Postdoc on Integrated Design of the Next Generation of Electrolyzer Plants

Are you eager to design the next generation of electrolyzer plants and further develop your quantitative and analytical skills in an international setting? At TU Delft, you’ll contribute to groundbreaking research that lowers the cost of green hydrogen production through innovative optimization models for dynamic plant design. Join a world-class team and make a real impact on the future of sustainable energy.

Job description

Hydrogen is expected to play a key role in reaching climate neutrality for hard-to-abate sectors. Today, producing hydrogen via water electrolysis is prohibitively expensive, due to high investment costs, low efficiencies and a high operational cost related to the electricity input. At the same time, the regulatory framework requires future electrolyzer projects to operate in tandem with nearby renewable electricity production, requiring dynamic operation of the electrolyzer plant.

In this research project, we aim to bring down the cost of green hydrogen produced via water electrolysis by developing improved operational and design decision support methods, geared towards (prospective) electrolyzer plant owners. Our focus is on the electrolyzer plant as a whole, i.e., the electrolyzer stacks and their relative configuration, the compressor, local hydrogen and heat storage, etc. These novel approaches allow for better operational decisions (e.g., which position to take in the electricity market, how fast to ramp up/down the different electrolyzer stacks, when to store hydrogen locally, or better thermal management of the asset) as well as design choices (e.g., how many electrolyzer stacks should make up the plant and how are they connected, the size of local hydrogen storage).

To address this question, you will develop state-of-the-art optimization models to capture:

• The technical limitations and costs of the electrolyzer plant, the stacks and the downstream process, as well as the associated costs,
• The interaction with electricity and ancillary services markets and
• The impact of the prevailing regulatory requirements, such as the Delegated Act on RFNBO's.

This postdoctoral position is one of the two positions funded by the WinHy project at TU Delft (financed by NWO). This position focusses on the design of the electrolyzer plant, whereas the other position focusses on interaction of many electrolyzer assets with the overall energy system and markets.

In WinHy, the consortium partners Repsol (a technology integrator and developer of electrolyzer plants), Sunfire (a leading OEM and electrolyzer manufacturer) and research institutes DLR and TU Delft are seeking to address shortcomings of the current alkaline water electrolysis technology by developing advanced stack designs and plant integration concepts. This unique consortium spans technology development and lab-scale experiments to energy system and economic integration.

Requirements

• PhD degree in science, engineering or economics (must have been awarded by the agreed-upon starting date).
• Prior research experience in energy system/market modelling and/or electrolysis-based plant modelling, techno-economic assessment and heat management.
• Very good written and spoken communication skills in English (Dutch is not required).
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills.
• A result-oriented attitude.

The following will make you stand out:

• Programming experience in Julia, Python or a similar language
• Process modelling in Aspen Plus, gPROMS or similar

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.

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!

Faculty Technology, Policy and Management

The Faculty of TPM provides an important contribution to solving complex technical-social issues, such as energy transition, mobility, digitalisation, water management and (cyber) security. TPM does this with its excellent education and research at the intersection of technology, society and policy. We combine insights from both engineering and social sciences as well as the humanities. TPM develops robust models and designs, is internationally oriented and has an extensive network of knowledge institutions, companies, social organisations and governments.