PhD Candidate in Process Systems Engineering

The Department of Chemical Engineering has a vacancy for a

PhD Candidate in Process Systems Engineering / Model Predictive Control

NTNU is a broad-based university with a technical-scientific profile and a focus in professional education. The university is located in three cities with headquarters in Trondheim.

At NTNU, 9,000 employees and 43,000 students work to create knowledge for a better world.

About the position

For a position as a PhD Candidate, the goal is a completed doctoral education up to an obtained doctoral degree.

The research objective of this project is to develop new Model Predictive Control algorithms for short term optimal operation of complex processes, that include contingency plans to drive the process to a safe operation regime in case of a fault.

The idea is to systematically combine methods from robust model predictive control, state estimation with online risk monitoring methods to account for fault scenarios, and to provide prioritized routes to reach a safe operation region. The contingency plans consider the current condition and state of the plant, as well as possible future degradation, maintenance and safety actions. A key aspect of this project is to systematically account for uncertainty in the models and operating conditions. A case study of hydrogen production will be used to validate the model predictive control algorithms.

The position is part of the PROSAFE MSCA doctoral training network. The recruited doctoral candidates will work as part of an international team of 12 doctoral candidates from universities and companies throughout Europe and will participate in professional and personal development training and undertake research within multidisciplinary fields of AI/ML and Process Systems Engineering for safe and efficient process operations.

Duties of the position

• Development of robust, fault-tolerant and safety-focused model-predictive control strategies that provide contingency plans for equipment and sensor failures
• Validation of the methods in simulations on simple examples and an industrial case study for hydrogen production. Prototype software implementations
• Participation in the mobility program of the doctoral network
  • 2-3 months at DTU (Danish University of Technology, Copenhagen)
  • 2-3 months in a partner company (Kairos, Denmark)
• Supervision of master students and assistance in teaching activities subject to department needs
• Participation in NTNUs Ph.D. program, including publishing results in scientific journals and international conferences

Required selection criteria

• Professionally relevant background in one of:
  • Process Systems Engineering
  • Process Control
  • Process Safety and Maintenance with knowledge in Model Predictive Control
• Good scientific programming skills (Julia, Python, Matlab, etc.)
• Some experience with nonlinear optimization methods and process modelling
• Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree program, where 120 credits are obtained at master's level
• You must have a strong academic background from your previous studies and an average grade from the master's degree program, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU's grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education
• Master's students can apply, but the master's degree must be obtained and documented by the agreed starting date.
• The applicant must not have resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Norway for more than 12 months in the past 3 years and be willing to spend several months at selected partner institutions.
• Good written and oral English language skills
• Knowledge in statistical learning/machine learning, state estimation techniques
• Experience with process modelling
• Experience with methods from Reliability, Availability, Safety, Maintenance

Personal characteristics

• Curious, friendly and self-motivated
• Goal oriented and structured
• Independent and reliable
• Willing to contribute to a nice research group atmosphere

Emphasis will be placed on personal and interpersonal qualities.

We offer

• Exciting and stimulating tasks in a strong international academic environment

As a PhD candidate (code 1017) you are normally paid from gross NOK 532200 per annum before tax, depending on qualifications and seniority. From the salary, 2% is deducted as a contribution to the Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.

The period of employment is 3 years. Appointment to a PhD position requires that you are admitted to the PhD programme in Chemical Engineering within three months of employment, and that you participate in an organized PhD programme during the employment period.

The engagement is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants, and the acts relating to Control of the Export of Strategic Goods, Services and Technology. Candidates who by assessment of the application and attachment are seen to conflict with the criteria in the latter law will be prohibited from recruitment to NTNU. After the appointment you must assume that there may be changes in the area of work.

The position is subject to external funding.

It is a prerequisite you can be present at and accessible to the institution daily.

About the application

The application and supporting documentation to be used as the basis for the assessment must be in English.

Publications and other scientific work must be attached to the application. Please note that your application will be considered based solely on information submitted by the application deadline. You must therefore ensure that your application clearly demonstrates how your skills and experience fulfil the criteria specified above.

The application must include:

• CV and certificates
• Transcripts and diplomas for bachelor's and master's degrees. If you have not completed the master's degree, you must submit a confirmation that the master's thesis has been submitted
• A copy of the master's thesis. If you recently have submitted your master's thesis, you can attach a draft of the thesis. Documentation of a completed master's degree must be presented before taking up the position
• Project proposal
• Name and contact information of three referees
• If you have publications or other relevant research work

If all, or parts, of your education has been taken abroad, we also ask you to attach documentation of the scope and quality of your entire education, both bachelor's and master's education, in addition to other higher education.

In the evaluation of which candidate is best qualified, emphasis will be placed on education, experience and personal and interpersonal qualities. Motivation, ambitions, and potential will also count in the assessment of the candidates.

NTNU believes that inclusion and diversity is our strength. We want to recruit people with different competencies, educational backgrounds, life experiences and perspectives to contribute to solving our social responsibilities within education and research. We will facilitate for our employees’ needs.

About NTNU

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) creates knowledge for a better world and solutions that can change everyday life.

Department of Chemical Engineering
We take chemistry from laboratory scale to industrial production. This demands a wide range of knowledge, from molecular processes and nanotechnology to building and operation of large processing plants. We educate graduates for some of Norway's most important industries. The Department of Chemical Engineering is one of eight departments in the Faculty of Natural Sciences.

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