Category Archives: Announcements

Assistant Professor Research (MHD), Coventry, UK

Job Title: Assistant Professor Research
Job Reference: 2430
Application Closing Date: 05/01/2025
Division, Department: Research Division, Research Centre for Fluid and Complex Systems (FCS)
Salary: Competitive starting salary range from £44,263 up to £49,794 per annum (dependent upon experience) with the potential to progress. A discretionary range for candidates with exceptional experience can be discssed/considered
Mode: Permanent, Full Time

 

 

Our Mission

Coventry University Group is a global education group with a mission of creating better futures. Driven by our passion and belief that through education, equity, and innovation our students, people, and communities are empowered to transform their lives and the world around them. Our people are the key to our success and each role within the group plays a key role in shaping the world around us.
The Research Centre for Fluid and Complex Systems specialises in fundamental and applied fluid mechanics and statistical physics and tackles problems in applied mathematics theoretical and experimental sciences with applications to natural, industrial but also societal processes. We have opportunity for an Assistant Professor in fluid mechanics to join the research centre, with the aim to reinforce research in magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) within the fluids research group.

The Role

 

As an Assistant Professor working within FCS you will actively contribute to the centre with 60% of your time being spent on relevant research and 40% spent on teaching. You will contribute to the research centre’s strategy, producing research with a demonstrable contribution to knowledge, society and the economy, growing the centre’s network of national and international collaborators. You will seek external funding through grants or contracts to support your research, whilst supervising relevant staff and students.

 

The group specialises in turbulence, instabilities, magnetohydrodynamics, transition and control, particulate flows, rotating flows, convection and plasma physics. The group is especially renowned for its cutting-edge research based on the application of these fields to industrial fluid mechanics, nuclear fusion, astrophysical fluid dynamics and especially geophysical fluid dynamics and planetary interiors.

 

The centre blends theoretical expertise with in-house experimental and numerical approaches. It operates at the core of a large network of international collaborators, conducting MHD experiments in collaboration with high magnetic field facilities. The centre aligns to REF Unit of Assessment 10 (Mathematics) and 95% its output was deemed internationally excellent or world-leading at the 2021 REF exercise. Its research is supported by UK and European funding bodies (UKRI, ERC and others), as well as industry.
Click here for more information on the centre’s work. https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/areas-of-research/centre-for-fluid-and-complex-systems/

 

Qualifications Required

A PhD in either physics, mathematics, or equivalent.

Our Successful Candidate

Candidates with expertise in any aspect of MHD, theoretical and experimental, are welcome. We particularly welcome candidates who can also connect to other topics within the group.
The successful applicant will demonstrate the ability to lead research within the remit of REF UoA 10 (mathematics) and deliver internationally excellent or world-leading outputs, industrial or societal impact, alongside the skills required to attract sufficient funding to help grow the centre’s research portfolio.
For informal enquiries about the position, please contact Prof. Alban Potherat aa4111@coventry.ac.uk (Fluids research group & Centre director)

The Benefits

As a staff member of Coventry University, you will have access to a wide range of industry leading rewards and benefits including:

•    Excellent Employers Pension Contribution
•    38 days Annual leave plus Bank Holidays
•    Holiday Purchase Scheme
•    BUPA Cash Plan
•    50% off Tuition Fee’s for staff dependants
•    CU Reward Scheme – Discounts across a range of Retailers
•    Electric Car Scheme
•    Cycle To work scheme

Our Culture

As a global Education Group, equality, diversity, and inclusion are embedded within the fabric of our organisation and are a key focus of our core values. We harness the power and potential of the diverse cultures, backgrounds, abilities, and experiences of our students, colleagues, and partners to create opportunities for all.

Full Job Description & Person Specification

Click here to view the full job description and person specification

 

Interviews will be held Thursday 16th January 2025

We look forward to hearing from you!

Ph.D. position in Numerical Simulation of Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows in rectangular ducts with flow control


from Prof. J. Schumacher and Dr. D. Krasnov at TU Ilmenau, Germany

INTRODUCTION: The Fluid Mechanics group of Prof. J. Schumacher at the Institute of Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics at TU Ilmenau has a broad experience and research interest in theoretical and numerical studies of turbulent flows, thermal convection and magnetohydrodynamic flows in channels and ducts as well as the development of corresponding reduced order models. We have developed a family of in-house flows solvers for performing direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulent flows at high-performance parallel supercomputers. The group participates in European high-performance computing initiative and is working in close collaboration with the German supercomputing facilities in Garching and Jülich. Over the past 20 years we have also established strong and active ties within the turbulence, convection and MHD communities world-wide.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A new research project, which is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), combines numerical studies in MHD flows with data-driven surrogate model development to control and optimize the heat and momentum transfer in these flows. The project is a collaborative effort between TU Ilmenau (Dr. D. Krasnov andProf. J. Schumacher, Mechanical Engineering) and TU Dortmund (Prof. S. Peitz, Computer Science).

