Postdoc Hydrogen and Desalination Systems Optimization

Postdoc Hydrogen and Desalination Systems Optimization at TU Delft

Are you eager to design the next generation of integrated seawater desalination & electrolyzer plants and further develop your quantitative and analytical skills in an international setting?

Job description

Hydrogen is anticipated to be a crucial component in achieving climate neutrality in hard-to-abate sectors. However, the production of hydrogen through water electrolysis remains prohibitively expensive due to high capital investment, low efficiency, and significant operational costs associated with electricity consumption. Simultaneously, water scarcity is intensifying, leading to increased competition among various water users. Seawater desalination presents a promising solution for ensuring a reliable water supply of the required quality for electrolysis, especially in near- or offshore hydrogen production facilities.

This research project aims to optimize the integration of desalination systems with water electrolysers using mixed integer linear programming methods. Emphasis will be placed on brine treatment to potentially eliminate desalination brine effluent, as well as on heat integration between the electrolyser and the brine treatment process to improve energy efficiency. Various desalination solutions will be evaluated for offshore electrolysis systems, including membrane-based reverse osmosis (RO) and thermally integrated technologies such as multi-effect distillation (MED). These solutions will be assessed with a focus on heat and cooling integration, enabling the desalination subsystem to adapt to the variable electricity input, thereby enhancing system flexibility and performance. A dynamic model of the desalination plant will be developed and integrated into existing dynamic models of electrolysis plants. This will allow for an assessment of the desalination system's dynamic performance across different scales (ranging from 20 MW to 1 GW) and varying power input profiles.

To address these challenges, you will develop state-of-the-art engineering optimization models to capture the technical limitations and costs of the integrated desalination - electrolyser plant, considering the dynamic operation of the stacks and the downstream process, and the associated costs. Throughout this effort, you will consider the interaction with electricity, ancillary services and hydrogen markets.

This postdoctoral position is connected to the HyTROs project (part of the R&D programme of GroenVermogenNL – National Growth Fund). Your daily supervisors will be Dr. ir. Dimitris Xevgenos and Dr.ir. Kenneth Bruninx. You will join a lively community of internationally renowned interdisciplinary energy researchers in the department Engineering Systems and Services at TU Delft. Our faculty (TPM) hosts a diverse group of people from different countries and disciplines, and we welcome candidates that contribute to and enjoy this diversity.

Job requirements

• PhD degree in 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
• Prior experience with modelling desalination or/and other water treatment processes.

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.

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.

Conditions of employment

• Duration of contract is 1 year.
• A job of 36-40 hours per week.

Salary and benefits are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities. The TU Delft offers a customisable compensation package, discounts on health insurance, and a monthly work costs contribution. Flexible work schedules can be arranged.

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dimitris Xevgenos, via d.xevgenos@tudelft.nl.