PhD Student in Fluid Mechanics with focus on Hydropower

Hydropower is the largest source of renewable energy in the world and account for about 20 percentof the electricity production worldwide. It is facing new technical challenges with the introduction of renewable energy resources, refurbishment of aging machines, adapt to climate changes and meet new regulations.

To deal with these challenges the Swedish power industry together with the authorities and universities started the Swedish Hydropower Centre (SVC). SVC is a competence centre for education and research within the field of hydropower, whose vision is to secure a knowledge and competence supply for Sweden, for an efficient and reliable hydropower production. Lule University of Technology is an active member of the centre.

LTU offers an open position for a PhD candidate in the field of fluid mechanics in an exiting and growing environment using the latest techniques at the Division of Fluid Mechanics being part of the Department of Applied Physics and Mechanical Engineering. The department is a world leading institution within hydropower research in the fields of fluid mechanics, rotor-dynamics and tribology. It has access to world unique facilities such as generic models, full-scale hydropower machines and corresponding models, computer cluster and advanced measuring techniques.

Project description

The project is essentially experimental and related to pressure measurement technique.

The project aims firstly to investigate rotor-stator interaction in axial machines of Kaplan type. Detailed unsteady pressure measurements will be performed on a Kaplan model at Vattenfall Research and Development, lvkarleby, Sweden. Fluid conditions at and outside the energy efficient operation point are of interest.

The second part of the project aims to develop flow measurements technique for low head machines. Pressure time or/and hybrid ultrasound/Winter-Kennedy method(s) may be used. Experiments will be supported by numerical investigations.

The project implies close collaboration with Chalmers, Andritz and Vattenfall in Sweden but also the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway and University of Tehran, Iran.

The division of Fluid Mechanics

We provide an exiting and simulating environment of acknowledged experts, fellow PhD students and state of the art equipment within experimental and numerical fluid mechanics. Great effort is also spent on the working environment and gender issues. Strong international exchange and cooperation is encouraged.