Energy System Modeling - Postdoctoral Researcher

LLNL • Livermore, CA

8h • Hybrid

About The Position

We have an opening for a Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct basic and applied research in the continuum modeling, simulation, and optimization of energy and climate systems. You will work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams to both apply existing commercial tools and develop custom physics-based modeling, simulation, and optimization codes in focus areas including energy generation, harvesting, storage, and conversion and carbon capture, storage, and conversion, and advanced manufacturing. This position is in the Computational Engineering Division (CED), within the Engineering Directorate. Depending on your assignment, this position may offer a hybrid schedule, blending in-person and virtual presence. You may have the flexibility to work from home one or more days per week.

Requirements

• PhD in engineering, mathematics, computational science, or a related field.
• Experience developing or modifying models and/or simulations using continuum (finite-element/ finite-volume) approaches for a broad range of physical systems such as flowing reactive mass transfer systems (e.g., chemical reactors, electrochemical reactors, fuel cells, combustion, etc.), electrochemical phenomena, conjugate heat transfer, mass transfer, and structural mechanics.
• Experience programming in C/C++ and/or scripting languages like Python/Mathematica/MATLAB.
• Experience with commercial (e.g., COMSOL, STAR-CCM+, Ansys/Fluent, etc.), open-source (e.g., OpenFOAM, FEniCS, Firedrake, etc.), and/or other common modeling, simulation, and optimization codes.
• Ability to develop independent research projects as demonstrated through publication of peer-reviewed literature.
• Proficient verbal and written communication skills needed to effectively collaborate in a multidisciplinary team environment, present and explain technical information, document work, and prepare and present successful proposals and high-quality research papers.

Nice To Haves

• Detailed knowledge of continuum-scale models for simulating electrochemical systems.
• Experience with developing methods for structural and fracture mechanics coupled to electrochemical phenomena.
• Experience with homogenized and/or resolved formulations of partial differential equations (PDEs) for flow and transport in porous materials.
• Experience with explicit design sensitivity analysis via direct (forward) and adjoint (backward) methods applied to advanced shape/topology/design optimization techniques and algorithms.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research and development in energy materials and devices.
• Develop continuum models to describe the fluid flow, mass and energy conservation, and chemical reactions describing energy systems (e.g., electrochemical reactors, batteries, fuel cells, capacitors, heat exchangers, absorbers, etc.).
• Employ and extend continuum commercial, open-source, and/or custom LLNL simulation codes to model electrochemical systems.
• Develop and implement High-Performance Computing (HPC) algorithms and simulations for the optimal design of engineering systems governed by nonlinear, transient, multiscale, and coupled physical phenomena.
• Work with engineers and scientists to identify and solve challenging problems providing contributions on modeling, simulation, and design optimization.
• Pursue independent (but complementary) research interests and interact with a broad spectrum of scientists internal and external to the Laboratory.
• Collaborate with others in a multidisciplinary team environment to accomplish research goals.
• Publish research results in peer-reviewed scientific or technical journals and present results at external conferences seminars and/or technical meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Flexible Benefits Package
• 401(k)
• Relocation Assistance
• Education Reimbursement Program
• Flexible schedules (depending on project needs)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree