PhD Position Optimal Scaling and Clustering for Airborne Wind Energy

Interested to push the technological limits of energy kites and contribute to the industrialization of a promising disruptive renewable energy technology, collaborating with leading developers?

PhD Position Optimal Scaling and Clustering for Airborne Wind Energy

Job description

Wind energy is a critical component of the energy transition. Although it is one of the fastest-growing renewable energy sources globally, the targeted threefold increase of installed generation capacity until 2030 will be challenging to meet. Airborne wind energy (AWE) is an emerging technology that can complement conventional turbines while reducing the material consumption and environmental impact of energy generation.

This PhD project is part of the MSCA Doctoral Network AWETRAIN (Airborne Wind Energy TRAining for Industrialization Network). Its objective is to investigate the optimal configuration for utility-scale AWE farms, considering the physics, economics, and environmental impact. To determine the optimal scaling strategies for kite farms, a toolchain comprising a statistical description of the wind resource and physics-based models of the AWE system will be combined with a cost model of the farm. Is it better to scale up the individual systems or to combine multiple smaller-scale systems into a farm? The cost model will be augmented with a life cycle analysis to incorporate the environmental impact of the used materials into the analysis. All relevant interaction mechanisms between the individual AWE systems of the farm will be taken into account. Many components of this toolchain already exist and have been validated for smaller-scale AWE systems.

The main activities of this project will be:

• Combining wind resource statistics with a physics-based system engineering model, focused on kite design and nominal operation, using this toolchain for preliminary optimization of AWE devices and plants based on physical metrics.
• Adding a cost model for AWE farms, and using this for preliminary optimization of AWE systems and farms based on economic metrics.
• Extending the cost model with data on environmental impact from life cycle analysis, using this for optimization of AWE devices and plants based on combinations of physical, economic and environmental metrics.

You will be a member of the Wind Energy Section’s Airborne Wind Energy Research Group, a leading academic player in the AWE sector, and will collaborate with two fellow AWETRAIN PhD researchers in Delft: one with the neighboring Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management (TPM) and one with the research group's spin-off company Kitepower B.V. You will also have the opportunity to meet regularly and collaborate with the other PhD researchers of the AWETRAIN Doctoral Network that are located all across Europe. This will include secondments to industry partners.

Job requirements

You should have an MSc degree in wind energy or aerospace engineering from a well-established university, or an MSc degree in related engineering disciplines, such as mechanical engineering, applied physics, or applied mathematics, with proven experience (courses, projects, and work experience) in the field of wind energy or aerospace engineering. A combination of good mathematical and analytical skills, a strong interest in numerical modeling, and good programming skills in Python is required.

Eligibility criteria

Fulfillment of eligibility criteria is dictated by the European Commission under the Horizon MSCA Doctoral Networks Programme. We welcome applications from PhD candidates from any country fulfilling the following mobility criteria:

• Eligible candidates must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of their first host institution for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately before their recruitment by the host institution (i.e., the starting date indicated in the employment contract/equivalent direct contract).
• Eligible candidates must have a master’s degree relevant to the chosen position or its equivalent that would entitle them to a doctorate, awarded before the start of the position.

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 Aerospace Engineering

The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology is one of the world’s most highly ranked (and most comprehensive) research, education and innovation communities devoted entirely to aerospace engineering. More than 200 science staff, around 270 PhD candidates and close to 3000 BSc and MSc students apply aerospace engineering disciplines to address the global societal challenges that threaten us today, climate change without doubt being the most important. Our focal subjects: sustainable aerospace, big data and artificial intelligence, bio-inspired engineering and smart instruments and systems. Working at the faculty means working together. With partners in other faculties, knowledge institutes, governments and industry, both aerospace and non-aerospace. Working in field labs and innovation hubs on our university campus and beyond.

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 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.

Additional information
If you would like more information about this vacancy or the selection procedure, please contact Dr. Roland Schmehl, via r.schmehl@tudelft.nl.