Open positions

Ph.D. position in gas-lubricated bearings

Mission

The Laboratory for Applied Mechanical Design (Prof. Schiffmann) is looking for a PhD researcher whose mission is to create, model, investigate, and test novel gas-bearing designs to enhance their static and dynamic performance for high-speed turbomachinery applications in heat pumps, fuel cells, and waste heat recovery. The project is co-financed by an industrial partner.

Profile

Applicants should have completed or are in the process of completing their Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering or Computational Science. We are expecting a solid scientific background in (1) modeling approaches for dynamic systems, (2) excellent programming skills, (3) model order reduction techniques, (4) surrogate modeling, (5) multi-objective optimization, and (6) experimental methods. Good communication skills (written and oral) in English are a must; French is a plus.

We offer

Starting date: The ideal starting date would be as soon as possible.

How to apply: Only applications submitted through the online platform will be considered. Apply here

For more information about the position and how to apply, please visit the following link (PhD GasBearings).

Ph.D. Positions in Gas-Bearing Supported Turbocompressors

Mission: We have two open positions for PhD candidates to work on small scale, gas bearing supported turbocompressors for driving domestic-scale heat pumps. The goal is to improve energy efficiency by 20-25% compared to state-of-the-art.

Position 1: Creation of a fast framework for the automated design and constrained optimization of gas-bearing supported turbocompressors focusing on maximizing performance and robustness à Background in model order reduction techniques, surrogate modeling approaches (ML & AI), data-driven approaches, multi-objective and multi-disciplinary optimization, and systems engineering.

Position 2: The design and impact of flexibly supported bushings on the non-linear behavior of gas-bearing supported rotors to enhance the rotordynamic performance and resilience to external shocks, vibrations & manufacturing deviations à Background in gas-lubricated bearings, non-linear rotordynamics, modeling approaches for dynamic systems, structural mechanics, and experimental methods.

The candidates will work in close collaboration with teams from the Scientific Computing and Uncertainty Quantification Lab (CSQI) and the Laboratoire d’Automatique (LA) at EPFL.

We offer

Starting date: The ideal starting date would be as soon as possible.

Our lab values diversity and is composed of individuals from various nationalities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage applicants of all genders, backgrounds, and from any location to apply.

For more information about the position and application details, please visit the following link (PhD TurboHeat).

Postdoc Position in Turbocompressor-Driven Heat Pumps

Mission: We have an open postdoc position to work on turbocompressor-driven heat pumps HVAC systems. The goal is to improve energy efficiency by 20-25% compared to state-of-the-art. The project addresses key design and control challenges at small scales.

 Profile: Ideal candidates should have expertise in turbomachinery aerodynamics, heat pumps, dynamic system modeling, model order reduction, and experimental methods.

Strong collaboration skills and a positive attitude are essential for interdisciplinary teamwork.

The postdoc will contribute to the thermodynamic modeling, design, and optimization of turbocompressor-driven heat pump systems, working closely with EPFL’s Scientific Computing and Uncertainty Quantification Lab (CSQI) and Laboratoire d’Automatique (LA).

We Offer
Become part of a diverse, collaborative research environment. We welcome applicants from various nationalities, backgrounds, and genders to apply.

For more information about the position and how to apply, please visit the following link (PostDoc  TurboHeat).