PhD on Design, manufacturing and testing of liquid metal heat shielding concepts

Laser powder bed fusion of tungsten components for nuclear fusion

A key aspect to enable nuclear fusion as a cost-effective and reliable energy source is how to mitigate the heat load on the reactor wall and ensure its lifetime. A potential solution are liquid metal heat shields, where a liquid metal is captured in a capillary solid skeleton. High purity tungsten will be used as the structural skeleton material in liquid metal divertor components. The concept of additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, offers the geometrical flexibility required for these intrinsically complex components. Specifically, the laser powder bed fusion process offers a high geometrical accuracy for the required internal features. However, several of the outstanding properties that lead to the choice of tungsten as the material for the divertor components, at the same time make this material extremely difficult to process by additive manufacturing. A new laboratory for developing these Liquid Metal Shields for fusion (LiMeS-lab), is being jointly set up by DIFFER and TU/e, and includes a laser additive manufacturing facility specifically tailored for refractory metals has been installed at TU/e.

Vacancy for a PhD-student with an experimental focus

This project focuses on liquid metal heat shielding concepts, providing the required capillary geometrical substructures in refractory metals and tungsten in particular.  For this purpose, the laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing process for the fabrication of these components are developed in close collaboration with the modelling work in a parallel project. For this purpose, you will:

• Optimize the laser powder bed fusion process for high accuracy manufacturing of crack-free tungsten components and surface textures, based on in-situ process monitoring and experimental post-production characterization.
• Design and manufacture the heat shielding components and its capillary substructure.
• Experimentally test their functional performance under realistic loading conditions using the LiMeS infrastructure.

Section Mechanics of Materials

You will work in the section of Mechanics of Materials (MoM) at the department of Mechanical Engineering at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e). The research activities of the MoM section concentrate on the fundamental understanding of various macroscopic problems in materials processing, forming and application, which emerge from the physics and the mechanics of the underlying material microstructure. The main challenge is the accurate prediction of mechanical properties of materials with complex microstructures, with a direct focus on industrial and societal needs. The thorough understanding and modelling of processes that can be identified in the complex evolving microstructure is thereby a key issue. The section has a unique research infrastructure, both from an experimental and computational perspective.

Requirements:

• A talented, motivated, enthusiastic candidate with strong analytical skills, initiative, creativity, and flexibility.
• An MSc-degree (with high grades) in Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or Materials Science.
• A background and strong interest in mechanics of materials.
• Experience in experimental (micro-)mechanics and additive manufacturing is of benefit.
• Excellent oral communication and writing skills in English.

Salary Benefits:

A challenging job in a dynamic and ambitious university in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network, with the possibility to present your work at international conferences. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station. In addition, we offer you:

• A full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate (go/no-go) evaluation after 9 months. You will spend 10% of your employment on teaching tasks.
• You're offered an advanced PhD-level training program in the field of Engineering Mechanics, organized by Dutch Graduate School on Engineering Mechanics (engineeringmechanics.nl).
• To support you during your PhD and to prepare you for the rest of your career, you will have free access to a personal development program for PhD students, as well as various high-quality training programs and other support to grow into a self-aware, autonomous scientific researcher. At TU/e we challenge you to take charge of your own learning process.
• Salary and benefits (such as a pension scheme, paid pregnancy and maternity leave, partially paid parental leave) in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities, scale P (min. €2,872 max. €3,670), that far exceeds that of most Anglo-Saxon countries.
• Additionally, a year-end bonus of 8.3% and annual vacation pay of 8%.
• An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
• A broad package of fringe benefits, including an excellent technical infrastructure, moving expenses, and savings schemes.
• Family-friendly initiatives are in place, such as an international spouse program, and excellent on-campus children day care and sports facilities.
• A Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the 30% facility) for international candidates.

38 hours per week

De Rondom 70