develop an experimental design to quantify how reservoir properties and engineering parameters impact the recovery rate and overall performance of subsurface hydrogen storage.
• Analyse the simulation results to identify clusters of typical reservoir behaviours and link these clusters back to geological properties to understand (i) how we can engineer the reservoir to maximise the performance of cyclic hydrogen storage and (ii) develop screening parameters that allow us to rank and prioritise the most promising reservoirs.
• Liase with the geoscientists and reservoir engineers from the sponsoring company to present and review the results (through presentations and reports) and regularly meet with these experts to discuss the next research steps.
• Present the results at conferences and prepare manuscripts for peer-reviewed publication.

Job Requirements

• Strong understanding of how we can integrate reservoir characterisation and reservoir engineering to improve the management of low-carbon energy sources such as geothermal energy, CO2 storage, or hydrogen storage.
• Demonstrable experience in simulating and analysing coupled multi-physics processes (e.g., heat and fluid flow, chemical reactions and fluid flow) related to low-carbon energy sources in the subsurface.
• Hands-on knowledge in Python programming.
• Experience in working with open-source reservoir simulation software, including adapting the software for specific simulation exercises.
• Experience in developing and applying screening and clustering techniques to group simulation results and identify and quantify representative flow behaviours.
• Excellent communication skills, both in written and oral form.
• An independent and problem-solving approach to research.
• Experience in working in joint-industry projects and working closely with industry partners.

This position is available for candidates who hold at least an MSc degree. Candidates without a PhD degree will be considered if they can demonstrate that they have the relevant experience.

TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)

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.

Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences

The Faculty of Civil Engineering & Geosciences (CEG) is committed to outstanding international research and education in the field of civil engineering, applied earth sciences, traffic and transport, water technology, and delta technology. Our research feeds into our educational programmes and covers societal challenges such as climate change, energy transition, resource availability, urbanisation and clean water. Our research projects are conducted in close cooperation with a wide range of research institutions. CEG is convinced of the importance of open science and supports its scientists in integrating open science in their research practice. The Faculty of CEG comprises 28 research groups in the following seven departments: Materials Mechanics Management & Design, Engineering Structures, Geoscience and Engineering, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Transport & Planning, Hydraulic Engineering and Water Management.

Conditions of Employment

• Duration of contract is 16 months (temporary).
• A job of 36-38 hours per week.
• A salary based on Scale 08 of the CAO for Dutch Universities with a salary between €3382 - €4484 gross per month based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%. Salary will be aligned with the candidate's experience and expertise and in line with our internal salary framework.
• An excellent pension scheme via the ABP.
• The possibility to compile an individual employment package every year.
• Discount with health insurers on supplemental packages.
• Flexible working week.
• Every year, 232 leave hours (at 38 hours). You can also sell or buy additional leave hours via the individual choice budget.
• Plenty of opportunities for education, training and courses.
• Partially paid parental leave.
• Attention for working healthy and energetically with the vitality program.

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Sebastian Geiger, via S.Geiger@tudelft.nl.