PhD in Dynamic CO₂ Capture and Conversion with Intermittent Renewable Power

Job description

Can you help turn CO₂ from the air into a renewable carbon resource? Join us to develop electrically heated reactors that combine direct air capture with CO₂ conversion—and work effectively with a fluctuating renewable electricity supply.
Information
Europe’s ambition for a fossil-fuel-free chemical industry calls for new ways to produce chemicals and fuels from circular carbon and green hydrogen. Renewable electricity creates exciting opportunities for electrification, but its intermittency challenges conventional process design. Within CO2URAGE, universities and industrial partners will develop intensified, electrified processes to produce syngas, methane, or methanol from CO₂ captured from air, biomass, or other circular sources.
This PhD position focuses on designing and operating electrified, structured packed-bed reactors for direct air capture and integrated CO₂ conversion under changing renewable power availability. Your central challenge is to maintain efficient capture, sorbent regeneration, and heat recovery as the available electrical power varies. Capturing CO₂ from air requires processing large air volumes, while regenerating the sorbent requires efficient heat supply. How can we design compact reactors that combine low pressure drop, rapid heating and cooling, and effective heat recovery?
You will investigate how 3D-printed reactor structures and resistive or inductive heating can improve heat management and reduce the electricity required to release captured CO₂. You will then explore the integration of sorbent regeneration with CO₂ hydrogenation to methane or syngas. Combining capture and conversion offers opportunities to use reaction heat, simplify processing, and improve overall energy efficiency.
You will combine reactor modeling and laboratory experiments to:
Design and test 3D-printed, electrically heated reactors for direct air capture.
Optimize capture cycles and heat recovery under fluctuating electricity supply and ambient conditions.
Explore integrated CO₂ capture and hydrogenation through modelling and proof-of-concept experiments.
The central scientific challenge is to understand how reactor structure, local heat supply and dynamic operation interact—and use that understanding to design energy-efficient capture and conversion processes.
You will pursue your PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology under the supervision of Prof. Martin van Sint Annaland. Within CO2URAGE’s work package Electrification of Direct Air Capture and Conversion, you will collaborate with researchers at the University of Twente and Delft University of Technology, as well as industrial partners. Your reactor research will connect directly with program activities in process control, system integration, and techno-economic and environmental assessment.

Requirements

A master’s degree (or an equivalent university degree) in chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, applied physics, or a closely related discipline.
A research-oriented attitude and a strong interest in transport phenomena, reactor engineering, and sustainable chemical processes.
Enthusiasm for combining mathematical modeling with hands-on experimental work.
Experience with experimental work in chemical reactor engineering, as well as experience with numerical modeling, programming, adsorption, catalysis, or electrified heating systems, would be valuable.
Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team and interest in collaborating with industrial partners.
Motivated to develop your teaching skills and coach students.
Fluent in spoken and written English (C1 level).

Conditions of employment

Fixed-term contract
: 4 years.
A meaningful job in a dynamic and ambitious university, in an interdisciplinary setting and within an international network. You will work on a beautiful, green campus within walking distance of the central train station.
In addition, we offer you:
Full-time employment for four years, with an intermediate assessment after nine months. You will spend a minimum of 10% of your four-year employment on teaching tasks, with a maximum of 15% per year of your employment.
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. € 3,204 - max. € 4,051 gross base salary per month (full-time)).
In addition to your base salary, you will receive an 8% holiday allowance and an 8.3% year-end bonus, both calculated based on your annual gross base salary.
Generous leave options: a standard 29 days (based on a 38 hour working week) per year that you can increase to 41 days by working two hours more per week (flexible working hours). This is prorated if you work part-time.
As a TU/e employee, you participate in the ABP pension scheme, providing retirement pension and pension benefits for surviving dependents and occupational disability. TU/e pays 70% of the pension premium, while employees contribute the remaining 30%.
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
.
An excellent technical infrastructure, and on-campus children's day care.
Unlimited access to the modern on‑campus
TU/e Student Sports Center at an exceptionally affordable rate.
We support your wellbeing with free 24/7 access to OpenUp, providing you and your family with mental health support, expert guidance, and online training.
An allowance for commuting, working from home and internet costs.
A
Staff Immigration Team and a tax compensation scheme (the
Expat Scheme
) for international candidates.
On our website you can discover even more information about our

conditions of employment

. Build on your career at TU/e!

Employer
TU/e
We are a leading international university where scientific curiosity meets a hands-on mindset. We work in an open and collaborative way with high-tech industries to tackle complex societal challenges. Our responsible and respectful approach ensures impact — today and in the future. TU/e is home to over 13,000 students and more than 7,000 staff, forming a diverse and vibrant academic community. Discover what
Light Up means to TU/e in our short company video
.
Our university is located in Brainport Eindhoven — a world‑leading tech region with more than 7,000 high‑tech companies and strong R&D activity. Known for breakthroughs in AI, photonics, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing, Brainport is a place where technology serves people and society. Learn more about the Brainport region here
.
The Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry bridges science and engineering to create sustainable solutions for society. By combining expertise in molecules, materials, and processes, we drive innovations that address global challenges in energy, circularity, health and future technology. Through world-class research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and strong industry partnerships, we educate engineers and scientists who turn scientific discoveries into technologies with lasting societal impact. Together, we create chemistry for a better world.

Additional information

Do you recognize yourself in this profile and would you like to know more? Please contact the hiring manager Prof. Martin van Sint Annaland, m.v.sintannaland@tue.nl
.
Visit our website for more information about the

application process

. You can also contact
HRServices.helix@tue.nl
.
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.
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