Job description
Are you a talented, highly motivated, and hands-on mechanical engineer or physicist with a strong passion for addressing one of society’s most pressing energy challenges? Do you want to be at the forefront of developing disruptive, emission-free heating and cooling technologies? The University of Twente invites applications for a fully funded PhD position.
This is a unique opportunity to play a central role in the EU-funded **MagHeat project**. The project is an international consortium led by the University of Twente, involving leading academic institutions and industrial partners from the Netherlands, Denmark, and Portugal. You will become the driving force in designing, building, and experimentally validating the next-generation **magnetocaloric heat pump prototype**, a technology with the potential to fundamentally revolutionize the market and make a major contribution to a climate-neutral future.
### Challenge: A sustainable future for heating and cooling
Heating and cooling account for the largest share of energy demand in the EU, representing **50%** of total energy consumption, with **70%** of heating still relying on fossil fuels. Heat pumps are a key technology for decarbonization, but conventional vapor-compression systems have significant limitations, including the use of refrigerants with high global warming potential (GWP), toxicity (ammonia), flammability (hydrocarbon refrigerants), high operating pressures (CO₂), moderate efficiency, and increasing regulatory phase-outs.
The **MagHeat project** directly addresses these challenges by developing a completely new heat pump technology based on the **magnetocaloric effect (MCE)**. In the magnetocaloric effect, certain solid-state materials heat up when placed in a magnetic field and cool down when the field is removed. This enables a gas-free refrigeration cycle with zero GWP, theoretically higher efficiency, and greater safety. The refrigerants are non-toxic, non-flammable, and operate at atmospheric pressure.
Despite the promising outlook, widespread application of magnetic cooling has been limited by high costs, dependence on critical raw materials, and complex mechanical design. The **MagHeat project** introduces breakthrough innovations to overcome these barriers, including novel fixed permanent magnet assemblies and the use of high-conductivity **liquid metals** (non-toxic and non-flammable) as heat transfer fluids, with the goal of achieving **30%** cost reduction and **50%** reduction in critical materials.
### Your role: The core of the MagHeat project
As a PhD candidate in this position, you will be at the heart of the **MagHeat project**, leading the work on “Design and development of a magnetocaloric machine with **10 K temperature span** and **100 W cooling power**.” Your main mission is to integrate state-of-the-art components developed by international partners to build the world’s first **magnetocaloric heat pump** of its kind. You will be the architect and experimentalist realizing the MagHeat vision. The project runs for three years with European collaborators. In the fourth year of the PhD, you will expand your expertise by working on cutting-edge topics in the heat pump field to form comprehensive research capabilities.
Your main responsibilities include:
1. **Advanced numerical modeling and simulation**
First, develop numerical models to simulate the complete thermo-fluid performance of the magnetocaloric machine. This model is the core tool for understanding the complex interactions between magnetocaloric materials, liquid metal heat transfer fluids, and magnetic fields, used to predict system performance and guide design.
2. **System optimization (cost & performance)**
Use numerical models to conduct extensive parametric optimization studies, fine-tune system geometry and operating parameters to achieve the project targets: **10 K** temperature span, **100 W** cooling power, COP improvement of **20%** over conventional systems, and total system cost reduction of **30%**. Requires sharp analytical skills and techno-economic evaluation capabilities.
3. **Prototype realization and assembly**
Hands-on leadership of the MagHeat prototype assembly, including integration of novel permanent magnet assemblies developed by the Danish Technical University, advanced magnetocaloric regenerators provided by the University of Porto, liquid metal heat transfer fluids, heat exchangers, pumps, and other components. Requires high precision, creativity, and excellent problem-solving skills.
4. **Comprehensive experimental testing and validation**
After prototype completion, design and execute rigorous experiments to characterize performance. Responsible for setting up advanced data acquisition systems to monitor temperature, flow rate, and power consumption. Experimental results are used to validate models and demonstrate achievement of key project performance indicators, providing final proof-of-concept validation for MagHeat technology.
offer requirements
We are looking for an outstanding candidate with the following qualifications:
– A Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Applied Physics, or a closely related field.
– A solid foundation in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer.
– Proven experience with numerical modeling software and/or programming skills.
– Hands-on experience in designing, building, and instrumenting experimental setups.
– An independent, proactive, results-oriented mindset with strong creative problem-solving abilities.
– Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
– Genuine enthusiasm for sustainable energy technologies and an entrepreneurial spirit to drive innovative commercialization.
offer benefits
– Full-time 4-year PhD position, with qualification assessment in the first year.
– Salary and conditions in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities (CAO-NU).
– Gross monthly salary: first year € 3,059 → fourth year € 3,881.
– Excellent benefits: 8% holiday allowance, 8.3% end-of-year bonus, solid pension scheme.
– Based on a 38-hour working week, at least 232 holiday hours per year (actual 40 hours/week, additional 96 holiday hours).
– Free access to campus sports facilities.
– University of Twente Graduate School training program, jointly designed with your supervisor for education and supervision plan.
To apply for this job email your details to k.rajamani@utwente.nl