More detailed, the project aims at studying the dynamics of liquid-metal flows in cooling blankets of fusion reactors. Liquid-metal blankets are an essential part of the TOKAMAK-type of fusion reactors, serving two important purposes: (i) withdrawing a huge amount of heat, produced by the plasma core and (ii) breeding of tritium fuel. Flows in such systems are exposed both to very strong thermal loads (due to neutron fluxes) and very strong magnetic fields (confinement of the plasma core). As a result, the overall flow dynamics is quite far from the usual hydrodynamic turbulence – the flows in blankets are known to exhibit highly intermittent states, anisotropic quasi-2D structures and random outbursts of excessively strong temperature fluctuations. In the project we will study such non-trivial dynamics and will explore novel promising concepts of their control by vortex promoters (e.g., flat jets) supplied at the duct entry. The ultimate goal is to embed an active control, capable of optimizing the heat and mass transport properties within a wide range of the parameter space. Therefore, the project is composed of two major topical and tightly linked parts – simulations of liquid metal flows and data analysis/development by machine learning. This will require active involvement of both parties, including regular research exchange and visits.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The main task of the Ph.D. student at TU Ilmenau is to perform simulations with an in-house Finite-Difference flow solver, to analyze the results, explore the mechanisms of magneto-convective instabilities and the associated flow structures. It will also include the development of data-driven models. Other responsibilities include contribution to writing research papers, reports and computing time proposals. The candidate will also be involved with a small load in the teaching (classes on basic fluid dynamics level) and in co-supervision of the local students at Master level.

PROFILE: Candidates are expected to have completed M.Sc. degree in one of the following programs: Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or Applied Mathematics.Experience in fluid mechanics with an emphasis on numerical simulations of unsteady flows are highly welcomed, but not compulsory. The same holds for skills in High-Performance Computing, parallel programming, or flow visualization. For applications or further questions on the opening please contact

PDF ver.: PhD.position.in.DNS.of.MHD.flows-JS[46]

Prof. Jörg Schumacher, Email: Joerg.Schumacher@tu-ilmenau.de

Dr. Dmitry Krasnov, Email: Dmitry.Krasnov@tu-ilmenau.de

PhD position: MHD pumps and separators for plasmas (UK, Coventry)

PhD Opportunity – Coventry University – UK Students Only

MHD pumps and separators for plasmas – This PhD is open to UK students only, so please share with any contacts to whom this may be of interest. Please contact Prof. Alban Potherat (Alban.Potherat@coventry.ac.uk) for an informal discussion in the first instance.

MHD pumps and separators for plasmas at Coventry University on FindAPhD.com

STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships

STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellowships | Coventry University

The Fluid and Complex Systems Research Centre (FCS) at Coventry University is looking to host a prestigious Ernest Rutherford Fellowship (ERF).

These fellowships support early career researchers with leadership potential, enabling them to establish independent research programmes. Targeting researchers without permanent academic positions, applications should align with the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) core science areas, including astronomy, solar and planetary science, particle physics, particle astrophysics, cosmology, nuclear physics, and accelerator physics.

Key details

  • Duration & funding: The fellowship is for 5 years, covering salary, research expenses, and travel funding. However, Coventry University has agreed to make this role permanent (grade 8) following the successful award and completion of the fellowship. Teaching duties at 40%, in line with grade 8, would commence following the completion of the fellowship.
  • Eligibility: Open to applicants of any nationality with a PhD (or equivalent experience) and clear leadership potential.
  • Research areas: Theoreticians, numericists, and experimentalists in related fields are encouraged to apply. Our centre conducts unique experimental research in geophysical and astrophysical fluid dynamics.
  • Internal selection: Coventry University can submit only one application, necessitating an internal selection process.

Important dates

  • Expression of interest deadline: Sunday 21 July 2024
  • Internal selection outcome notification: End of July 2024
  • First draft proposal submission: Saturday 7 September 2024
  • Final submission deadline: Tuesday 1 October 2024

Application process

  1. Contact: Interested candidates should reach out to an FCS centre member (Prof. Eun-jin Kim Prof. Alban PotheratProf. Susanne HornDr. Janis Priede, or Dr. Junho Park) to discuss and get mentorship.
  2. Visit: Candidates are warmly invited to visit the research centre and meet the team at any time either before or after the internal deadline for expression of interest.
  3. Submission: Submit your expression of interest (template available) or a covering letter with your CV (including top five publications) to Prof. Eun-jin Kim by Sunday 21 July 2024, copying your Coventry University academic mentor.
  4. Interview: Selected candidates will be invited for an interview and a visit to the centre.
  5. Proposal development: The successful candidate will develop their proposal with guidance from their mentor and the research funding team.

Diversity and inclusion

We welcome fellowship applications from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented groups. The ERF scheme supports flexible working, part-time arrangements, and accommodations for personal circumstances such as caring responsibilities or health conditions. Applicants returning from career breaks or those working outside academia are also welcome.

For any queries or to discuss individual circumstances and accessibility requirements, please contact Prof. Eun-jin Kim.

 

 

 

PhD Studentship: Multiphase and Reactive Flows in Natural Materials: Applications in Geosciences

PhD Studentship: Multiphase and Reactive Flows in Natural Materials: Applications in Geosciences at Coventry University (jobs.ac.uk)

Seeking a highly-talented, motivated, and open-minded candidate, with background in geosciences, fluid physics, or a related discipline (fully-funded, open to all). We aim to develop a modelling platform, trained and validated by laboratory mock-ups and in-situ measurements, to upscale multiphase, reactive flows. Specifically, it will resolve the coupling between fluid and solute transport and reactions (precipitation, dissolution) altering the pore geometry and hence transport properties. The project is linked with an ongoing EPSRC-funded project with British Geological Survey, and upcoming projects with Prof. Lucas Goehring (NTU) and English Heritage.

 

For further details, see here, and contact Dr. Ran Holtzman.

 

Best regards,

Ran

————————

Dr. Ran Holtzman

Reader (Associate Professor)

Leader, Nonequilibrium in Environment and Engineering Systems (NEES)

Fluid and Complex Systems Research Centre, Coventry University

ranholtzman.com