Simulation Engineering Intern - Summer 2027 | LiquidPiston

LiquidPiston • Suffield, CT

19h • Onsite

About The Position

LiquidPiston is developing compact, high-performance rotary engines based on a novel thermodynamic cycle for applications across defense, aerospace, commercial power, and advanced propulsion. As a Simulation Engineering Intern, you won't be working on theoretical exercises that sit on a shelf. You'll use modeling, simulation, programming, and engineering analysis to help answer real questions about how our engines perform and then compare those predictions against physical test data. You'll work alongside engineers developing and testing next-generation propulsion technology, gaining experience seeing a simulation move from a model on a computer to hardware on the test stand. This internship is centered around computational engineering: building models, running simulations, analyzing results, improving predictions, and turning data into useful engineering decisions. Depending on your background and the needs of the team, you may work on areas such as engine performance, thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid behavior, structural response, or system-level modeling. You'll have the opportunity to take ownership of meaningful technical work while learning from engineers working across mechanical design, combustion, controls, and engine testing.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related engineering field.
• Strong interest in simulation, computational engineering, modeling, or engineering analysis.
• Solid understanding of engineering fundamentals such as thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, or structural mechanics.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Comfortable working with technical data and drawing conclusions from results.
• Curious and willing to dig into problems rather than accepting unexpected results at face value.
• Detail-oriented with a methodical approach to engineering work.
• Able to work independently while collaborating effectively with a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Available to work full-time onsite in Suffield, CT, 5 days per week during Summer 2027.
• Experience using at least one engineering simulation or analysis tool such as ANSYS, MATLAB/Simulink, GT-Power, COMSOL, Abaqus, STAR-CCM+, Fluent, or a comparable tool.
• Programming or scripting experience with Python, MATLAB, C++, or a similar language.
• Ability to analyze and interpret simulation or engineering data.
• Ability to clearly document technical work, assumptions, methods, and results.
• Ability to learn new engineering software and computational methods quickly.
• Must understand fundamental operating principles of internal combustion engines.

Responsibilities

• Develop and modify simulation models used to evaluate engine and propulsion-system behavior.
• Model performance across different operating conditions and design configurations.
• Apply engineering fundamentals to understand thermodynamic, thermal, fluid, structural, or system-level behavior.
• Run simulations, evaluate outputs, and identify trends or unexpected results.
• Use engineering judgment to determine whether simulation results make physical sense.
• Explore design alternatives and help evaluate performance tradeoffs.
• Analyze simulation and experimental datasets to identify trends, relationships, and areas for improvement.
• Compare simulation predictions against physical test results.
• Investigate differences between predicted and measured behavior.
• Help refine models based on what the test data is telling us.
• Create clear plots, calculations, and summaries that help engineers make decisions.
• Write scripts and tools to automate repetitive simulation and data-processing tasks.
• Develop Python, MATLAB, or similar workflows for analysis and visualization.
• Help organize, process, and interpret large engineering datasets.
• Look for opportunities to make simulation workflows faster, more repeatable, and easier to use.
• Build tools that help engineers spend less time processing data and more time understanding it.
• Collaborate with mechanical, combustion, controls, and test engineers.
• Help connect simulation results with physical hardware and test programs.
• Participate in technical discussions and design reviews.
• Document modeling approaches, assumptions, methods, and conclusions.
• Present findings and explain technical results to engineers and other team members.

Benefits

• Paid internship
• Relocation assistance is not available

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern