Postdoctoral Research Associate - Engine System Computational Fluid Dynamic

at  Oak Ridge National Laboratory

OVERVIEW:

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science national laboratory, ORNL has an extraordinary 80-year history of solving the nation’s biggest problems. We have a dedicated and creative staff of over 6,000 people! Our vision for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) is to cultivate an environment and practices that foster diversity in ideas and in the people across the organization, as well as to ensure ORNL is recognized as a workplace of choice. These elements are critical for enabling the execution of ORNL’s broader mission to accelerate scientific discoveries and their translation into energy, environment, and security solutions for the nation.
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate who will support the Fuel Science and Engine Technologies Research Group in the Buildings and Transportation Science Division, Energy Science and Technology Directorate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The mission of the Fuel Science and Engine Technologies Research Group is to develop decarbonization technology solutions that enable the use of low-life-cycle carbon fuels within mobile and stationary energy systems through experiments and modeling of advanced engine technologies with a focus on off-road applications. The successful candidate(s) will be capable of performing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of internal combustion engines, other energy systems and multi-dimensional reacting flows using a variety of combustion and turbulence models and codes. The selected applicant will be involved in both applied and fundamental combustion research and flammable working fluid projects, targeting off-road transportation technologies and stationary energy conversion device applications.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:

• A PhD in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or a related field with a focus on combustion, fuel chemistry or internal combustion engines completed within the last 5 years.
• Knowledge of internal combustion engine fundamentals, turbulent combustion modeling, parallel computing and chemical kinetics is required.
• Experience in modeling and simulation of reacting flows using CFD codes (e.g., CONVERGE, OpenFoam, KIVA, NEK5000, etc) is required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Applicants should have experience in some of the following:
• Chemical kinetic mechanism analysis and development (0-D up to 3-D simulations)
• Turbulence modeling (RANS and LES)
• Combustion modeling (Direct chemistry, Level-set, Coherent Flamelet approaches, etc.)
• Fuel spray modeling (Lagrangian and VOF approaches, etc.)
• Conjugate heat transfer modeling
• Experience with data science, machine learning, response surface design, and optimization algorithms is desirable.
• Experience performing simulations on large Linux based clusters and supercomputers is desired.
• Strong interpersonal skills fostering teamwork and collaborations.
• Demonstrated publication record of scientific results in high impact peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national meetings, are expected.
• Motivated self-starter with the ability to work independently and to participate creatively in collaborative teams across the laboratory
• Ability to function well in a fast-paced research environment, set priorities to accomplish multiple tasks within deadlines, and adapt to ever-changing needs
• Proficient oral and written communication skills are encouraged.
  Some travel will be required for this position.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and availability of funding.
Please submit three letters of reference when applying to this position. You may upload these directly to your application or have them sent to postdocrecruitment@ornl.gov with the position title and number referenced in the subject line.

Instructions to upload documents to your candidate profile:

• Login to your account via jobs.ornl.gov
• View Profile
• Under the My Documents section, select Add a Document

• Conduct pioneering research projects in applied/fundamental combustion and fuel property effects using modern modeling techniques.
• Collaborate with experimentalists to improve synergy between experimental and modeling results.
• Be familiar with the state-of-the-art modeling techniques, internal combustion engine and fuel/ flammable working fluid chemistry research.
• Report research results in peer-reviewed journal articles, conference presentations, project reviews, and reports.
• Collaborate with the larger external research community by sharing experimental data sets for advancing predictive model development, and gaining insight on the required experiments to further these goals.
• Assist in expanding research portfolio to take advantage of multi-disciplinary teams, tools, and capabilities unique to ORNL, both internally and externally. Collaborate with other multi-physics modeling groups within the laboratory.
• Maintain strong dedication to the implementation and perpetuation of values and ethics
• Deliver ORNL’s mission by aligning behaviors, priorities, and interactions with our core values of Impact, Integrity, Teamwork, Safety, and Service. Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility by fostering a respectful workplace – in how we treat one another, work together, and measure success.