PhD Candidate within thermal cycling of compact steam cycles

PhD Candidate within thermal cycling of compact steam cycles

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering has a vacancy for a

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About the position

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/ept) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) is seeking a PhD candidate to work with numerical analysis and experimental work applied to thermal cycling of compact steam cycles. The successful candidate will be employed full-time by NTNU for a period of three years.

The candidate will be supervised by Professor Lars O. Nord with expertise in thermal power plants, and process modelling and simulation.

Are you motivated to take a step towards a doctorate and open up exciting career opportunities? As a PhD Candidate with us, you will work to achieve your doctorate, and at the same time gain valuable experience that qualifies you for a further career in higher education and research, in and outside academia.

About the project

Energy efficiency and emission reduction are key challenges in offshore power production. Offshore technology is a strategic sector in Norway, which is a global leader in this field. The field of compact heat exchangers and steam cycles is also applicable to the marine sector and other applications where space and weight are limiting factors.

The project “DUOP - Deeper Understanding of Once-through steam generator Operational Physics,” is a collaborative and knowledge-building project funded by the Research Council of Norway and industry. It is based on a collaboration between NTNU, SINTEF, Cracow University of Technology, and industrial partners. DUOP aims to improve understanding of how Once-Through Steam Generators (OTSGs) operate. By combining advanced modelling with controlled experiments, the project will identify the root causes of damage that affect reliability and maintenance needs. A key focus is understanding how thermal stress, fatigue, creep, and corrosion influence OTSGs tubing during start-ups, shutdowns, and changing operating conditions.

DUOP brings together leading researchers and industry partners to advance compact OTSG technology for offshore applications, so the candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with relevant national and international industry. By enabling more efficient energy use, the project will help reduce emissions from offshore installations and support Norway’s leadership in low-emission offshore solutions. Thermal cycling can lead to creep-fatigue damage and is hard to directly measure. In addition, compact offshore OTSGs have different creep-fatigue characteristics from traditional boilers. Accurate models validated with experimental data are necessary to predict creep-fatigue.

The tasks for the PhD candidate include the following:

• Develop and simulate dynamic process models of compact steam cycles to investigate typical transient operation scenarios.
• Participate in experimental work at a steam laboratory.
• Develop automated scripting workflows to process, validate, and analyse measurement data from the steam laboratory.
• Perform transient thermal analysis based on measurement data and numerical analysis.
• Identify damage mechanisms under thermal stresses.
• Participate in developing a framework for dynamic optimisation of OTSG operation.

Duties of the position

• Complete the doctoral education, including PhD course work, until obtaining a doctorate
• Carry out research of good quality within the framework described above
• Publish academic papers and contribute to popular science dissemination
• Co-supervision of Master students
• Participate in the research group Heat-to-Power Laboratory (https://www.ntnu.edu/ept/heat-to-power)
• Participating in international activities such as conferences or research stays at foreign educational institutions
• Collaborating with relevant national and international industry

Required selection criteria

• You must meet the requirements for admission to the Faculty of Engineering’s Doctoral Programme (https://www.ntnu.edu/iv/doctoral-programme) see Section 6-1 of the PhD regulations for more information.
• You must have a relevant Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, or related field. Your degree must include a major independent project (minimum 30 ECTS) equivalent to a master’s thesis.
• Master students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented before starting the position and no later than 01.08.2027.
• You must have a strong and relevant academic background from your previous studies and have an average grade from your Master's degree study, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared to NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic foundation. If you have a weaker academic background, you may be considered if you can document that you are exceptionally suited for a PhD education, for example through relevant work experience and/or peer-reviewed academic works.
• Good oral and written presentation skills in English.
• A good understanding of steam-based power plants and heat exchangers.
• A good foundation in engineering thermodynamics and heat transfer.
• Experience with experimental work in a laboratory.

The appointment is to be made in accordance with NTNUs guidelines for recruitment positions for general criteria for the position.

PLEASE NOTE: For detailed information about what the application must contain, see paragraph “About the application”.

Preferred selection criteria

• A good understanding of process dynamics
• Experience with design of experiments
• Knowledge of thermal stresses and creep-fatigue damage in process equipment

Personal characteristics

To complete a doctoral degree (PhD), it is important that you are able to:

• Work independently
• Work in a structured way, set goals and make plans to achieve them
• Work constructively under pressure or in the face of adversity
• Show curiosity and a strong motivation for the subject
• Be flexible and open to adjusting the plan for the project as needed
• Willingness to constructively participate in a collaborative R&D project that includes participants from leading Academic Institutions, Research Organizations and Industry.

Emphasis will be placed on personal qualities.

We offer

• An exciting job with an important mission in society
• Developing tasks in a strong and international professional environment
• A professional development plan and follow-up during the PhD period
• Open and inclusive working environment with committed colleagues
• Working capital that can be used to implement the project
• Favorable terms as a member of the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund (SPK)

As a PhD Candidate at NTNU, you will have access to employee benefits.

