PhD position in upgrading of Hydrothermal Liquefaction bio-crude

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Biological and Chemical Engineering programme. The position is available from 01 January 2025 or later. You can submit your application via the link under 'how to apply'.

Title:
PhD position in upgrading of Hydrothermal Liquefaction bio-crude

Research area and project description:
Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is a thermochemical processing technology that has been receiving increased interest to produce sustainable fuels from waste such as sewage sludge.

In several previous and on-going projects we have shown that high yields of bio-crude can be produced from sewage sludge in a sustainable manner. The bio-crude is a black, viscous oil resembling petroleum crude but has many differences such as higher viscosity, elevated content of O and N and acidity. Such parameters can be improved using typical catalytic hydrotreatment, as it is also common in petroleum refineries, but new and innovative processes could be more suitable to upgrade the renewable HTL bio-crude.

The current PhD position is available through a collaborative Horizon Europe project called EffiTorch. The project has 8 partners from Spain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium and Austria. The project will last for 4 years, starting 01.10.2024. It is a collaborative project so frequent exchange and collaboration with the other partners is essential.

The overall idea is to use HTL bio-crude as a feedstock for gasification which could bring the technology to market faster and also benefit the gasification process. In order to achieve the best outcome in the downstream gasification process (performed by another project partner) it is desirable to reduce the viscosity of the biocrude and/or reduce the heteroatom content.
Therefore, the PhD project will investigate bio-crude upgrading technologies that don’t necessarily target drop-in fuel quality but entail sufficient upgrading of the bio-crude so it can be atomized for gasification. This should be done at relatively low cost and complexity which should be reflected in the optimal technological solution the PhD project seeks to identify and develop.

Several approaches have been identified provisionally and include mild catalytic hydrotreatment, physical and chemical modification or changes to the HTL reaction itself. The Phd student is expected to work experimentally on novel upgrading solutions to HTL bio-crude, carrying out optimisations, analysis of the fuels and critically evaluating existing work from the literature to further improve the outcomes of the project. Some of the techniques involved in the research include GC-MS analysis, viscosity analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, GC-FID analysis, elemental analysis and general chemical and engineering laboratory work.

Project description (½-4 pages). This document should describe your ideas and research plans for this specific project. If you wish to, you can indicate an URL where further information can be found.

Qualifications and specific competences:
Applicants to the PhD position must have a recent, relevant Master’s degree (e.g. Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or similar fields).

Prior experience in operating chemical engineering laboratory equipment is desired. Knowledge and practical experience with thermochemical processing technologies, petroleum processing, biofuels or similar areas is expected. The applicant should have some experience in chemical analysis of biofuels or similar products using common analytical techniques.

The successful candidate has demonstrated excellent academic results. The ideal person has good collaboration skills and is also able to work independently.

Candidates should upload a brief (~0.5 page) project description with a description of ideas or suggestions on how to tackle the PhD project and how upgrading of the HTL bio-crude for reduced viscosity could be achieved.

Place of employment and place of work:
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Hangøvej 2, 8200 Aarhus N., and Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark.

Contacts:
Applicants seeking further information are invited to contact:

• Patrick Biller, [email protected] (main supervisor)

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 23 September 2024 at 23:59 CEST

Preferred starting date is 01 January 2025.

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be taken into account.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.