PhD Student (f/m/d) Dynamic Modeling and Experimental Analysis of Supercritical CO2 Brayton Cycles in Waste Heat Recovery

Organization unit:
Institute of Fluid Dynamics

Place of work/ Working hours:
Dresden-Rossendorf
29,25 h/week

Hire date:
1 January 2027

Limitation:
31 December 2029

For any questions, do not hesitate to ask:
Dr. Riley Bradley Barta Tel.: +49 351 260 3779

Deadline:
6 November 2026

Online application
English / German
Job-Id: 2026/129 (2309)

At HZDR, we promote and value diversity among our employees. We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds regardless of gender, ethnic and social origin, belief, disability, age, and sexual orientation. Severely disabled persons are given preference in the event of equal suitability.

Helmholtz-Zentrum
Dresden-Rossendorf
Bautzner Landstraße 400
01328 Dresden

PhD Student (f/m/d) 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 (f/m/d) 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.

Contact

Team Recruiting
Email: [email protected]

Job Vacancies at the Helmholtz Association