PostDoc position, Karlsruhe (Germany): Mechanics of Granular Materials in Fusion Technology

A research position is now opening in the field of Computational Mechanics of granular materials, in Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Germany. This position should start between May and September 2010, and is a full-time fixed-term PostDoc position for 2 years (TVL E13).

This project is an activity integrated in the European and international nuclear fusion research, i.e. ITER (http://www.iter.org ). Granular materials are serving as tritium breeder and neutron multiplier materials in Test Blanket Modulus (TBM). Subjected to servere conditions, such as high temperature and high level of neutron irradiation, thermo-mechanics problems of this type of materials have been identified as one of the most important issues in such applications. The modelling and simulation activities include phenomenological and discrete element approaches, dealing with the fully coupled thermo-mechanical behaviour.

A candidate should have doctoral degree in the related fields, such as mechanical engineering, civil engineering, or physics.

Experiences in the following areas

• numerical simulation using both the finite element method (ABAQUS/ANSYS), and discrete element method
• constitutive modelling and implementation of material models by user-defined material routines
• multiscale modelling and homogenization of heterogeneous materials
• nonlinear numerical analysis
• heat conduction
• computer programming with C/C++ and Fortran

are desired.

The main responsibilities of the position are

• conducting modelling and simulation of fusion related materials and engineering structures
• cooperating with design, diagnostic and other groups in European institutions
• writing scientific publications, proposals and project reports
• presenting results in international conferences

A candidate having a related master degree with strong background can also be considered into a PhD program (for 3 years) in this area.

Further questions about the project and the application (cover letter & CV) can be sent to Prof. Marc Kamlah (marc.kamlah@kit.edu).

Some further information can be found:
[1] Gan and Kamlah (2010), Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids. doi:10.1016/j.jmps.2009.10.009
[2] Gan (2008), PhD thesis. http://bibliothek.fzk.de/zb/berichte/FZKA7455.pdf