PhD Studentship on Numerical and experimental study of three-phase flows

We offer a PhD studentship to conduct CFD simulations, visualization and measurements of the three-phase (air-water-solid particles) flow in pipes. Commercial (Ansys) and open (OpenFoam) CFD codes and clusters with 250 cores and 1280 cores are available. An experimental rig constituted by horizontal, vertical upward and vertical downward transparent pipes as well as bends has been already constructed in our labs, which are equipped with flow visualization and measurement techniques. Information about our research group activities can be found at http://ecommfit.urv.es/

ECoMMFiT was created in the year 2000 as a research group of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV). It is a multidisciplinary group although most of its researchers belong to the area of Fluid Mechanics of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the URV.

The selected candidate will apply for a fellowship of the Catalan Government which will be open during September 2018. If the application succeeds incorporation is expected by March 2019. The PhD studentship is for three years and it is renewable yearly. Gross salary is about 14.400€ for the first year and the contract includes a health insurance. Support and help to fill the application, including the elaboration of the PhD program and objectives will be provided by us.

 

Job description

The dynamics of three-phase flows, gas-liquid-solid mixtures (G/L/S), involves complex phenomena and their characterization is relevant for several sectors of the industry. Three-phase flows are present in a wide range of industrial processes, from the production stages of oil and gas to the different stages of refinement and production of petroleum products. G/L/S are found in the transport of biomass or in some chemical reactors, in nuclear waste decommissioning, pulp and paper production and in many applications with air injections. In summary, it is important to characterize and optimize three phase flows from a practical point of view but it is also relevant the fundamental understanding of the dynamics of the momentum transfer between the different phases to control and manipulate these flows and the potential transport phenomena involved.