Postdoctoral Associate / Senior Postdoctoral Associate
About The Position
The Postdoctoral Associate or Senior Postdoctoral Associate will conduct experimental research in the Advanced Combustion & Energy Systems Laboratory (ACES Lab), Department of Mechanical Engineering, under the direction of Dr. Dimitris Assanis. The laboratory operates highly instrumented single-cylinder research engines—including Spark-Ignition CFR, Compression-Ignition Hydra, Fully Flexible Valvetrain Actuation Hydra, and Optical engines—using fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and alcohols and ignition systems including laser ignition and pre-chambers. The lab also operates a 125 kW natural-gas engine genset. The appointee will lead the laboratory’s mobile Performance & Emissions Validation Laboratory, which will independently validate a 250 kW Mainspring Energy linear generator operating on 100% hydrogen at National Grid’s Northport Power Plant. The NYSERDA-sponsored, 12-month pilot is being conducted with National Grid Ventures and the Long Island Power Authority. The role spans fundamental engine research and a utility-scale power-plant demonstration, with opportunities to publish research. The successful candidate is expected to be self-sufficient, meticulous, reliable, organized, attentive to detail, and capable of working independently and as part of a team. Field campaigns may involve extended test days and occasional overnight runs. The position requires work at both Stony Brook campus and National Grid’s Northport Power Plant. The Research Foundation of SUNY is a private educational corporation; employment is subject to its policies and procedures, sponsor guidelines, and funding availability. This is an FLSA-exempt position and is not eligible for overtime provisions.
Requirements
- Doctoral degree or foreign equivalent in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, or Electrical Engineering, or a closely related field, in hand by the start of the appointment.
- Hands-on experimental research experience with engines or combustion systems, including gaseous emissions measurement.
- Experience with data acquisition and analysis.
- Valid U.S. driver's license or license to drive in the United States.
- For the Senior Postdoctoral Associate position, three or more years of relevant research experience.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team, including extended test days and occasional overnight field-campaign runs.
Nice To Haves
- Peer-reviewed publications and strong technical writing.
- Experience with hydrogen or ammonia combustion in research engine applications.
- Experience with control and integration systems, load banks, or electrical power measurement.
- Machining, fabrication, and wiring skills.
Responsibilities
- Conduct or lead experiments on single-cylinder research engines fueled with hydrogen, ammonia, and alcohols, including systems using laser ignition and pre-chambers.
- For the Postdoctoral Associate role, assist with manuscript writing and presentations; for the Senior Postdoctoral Associate role, publish first-author journal and conference papers and present research.
- Contribute to proposals for future laboratory projects and mentor graduate and undergraduate researchers.
- Commission the mobile command center on laboratory engines using heated sample lines before deployment and after returns to campus; support deployment to the Northport pilot, HyPower renewable-hydrogen R&D testbed, and other sponsored projects.
- Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot emissions analyzers, including FTIR, chemiluminescence NOx analyzers, FID, NDIR CO/CO₂, paramagnetic O₂, and a hydrogen analyzer or equivalent; perform calibrations, purges, leak checks, and drift checks and manage calibration-gas inventory and certificates.
- Maintain the heated sampling system, including probes, filters, lines, pumps, and switching valves for pre- and post-catalyst sampling; follow standardized emissions measurement practices and document quality assurance.
- Operate control and integration systems for the linear generator and load bank; run defined load profiles and log electrical output, fuel flow, and ambient conditions to assess efficiency, response time, and other performance metrics.
- Operate and maintain the National Instruments CompactDAQ and LabVIEW system, including analyzer communications over Modbus TCP/IP, valve control, acoustic channels, and the weather station; maintain networks, time synchronization, data backup, and data chain of custody.
- Prepare and conduct pilot test events, including preparation, full-load or part-load testing, post-test calibration, and data reduction.
- Follow and help develop hydrogen and compressed-gas safety procedures for the command center, laboratory, and host site; coordinate students and plant staff supporting field campaigns.
- Reduce and analyze campaign data, including emissions indices, efficiency, transient behavior, and seasonal trends.
- Write technical reports for National Grid and NYSERDA, lead SBU’s sections of the final independent validation report, and present at sponsor meetings.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
