Doctoral student in Heating and Cooling with Phase Change Material Storage - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Energy and Environmental Systems, Energy Technology

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [UN, 2015] contain a matrix of visions towards a sustainable future. Associated with several SDGs, energy storage is one of the solutions to reach goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy through energy shifting and peak shaving, goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities with better use of decentralized energy sources and goal 13 Climate Action with higher integration of intermittent renewable energy among others. Thermal energy storage with Phase Change Materials (PCMs) are in focus for their small temperature swing and high energy storage density.

We aim to investigate the potential of using Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in combination with underground thermal energy storage (UTES) and heat pumps for accelerating heating and cooling transition. Here we will perform technical-economic analysis of existing energy storage systems. The three goals are: Monitoring ongoing projects with key performance indicators in different climate regions; development of integrated UTES with PCM with optimized control strategies to cover both short/long term storage; and business cases development with environmental and economic sustainability considerations. During the work, the PhD candidate is expected to have international cooperation with EU partners and nationally from the respective projects funding the doctoral project. The final outcome of this project will serve as benchmark for other thermal energy storage projects and will be published in both scientific and popular science journals with a final dissemination workshop.

Supervision:  Assoc. Prof. Docent Justin Chiu as the main supervisor of the doctoral student. Dr. Saman Nimali Gunasekara as the co-supervisor is proposed to supervise the doctoral student. Decisions are made on admission

What we offer

• The possibility to study in a dynamic and international research environment in collaboration with industries and prominent universities from all over the world.Read more
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement.
• A postgraduate education at an institution that is active and supportive in matters pertaining to working conditions, gender equality and diversity as well as study environment.
• Work and study in Stockholm, close to nature and the water.
• Help to relocate and be settled in Sweden and at KTH.

Admission requirements

To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 § Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:

• passed a second cycle degree (for example a master's degree), or
• completed course requirements of at least 240 higher education credits, of which at least 60 second-cycle higher education credits, or
• acquired, in some other way within or outside the country, substantially equivalent knowledge
• Completed coursework or course modules in engineering thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluid mechanics is required in accordance with admission criteria for the specified third cycle studies.
• Knowledge in environmental engineering and engineering economics is a merit.

In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6, read more here

Selection

In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:

• independently pursue his or her work
• collaborate with others,
• have a professional approach and
• analyse and work with complex issues.

After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal competency. 

Target degree: Doctoral degree

Information regarding admission and employment

Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years ' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time.

Union representatives

You will find contact information for union representatives on KTH's website.

Doctoral section (Students’ union on KTH Royal Institute of Technology)

You will find contact information for doctoral section on the section's website.

Application

Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.

Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/entral European Summer Time).

Applications must include the following elements:

• CV including your relevant professional experience and knowledge.
• Application letter with a brief description of why you want to pursue research studies, about what your academic interests are and how they relate to your previous studies and future goals. (Maximum 2 pages long)
• Copies of diplomas and grades from previous university studies and certificates of fulfilled language requirements (see above). Translations into English or Swedish if the original document is not issued in one of these languages.Copies of originals must be certified.
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

Striving towards gender equality, diversity and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.

For information about processing of personal data in the recruitment process please read here.

We firmly decline all contact with staffing and recruitment agencies and job ad salespersons.

Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.