PhD in Computational Combustion, Turbulent Reacting Flows, and Machine Learning for Clean Energy Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Canada

PhD opportunity at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in computational combustion, turbulent reacting flows, hydrogen, ammonia, direct numerical simulations (DNS), large eddy simulations (LES), and machine learning for clean energy and sustainable propulsion.

The position is in the research group of Lukas Berger, Associate Professor in Clean Energy & Sustainable Propulsion. The project focuses on the decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries through carbon-free fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia. The successful PhD researcher will investigate the fundamental physics of turbulent reacting flows using state-of-the-art DNS, develop physics-based and machine learning models for LES, and apply these models to practical combustion systems and real burners.

Ideal candidates should have a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Physics, or a related discipline. Experience with CFD and numerical simulations is important, and programming skills in C++, Fortran, Python, or similar languages are an asset. Strong interest in combustion, scientific computing, and reacting flow modelling is expected.

The application deadline is 2026-08-01. Applications must be submitted through the VUB online application portal via the vacancy link. This is a research-focused PhD opening at VUB in Belgium with no funding details specified in the post.