Doctoral student in Energy/thermal comfort in public electric buses

Project description

Third-cycle subject: Energy Technology

The project the candidate will work on investigates the relationship between passengers’ thermal comfort, the thermal management of the drivetrain and battery, and the energy consumption for heating and cooling in electric buses operating in urban traffic. The goal is to minimize energy use in electric public transport buses through optimized climate and operational strategies.

Through field studies, simulations, passenger surveys, and pilot studies, the project will develop guidelines for operators and manufacturers. The project is expected to contribute to increased energy efficiency and accelerate the transition to sustainable public transport, in line with the call’s objective to promote applicable solutions for the energy transition of the transport system.

The candidate should have relevant education in Energy Technology, with a focus on climate control of occupied zones.

The project is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, Stockholm’s Public Transport Administration, and Nobina.

Supervision: Associate Professor Joachim Claesson 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.
• A workplace with many employee benefits and monthly salary according to KTH’s Doctoral student salary agreement

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

The applicant must hold a Master of Science in Energy Engineering, Building Physics, or a related field. A specialization in climate control, indoor environment, thermal comfort, or energy use in HVAC systems is particularly meritorious.

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

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
• analyze and work with complex issues.

Desirable qualifications for this position include:

• Solid understanding of thermal comfort, air quality, and climate system control, particularly in vehicles or buildings.
• Experience with field measurements, data collection, and energy use analysis.
• Knowledge of simulation and modeling of energy systems, preferably using tools such as MATLAB, TRNSYS, IDA ICE, or similar.
• Experience with vehicle systems, especially electric drivetrains and their interaction with HVAC.
• As parts of the project are conducted in the field with our project partners, proficiency in spoken Swedish is considered an asset.

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

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. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.

Union representatives

Contact information for union representatives.

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

Contact information for doctoral section.

To apply for the position

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/Central 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)
• Representative publications or technical reports. For longer documents, please provide a summary (abstract) and a web link to the full text.

Other information

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

It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.

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