PhD Student

Job description

A PhD position focused on experiments to study physics of multiphase/viscoelastic flow in porous media.
You will perform cutting-edge scientific research in the context of the ERC Starting Grant “FLOWSCOPY: Unravelling unsteady fluid flows in porous media with 3D X-ray micro-velocimetry”. Fluid flows in porous materials are a widespread phenomenon, just think of groundwater flow in the subsurface. The behavior of the flow on the large scale, for example how a pollutant spreads in a soil after an environmental disaster, is controlled by how fluids work their way through a maze of minuscule, interconnected pores in the material. Such flows involve complex fluid physics that are currently far from being fully understood. However, there is a major challenge to study this: how do you measure fluid flow in minuscule pores inside a material? In this project, new techniques will be developed to solve this using high-resolution X-ray CT, based on principles used in hospitals to image patients, but at a hundred times higher resolution. By introducing specially designed particles into the flow and tracking their motion with new computer algorithms, we will be able to measure fluid flows that are representative of realistic processes in the subsurface, leading to better models of groundwater flows, and of how CO2 and hydrogen can be stored in porous rock layers in the subsurface.
As a PhD student performing fundamental research on this project, your task will be to design and perform new experiments to study the physics of fluid flows in porous materials. Specifically, you will investigate two-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous flow of water and air) and/or viscoelastic flow (flows of liquids that change their viscosity depending on the flow). You will characterize the different flow regimes that can occur due to their highly non-linear and fluctuating nature, and will investigate how this correlates to the pore geometry in real porous materials. To do this, you will apply novel 3D X-ray imaging techniques and will contribute to their development led by other researchers on this project. The work is meant to lead to a PhD degree after 4 years.

Job profile

• You hold a Master’s degree (preferably) Physics, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical engineering, Hydro(geo)logy, or equivalent; by the time of starting this position.
• You are a keen experimentalist who enjoys lab work and building/modifying experimental set-ups.
• You have at least basic programming skills in Python/Matlab or another programming language.
• Experience with fluid dynamics, imaging or porous media is a plus.
• You have strong analytical and critical thinking skills, enabling you to design new experiments in function of theoretical questions.
• You have an excellent academic track record and an excellent command of the English language.
• You are a team player with excellent scientific and interpersonal communication skills.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on 1 October 2024 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

How to apply

Apply online via Google Forms: https://forms.gle/akuqNEkwk87GXpuK9
ATTENTION: applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until suitable candidates are found, so please do not delay your application. Applications will close on 30th September 2024 at the latest. We do not accept late applications.
For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Tom Bultreys (Tom.Bultreys@UGent.be).
Visit https://pprogress.ugent.be/ and https://www.ugent.be/we/ugct/en for more information on the research group.