Postdoc Optical Metrology for Full-Scale Crash Testing of Hydrogen Aircraft Tanks

Job description

Challenge: Full-field optical measurements of a hydrogen tank crash test
Change: High-speed stereo DIC linked directly to crash simulations
Impact: Safe and certifiable hydrogen-powered aircraft

Job description

Liquid hydrogen is a key option for climate-neutral aviation, but it must be stored at cryogenic temperatures in tanks integrated in the fuselage. These tanks have to stay intact and safe in a crash. This position is part of the European Clean Aviation project CRYOSTAR, where, together with our partners, we work to ensure the crashworthiness of hydrogen-powered aircraft. The project combines numerical modelling, material characterisation and full-scale testing. Its highlight is a unique full-scale drop test of a cryogenic liquid hydrogen tank installed in an aircraft fuselage section, performed on site at the test facility of our industrial partner in Italy in 2027. You will be part of this test campaign: you will be responsible for the full-field optical measurements with digital image correlation (DIC) and support the other dynamic measurements.
In this 12-month position, you will plan and perform the stereo DIC measurements with high-speed cameras, and link the DIC results to the numerical crash models for their validation. Your tasks include:
designing the high-speed stereo imaging setup for DIC and marker (fiducial) tracking;
test measurements in the TU Delft laboratory and the measurements during the final drop test on site;
processing the image data into displacements, strains and motions of the test article;
linking the DIC results to the finite element models.
The full-scale drop test will be done only once, your task is to make the measurements robust. You will work closely with the partners who perform the test, acquire the sensor data and develop the crash simulations, and you will contribute to the definition of the test instrumentation. Your results will also feed the digital thread that TU Delft develops in the project, linking the design and certification of hydrogen tanks.
In addition to the main project, you may contribute to ongoing research and educational projects with your expertise in optical metrology. You can also develop and test your own initiative ideas and directions of research.
You will be required to communicate your results both in academic settings (journal papers and conferences) and towards an industrial audience. In this position, you will be supervised by Dr. Andrei Anisimov. You will work in the TU Delft project team with Dr. Francesco Orefice and Dr. Saullo Castro.
This position is at the Optical Metrology for Aerospace (OMA) research group within the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of Delft University of Technology. OMA is a young, interdisciplinary and international research group with a focus on optical instrumentation for metrology applications, efficient non-destructive inspection and material characterisation.
Job requirements
You are a motivated researcher looking to apply your experimental and analysis skills in a unique full-scale test, and to connect measurements with models. You can work independently in an EU project and be responsible for the deliverables.
You also have:
A PhD in optics, computer vision, experimental mechanics, aerospace engineering or a related field.
Hands-on experience with digital image correlation (DIC), ideally high-speed stereo.
Experience in correlating DIC data with finite element models for model validation.
Experience with image processing and data analysis.
Broader experience in optical metrology or computer vision is a plus.
Willingness to travel to the test facility in Italy for the test campaign (short period).
You will work with many partners from industry and research, both on site and online. Therefore, English proficiency and the ability to communicate your work to academic and industrial audiences are required.
TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)