PhD Position: Design and development of energy efficient and affordable magnetocaloric heat pump (MagHeat)
Are you a talented and ambitious hands-on mechanical engineer or physicist passionate about solving one of society's most pressing energy challenges? Do you want to be at the forefront of developing a disruptive, zero-emission technology for heating and cooling? The University of Twente invites applications for a fully funded PhD position.
This is a unique opportunity to play a central role in the EU-funded MagHeat project, an international consortium of leading academic institutions and industrial partners from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Portugal, coordinated by the University of Twente. You will be the driving force behind the design, construction, and experimental validation of a next-generation magnetocaloric heat pump prototype, a technology poised to revolutionize the market and contribute significantly to a climate-neutral future.
The Challenge: A Sustainable Future for Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling are the largest sources of energy demand in the European Union. They account for 50% of total energy consumption, and 70% of heating is still met by fossil fuels. Heat pumps are a key enabling technology for decarbonization, but conventional vapor-compression systems face significant limitations, including the use of high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, toxicity (ammonia), flammability (hydrocarbon refrigerants), high operational pressures (CO2), moderate efficiencies, and regulatory phase-outs.
MagHeat tackles this challenge head-on by developing a radically new heat pump technology based on the magnetocaloric effect (MCE). In MCE, certain solid-state materials heat up when placed in a magnetic field and cool down when removed. This allows for a completely gas-free refrigeration cycle with zero GWP, higher theoretical efficiencies, and enhanced safety. Further the refrigerant is non-toxic, non-flammable, and operates at ambient pressure.
Despite its promise, the widespread adoption of magnetic refrigeration has been hindered by high costs, reliance on critical raw materials, and complex mechanical designs. The MagHeat project introduces groundbreaking innovations to overcome these barriers, including a novel stationary permanent magnet assembly and the use of a high-conductivity room-temperature liquid metal (non-toxic and non-combustible) as the heat transfer fluid, aiming to achieve a 30% reduction in cost and a 50% reduction in critical materials.
Your Role: The Heart of the MagHeat Project
As the PhD candidate for this position, you will be at the very core of the MagHeat project, leading the work on “Design and development of a magnetic refrigerator with 10 K temperature span, and 100 W cooling power." Your primary mission will be to integrate the cutting-edge components developed by our international partners and build the world's first magnetocaloric heat pump of its kind. You will be the architect and experimentalist who brings the MagHeat vision to life. The MagHeat project with our European collaborators has a duration of three years. For the fourth year of your PhD, you will broaden your expertise by working on related cutting-edge topics in the field of caloric heat pumps, ensuring you develop a comprehensive research profile.
Your key responsibilities will be:
- 1. Advanced Numerical Modelling and Simulation: You will begin by developing a numerical model to simulate the complete thermal-fluidic performance of the magnetic refrigerator. This model will be your primary tool for understanding the complex interplay between the magnetocaloric material, the liquid metal heat transfer fluid, and the magnetic field. It will be instrumental in predicting system performance and guiding the design process.
- 2. System Optimization for Cost and Performance: Using your numerical model, you will conduct extensive optimization studies. The goal is to fine-tune the geometry and operating parameters of the system to achieve the project's ambitious targets: a 10 K temperature span, 100 W of cooling power, a 20% improvement in COP over conventional systems, and a 30% reduction in total system cost. This requires a sharp analytical mind and a knack for techno-economic evaluation.
- 3. Prototype Realization and Assembly: This is where theory meets practice. You will take the lead in the hands-on assembly of the MagHeat prototype. This involves the meticulous integration of the novel permanent magnet assembly (developed by our partners at the Technical University of Denmark), the advanced magnetocaloric regenerator and liquid metal heat transfer fluid (from our partners at the University of Porto, Portugal), and the balance of the system components (heat exchangers, pumps). This hands-on task requires precision, ingenuity, and excellent problem-solving skills.
- 4. Comprehensive Experimental Testing and Validation: Once the prototype is built, you will design and execute a rigorous experimental campaign to characterize its performance. You will be responsible for setting up a state-of-the-art data acquisition system to monitor temperatures, flow rates, and power consumption. Your experimental results will be used to validate the numerical models and, most importantly, to demonstrate the successful achievement of the project's key performance indicators. Your work will provide the definitive proof-of-concept for the MagHeat technology.
Information and application
How to Apply
Are you ready to join us in building the future of sustainable heating and cooling? We just need two items from you.
- A hyperlink to recorded video (maximum: 5 minutes) in which you
- Introduce yourself;
- Describe your biggest success and failure so far;
- Why are you interested in doing a PhD, why this particular PhD?
- Any other topic that you feel relevant.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV), with contact information for at least two academic or professional references.
If you have any questions, please e-mail them to Dr. Ir. Keerthivasan Rajamani - k.rajamani@utwente.nl
Are you interested? Please apply before February 21.
About the organisation
The Faculty of Engineering Technology (ET) engages in education and research of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design Engineering. We enable society and industry to innovate and create value using efficient, solid and sustainable technology. We are part of a ‘people-first' university of technology, taking our place as an internationally leading center for smart production, processes and devices in five domains: Health Technology, Maintenance, Smart Regions, Smart Industry and Sustainable Resources. Our faculty is home to about 2,900 Bachelor's and Master's students, 550 employees and 150 PhD candidates. Our educational and research programmes are closely connected with UT research institutes Mesa+ Institute, TechMed Center and Digital Society Institute.
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