PhD Position in Development of Computational Fluid Dynamics Technique for Pointcloud Geometries

Pushing the boundaries of urban wind simulation.

Job description

Do you enjoy numerical methods and want to pursue a PhD in engineering at TU Delft? The POINT-TWINS project aims to develop novel methods that enable Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations directly on point cloud representations of urban environments – eliminating the need for traditional meshing and geometry reconstruction.

Urban wind plays a key role in shaping the microclimate of our cities. Certain building configurations can create wind tunnels, resulting in high-speed gusts. Urbanization and global warming further intensify challenges related to thermal comfort and increase the risk of heat islands. Moreover, urban wind strongly influences air quality, as it governs how emissions and pollutants – such as those from traffic – disperse through cities.

To address these concerns in urban planning and building design, engineers and designers rely on CFD simulations to predict how wind patterns will be affected by changes in the built environment. However, traditional CFD workflows require watertight surface models and volumetric meshes – steps that are often labor-intensive, error-prone, and technically demanding. This makes urban wind assessments costly and limits their practical applicability. The POINT-TWINS project aims to overcome these limitations through meshfree simulation, opening the door to scalable, accurate, and more accessible wind assessments across urban environments.

In Geographic Information Systems (GIS), urban environments are increasingly captured using point clouds, which can be efficiently acquired via airborne LiDAR scanning from a drone, helicopter, or small aircraft and are, in some countries, openly available. In POINT-TWINS, we will develop a novel meshfree CFD method that can enforce boundary conditions directly from point-cloud geometry descriptions, without intermediate surface reconstruction. This is a fundamental shift from traditional CFD techniques and will broaden the applicability of CFD in urban design and planning.

The project involves multiple researchers from the faculties of Aerospace Engineering and of Architecture and the Built Environment, and additionally partners with the Fraunhofer Institute (developer of the commercial simulation tool MESHFREE), Actiflow (consultancy agency specializing in flow simulations), and the Municipality of The Hague. This vacancy is for a PhD position at Aerospace Engineering, focusing on the following challenges in the development of the CFD technique:

• Wall models: Urban wind features high Reynolds-number flows. Numerically resolving boundary layers in such flows is not feasible, and these must be captured by a wall model. While wall models are established concepts for mesh-based CFD techniques with manifold surface geometries, a corresponding methodology for meshfree methods with point cloud-based geometries must be developed.
• Adaptivity in space and time: Efficient time integration for large urban domains featuring variable resolutions demands a spatially adaptive time step. This is currently missing in meshfree CFD and needs to be developed.

Job requirements

Are you someone who:

• Holds an MSc degree with a specialization related to the above challenges (e.g. Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, Computer Science/Engineering, Geomatics)?
• Has experience with and enjoys developing numerical tools, programming, and applying advanced algorithms and machine learning?
• Is enthusiastic about collaborative research to connect real-world challenges with fundamental research questions?
• Is proficient in English?
• Has the ambition to help shape the next generation of CFD and pursue a PhD at TU Delft?

TU Delft

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. Together, we imagine, invent and create solutions using technology to have a positive impact on a global scale.

Faculty of Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is a leading international community where innovation in aerospace meets global challenges. Our support and scientific staff, including PhD candidates, postdocs, and students, largely work together on three main themes: the energy transition, sustainable aerospace, and safety and security, with the aim of tackling climate change and contributing to the independence and security of Europe.

When you join us, you become part of a diverse, collaborative, and forward-thinking environment where your ideas and perspectives are valued. Our work extends beyond the lab—into field labs, innovation hubs, and partnerships with other faculties, research institutes, governments, and industry, both locally and globally.

You don’t just join our faculty — you join a community where you can thrive, grow, and help shape the future of aerospace.

Conditions of employment

Doctoral candidates will be offered a 4-year period of employment in principle, but in the form of 2 employment contracts. An initial 1.5 year contract with an official go/no go progress assessment within 15 months, followed by an additional contract for the remaining 2.5 years assuming everything goes well and performance requirements are met.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, increasing from €3059 - €3881 gross per month, from the first year to the fourth year based on a fulltime contract (38 hours), plus 8% holiday allowance and an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%.

As a PhD candidate you will be enrolled in the TU Delft Graduate School. The TU Delft Graduate School provides an inspiring research environment with an excellent team of supervisors, academic staff and a mentor. The Doctoral Education Programme is aimed at developing your transferable, discipline-related and research skills.

The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

The intended start date of the project is around March 2026.

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Frits de Prenter, via f.deprenter@tudelft.nl.