Diversity

Diversity is a strength, and at NTNU we aim to be an employer that reflects the diversity in society and that makes use of the potential of the population's collective skills. Our vision is Knowledge for a better world and our values ​​are creative, critical, constructive and respectful. We believe that an organization that is equal, diverse, and gender-balanced is essential for us to achieve our goals.

We strive to attract employees with different skills, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to even better problem solving of our societal mission in research and education.

If you think this position is relevant and interesting, we encourage you to apply, regardless of gender, functional ability, and cultural background, or whether you have been out of work for a period of time.

At NTNU we want to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions. We have a number of measures to promote equality.

The Department of Energy and Process Engineering (EPT) has established EPT Women in Science. The group is focused on supporting female Research Assistants, PhD Candidates, Postdoctoral Fellows and permanent academic employees within the Department. This support aims to help develop the academic careers of female employees, and is also made visible to our student body, to encourage them to consider an academic path. As part of the EPT Women in Science initiative we continue to build on our international network, inviting prominent female academics within and beyond the field of Engineering to speak at our events.

Salary and conditions

In the position of PhD Candidate, code 1017, your gross salary will normally be NOK 580 000,- per annum depending on qualifications and seniority. A 2% statutory contribution to the State Pension Fund is deducted from the salary.

The employment period is 3 years for the doctoral work.

For employment as a PhD Candidate, it is a prerequisite that you gain admission to the PhD programme in in Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering (https://www.ntnu.edu/studies/phiv) within three months of your employment contract start date, and that you participate in an organized doctoral programme throughout the period of employment.

As an employee at NTNU, it is important that you keep yourself up to date with academic and organizational changes and adapt to them.

For the necessary professional and social interaction, it is a prerequisite that you are physically present and available to the institution on a daily basis.

The appointment is carried out in accordance with the principles of the State Employees Act, and Export control (legislation that regulates the export of knowledge, technology and services). Candidates who, after assessment of the application and attachments, are considered to be in conflict with the criteria in the latter act, will not be able to be employed.

About the application

The attachments (including a description of your scientific work) must accompany the application as these documents form the basis of the application assessment. The documents must be in Norwegian/a Scandinavian language or English.

Please note: the application will only be assessed on the basis of the information we have received by the application deadline. Therefore, make sure that your application clearly shows how your skills and experience meet the criteria described above. The application and all attachments must be sent electronically via Jobbnorge.no. If you are invited to an interview, you must bring certified copies of certificates and diplomas upon request.

The application must include:

• Transcripts and diplomas for Bachelor's and Master's degrees
• CV
• Copy of Master's thesis. If you have recently submitted your Master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed Master's degree must be presented before taking up the position.
• Short project outline containing proposals for an overall description of research questions, theoretical perspectives, and scientific methods to be used or developed (maximum 2 pages)
• Short letter of motivation (maximum 1 page)
• Publications and other relevant academic works if relevant, with a brief description of contributions
• Possibly certificates
• Names and contact information of three relevant referees

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both Bachelor's and Master's education, in addition to other higher education. If your institution uses “diploma supplement” (normal for most European institutions), you must attach this. A description of the documentation required can also be found here. If you already have a statement from Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir), please attach this as well.

Joint work will be considered. If it is difficult to identify your contribution to joint work, you must attach a brief description of your participation.

When assessing the best qualified, we emphasize necessary qualifications such as education, experience and personal suitability. Motivation for the position, ambitions, and potential for research will also count when assessing the candidates.

NTNU recognizes a wide range of academic contributions and has committed itself to The San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment and CoARA (responsible assessment of research and recognition of a greater breadth of academic contributions in accordance with NTNU's social mission).

General information

A public list of applicants with name, age, job title and municipality of residence is prepared after the application deadline. If you wish to be exempt from entry on the public applicant list, this must be justified. Assessment will be made in accordance with current legislation. You will be notified if the exemption is not granted.

If you think this position looks interesting and in line with your qualifications, you are welcome to apply.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Professor Lars O. Nord, email lars.nord@ntnu.no. If you have any questions about the recruitment process, please contact Megan Watkeys Norris, e-mail megan.norris@ntnu.no.

Application deadline: 15.12.2026

Anticipated starting date: No later than August 2027

For practical information about working at NTNU, please visit this webpage.

The city of Trondheim is located on the Trondheim Fjord in mid-Norway. It is a modern, Scandinavian city with a unique cultural scene. Trondheim has a growing and increasingly diverse population, currently of around 200 000, and is known as the tech capital of Norway. The Norwegian welfare state, including healthcare, schools and kindergartens, is among the best of its kind in the world. Professional, subsidized wrap-around care for school children in grades 1-4 is easily available. Trondheim has two International Schools, and the public school system offers Norwegian language support to international children whose families have relocated to Trondheim. Trondheim has low crime rates, clean air and water, and offers great opportunities for enjoying nature and culture.