Phd Studentship - Performance Optimization Of Thermofluidic Components Through Low-Cost And Low-Tech Intensification Strategies on Temporary Contract At Imt Nord Europe H/F Direction générale de l'Institut Mines-Télécom

Workplace: Douai, France

Type of contract and duration: Doctoral fellowship, 3 years

THE PARTNERS

IMT Nord Europe - Center for Energy and Environnent

Public establishment belonging to IMT (Institut Mines-Télécom), placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, IMT Nord Europe has three main objectives: providing our students with ethically responsible engineering practice enabling them to solve 21st century issues, carrying out our R&D activities leading to outstanding innovations and supporting territorial development through innovation and entrepreneurship. Ideally positioned at the heart of Europe, 1 hour away from Paris, 30 min from Brussels and 1h30 from London, IMT Nord Europe has strong ambitions to become a main actor of the current industrial transitions, digital and environmental, by combining education and research on engineering and digital technologies.

Located on two main campuses dedicated to research and education in Douai and Lille, IMT Nord Europe offers research facilities of almost 20,000m² in the following areas:

- Digital science,
- Processes for industry and services,
- Energy and Environment,
- Materials and Processes.

For more details, visit the School's website and the Lab website:

www.imt-nord-europe.fr

https://research.imt-nord-europe.fr/energy-and-environment/

UCLA - Structures-Computer Interaction Laboratory

UCLA Samueli School of Engineering is a public engineering institution that is part of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), located in Los Angeles, California. It pioneers the frontiers of knowledge and innovation through transformative and inclusive research and education, addressing the world's grand challenges. Its mission is to educate the next generation of leaders and innovators who will engineer positive change to improve humanity globally, by developing scalable and accessible solutions with real societal impact.

The Structures-Computer Interaction Lab works at the intersection of mechanics, robotics, machine learning, and computer graphics. The lab uses mechanics to create robots and smart structures with unprecedented capabilities. In parallel, it employs robotics to uncover the fascinating mechanics behind advanced materials and biological locomotion. Machine learning-assisted physics based modeling of flexible structures and robots is a core theme of the group's research. Applied research projects include robotics and automation for precision agriculture.

For more details, visit the School's and the Lab website :

https://samueli.ucla.edu/

https://structures.computer/

The position is offered within the Center for Energy and Environment (CERI EE). This Teaching, Research and Innovation Center, hosts around fifty doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and includes 30 faculty members, 12 engineers and technicians, as well as 2 administrative assistants. Its research activities are organized around three thematic axes (Energy, Fluids and Transfers - Indoor Environmental Quality - Observations, Sources, and Physico-Chemical Atmospheric Processes) and two technical and expertise poles. The successful candidate will be affiliated with the team Energy, Fluids and Transfers.

BRIEF

This project is part of the ANR[1] RéCLasSIF initiative, which brings together a network of campuses under the national "Solutions for the Industry of the Future" label. Its objective is to accelerate innovation and promote the development of Industry 4.0 solutions.

In the global context of the energy transition and the growing industrial demand for efficient thermal management, this PhD project focuses on developing low-cost, low-tech, self-adaptive vortex generators as passive flow-control devices for various energy systems. Although several studies have implemented vortex generators to enhance convective heat transfer through improved mixing, this strategy frequently results in increased pressure drop and additional mechanical losses. Unlike conventional static devices, the vortex generators studied here adapt their shape and/or position naturally in response to flow conditions. This self-adaptative behavior enhances heat transfer without significantly increasing pressure losses, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency of the system. The project aims to deepen the understanding of the underlying fluid-structure interactions using a combination of high-resolution numerical simulations (CFD) and advanced experimental measurements (Stereoscopic PIV). A dedicated test bench will enable full-scale global performance characterization under variable flow conditions. Ultimately, the potential of this self-adaptive concept will be assessed with a view to its possible integration into real-world energy systems.

PHD OBJECTIVES

Building on the strong research expertise of both partners (IMT Nord Europe and UCLA), the PhD candidate will carry out both experimental and numerical investigations to develop an innovative tool for design optimization leading to cost-effective and advanced vortex generators concepts. The research plan includes:

· Development and implementation of a computational methodology integrating fluid-structure coupling in 2D and 3D unsteady flow regimes

· Cutting-edge experimental investigations (Stereo-PIV, 3D LDA) to identify the dominant flow mechanisms involved in vorticity generation (flow separation, vortex formation, flow reattachment, vortex breakdown and vortex instabilities) in unsteady operating conditions

· Parametric shape optimization using CFD combined with experimental validation, resulting in smart generators for flow control and heat/mass transfer intensification

· Dissemination of results through scientific publications and participation in international conferences

· Educational mission: teaching practical works and supervising student research projects

· International mobility: research stay at the University of California - Structures-Computer Interaction Laboratory, Los Angeles

Agence Nationale de la Recherche - French National Research Agency : The RéCLassif Project