PhD Student (f/m/d) Dynamic Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycles in Waste Heat Recovery – 2026/129 Part-time NEW

PhD Student Dynamic Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycles in Waste Heat Recovery

With cutting-edge research in the fields of ENERGY, HEALTH and MATTER, around 1,500 employees from more than 70 nations at Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) are committed to mastering the great challenges facing society today.

The Institute of Fluid Dynamics is conducting basic and applied research in the fields of thermo-fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics in order to improve the sustainability, the energy efficiency and the safety of industrial processes.

The Department of Thermal Energy and Process Technology is looking for a PhD Student Dynamic Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycles in Waste Heat Recovery.

Your Tasks

• Characterization of dynamic load profiles of carbon-intensive waste heat recovery and power generation processes
• Literature review of the state of the art in the field of dynamic operation of sCO2 cycles
• Development and carrying out of an experimental matrix for a comprehensive study on steady-state and dynamic load behavior of sCO2 cycles using the CARBOSOLA test facility
• Development of a dynamic model of a sCO2 Brayton cycle based on literature and experimental results
• Simulation and optimization of the operating behavior of flexible energy systems with integrated sCO2 cycles, including control and operating strategies
• Estimation of economic benefits of various potential control and operating strategies of sCO2 Brayton cycles via techno-economic analyses (TEA)
• Contributions to the design recommendations and control strategies for modular sCO2 cycles for broader implementation and economies of scale
• Scientific documentation and communication of results in the form of conference contributions and journal publications

Your Profile

• Completed university studies (Master/Diploma) in the field of Process Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or related field
• Solid knowledge of thermodynamics, heat and mass transfer phenomena, process engineering, and process technology
• Solid knowledge in process control theory (e.g., model predictive control, fuzzy control, etc.)
• Willingness to work on numerical and experimental tasks
• Excellent teamwork and communication skills in an interdisciplinary and international research environment
• Motivation and self-discipline to carry out research independently
• Excellent command of English (spoken and written)
• Proficient programming skills (e.g., MATLAB, SIMULINK, Python, Dymola/Modelica) or other common process simulators

Our Offer

• A vibrant research community in an open, diverse and international work environment
• Scientific excellence and extensive professional networking opportunities
• A structured PhD program with a comprehensive range of continuing education and networking opportunities – more information about the PhD program at the HZDR can be found here
• Salary and social benefits in accordance with the collective agreement for the public sector (TVöD-Bund) including 30 days of paid holiday leave, company pension scheme (VBL)
• Depending on the personal qualifications, the candidate may be classified in salary group 13 according to TVöD-Bund
• We support a good work-life balance with the possibility of part-time employment, mobile working and flexible working hours
• Numerous company health management offerings
• Employee discounts with well-known providers via the platform Corporate Benefits
• An employer subsidy for the “Deutschland-Ticket Jobticket”

We look forward to receiving your application documents (including cover letter, CV, diplomas/transcripts, etc.), which you can submit via our online-application-system.