Postdoc Position in Highly Flexible R718 High Temperature Heat Pumps at SDU Sønderborg

The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) invites applications for a 2-year postdoc position in the area of sustainable cooling and heating technologies. The candidate will be offered the exciting opportunity to provide ground source R718 high temperature heat pumps with highly operational flexibility. All the activities will be carried out within the GEOSYN project in close collaboration with relevant industrial and academic partners. 

The application deadline is 30 September 2024 at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST) 

Unique opportunity

The SDU Cooling and Heating Research Group is a recently established investigation unit in the lately founded Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering (IME). IME is building up a Mechanical Engineering Degree and laboratories to support the educational activities as well as its research and commercial activities. Therefore, the candidate will have the unique opportunity to influence the further development of both the research group and the IME. 

Workplace description

IME covers innovation, research and education spanning from fundamentals to applications of engineering science. All our courses are taught in English reflecting the fact that more than half our students and staff are internationals. The Cooling and Heating Research Group is located at SDU's beautiful campus in Sønderborg, in the inspiring building of Alsion, which is a centre for science, culture and learning in the heart of Sønderborg and perched on the strait of water separating the island of Als from the mainland. The university has very close relations to the industry in Sønderborg, Southern Denmark and Northern Germany, among others. A significant fraction of the projects in the centre are conducted in close cooperation with the industry, which count world leading companies in crucial fields, such as e-mobility and energy efficiency.

Research project 

GEOSYN aims at developing and demonstrating an R718 high temperature heat pump coupled with a heat-powered R718 chiller to simultaneously maximise the cascading use of geothermal energy with the option to connect to underground thermal energy storage and operation flexibility. This GEOSYN solution meets the specific requirements of various industrial sectors, while offering advantages, such as increased access to geothermal energy, enhanced efficiency, avoidance of environmental hazards, increased safety and improved social acceptance.

The proposed solution is designed to efficiently utilise geothermal energy in relevant environments. This solution is expected to significantly enhance the cascading (multi-stage) use of geothermal energy, providing a breakthrough for the heating sector and enabling many industrial sectors to move to renewable source-based heating solutions to enhance affordability, security, sustainability and efficiency and to further diversify the technology portfolio. By integrating industrial processes, the GEOSYN solution addresses new sectors for geothermal energy exploitation. It is adaptable to local needs, supports community energy models for a socially acceptable energy transition and accommodates various geological and geothermal conditions. Additionally, it allows the use of actual future-proof fluids, such as water, while improving heating and cooling efficiency compared to conventional solutions. The GEOSYN project will overcome existing obstacles that hinder the widespread adoption of geothermal heat in industrial sectors as described in the Policy Support for Heating and Cooling Decarbonisation Roadmap. To enhance the efficiency of geothermal heat utilisation across Europe and address the discrepancy between production and load, the adoption of storage systems and smart controls is crucial, as they augment system flexibility. The GEOSYN solution spans the entire value chain, involving research institutes, providers of heat pump and refrigeration systems, non-governmental organisations and end-users. The GEOSYN consortium consists of 10 organisations from 5 different countries (Italy, Denmark, France, Norway, Ukraine) representing different levels of geothermal maturity and with extensive experience in the sector, from both the technological and social sciences points of view.

The GEOSYN project has received funding from the HORIZON-CL5-2024-D3-01 call.

Job description

The successful candidate will:

• be the key person implementing the dynamic simulation models of the ground source R718 high temperature heat pumps integrated with a heat-powered refrigeration system in different case studies, validating the models against experimental data and implementing effective operational flexibility strategies (e.g., starting-up and ramping-up).
• carry out the technical, dissemination and management activities related to the GEOSYN project.
• be involved in the daily supervision of Ph.D., Master and Bachelor students working on similar scientific topics.
• publish her/his work in scientific journals with high impact.
• assist in teaching activities.
• be engaged in funding applications.

Profile and requirements

The successful candidate should have:

• a PhD degree in Mechanical (or Energy or similar) Engineering.
• a strong background in Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, Control Engineering and Energy Conversion Systems.
• experience in implementing dynamic simulation models of energy systems (preferably of vapour-compression cooling and/or heating systems by using Dymola/Modelica).
• great capacities to work both in team and independently.
• strong communication skills in English, both spoken and written.

Contact information

For further information, please visit https://www.sdu.dk/en/ime and contact Associate Professor Lars Duggen, (Head of Centre for Industrial Mechanics, tel. +45 65501640, e-mail: [email protected]) or Associate Professor Paride Gullo (tel. +45 65507314, email: [email protected]).

If you experience technical problems, please contact [email protected].

Conditions of employment

Appointment as postdoctoral researcher is temporary and for an initial 2-year period. Extension may be possible depending on available funding.

The preferred starting date is 1 January 2025.

Employment as a postdoc requires scientific qualifications at PhD level at the time of employment.

The successful applicant will be employed in accordance with the agreement between the Ministry of Finance and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on salary and taxation.

Assessment and selection process

Read about the Assessment and selection process. 

Applications will be assessed by an assessment committee. Shortlisting may be applied. Only shortlisted candidates will receive a written assessment. Read about shortlisting at SDU. 

Interviews and tests may be part of the process.

Application procedure

Applicants are advised to read the SDU information on how to apply and specific faculty information for application at the Faculty of Engineering.

Assessment of candidates is based on the application material. Please include the following documents in English (in PDF-format): 

• Letter stating the interest, motivation and qualifications for the GEOSYN project (max. 2 pages).
• Curriculum Vitae, including personal contact information, describing research, along with any other relevant information, e.g. modelling skills, experience in the laboratory, teaching skills, experience abroad, industrial involvement, supervision qualifications, experience in projects and research proposal writing, etc. 
• Complete list of publications.
• 3 publications most relevant for the position, preferably with the applicant being the first author. Please attach as one PDF-file for each publication (only full text publications (i.e. no links) can form the basis for assessment of the application).
• Documentation of other qualifications with relevance to the position.
• Certificates/Diplomas (master’s and PhD degree) – incl. transcripts of grades in Danish and/or English. 

References (names and emails) and/or reference letters are strongly encouraged to be included.

UPLOAD GUIDE: Letter stating interest etc. shall be uploaded as ‘Cover letter’, Curriculum Vitae shall be uploaded as ‘Resume’. All other documents shall be uploaded as ‘Miscellaneous documents’. 

The application deadline is 30 September 2024 at 11.59 PM/23.59 (CET/CEST) 

Formalities

• According to the University of Southern Denmark’s internal guidelines, there must be at least three qualified applicants to an academic position before it can be filled.
• Documents must not contain a CPR number (civil registration number) – in this case, the CPR number must be crossed out.
• The application and CV must not exceed 10 MB. 

The University of Southern Denmark wishes to reflect the surrounding community and therefore encourages everyone, regardless of personal background, to apply for the position.

Further information for international applicants about entering and working in Denmark. You may also visit WorkinDenmark for additional information.

Further information about The Faculty of Engineering.