Predoctoral Fellowship/Contract FPI – RE(F)CICLA

Job title:

Predoctoral Fellowship/Contract FPI – RE(F)CICLA

Company:

IQS – Universitat Ramon Llull

Job description

The University Ramon Llull is a confederation of schools, faculties and departments. IQS is its oldest founding member and consists of two major schools, the School of Engineering and the School of Management that form each an administrative grouping of departments and other institutions among which there are three strategic academic divisions: IQS Executive Education that offers cutting-edge and transformative learning experiences to business leaders; IQS Tech Transfer that promotes research with impact, innovation and technology transfer for companies and organizations and IQS Tech Factory that fosters entrepreneurship and supports the creation of new scientific-technological companies.With 100 years of teaching experience, IQS is a university center of reference, committed to donating responses to the continuum of challenges that the social, economic, technological and industrial context poses.Our mission and commitment are to cultivate individuals with values and competencies needed to flourish humanely and professionally.Summary of the project:RE(F)CICLA is an ambitious and innovative proposal aimed at accelerating the process of ecological transition by addressing one of the major current challenges related to the essential reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: the minimization of the impact of fluorinated refrigerants on climate change. This will be achieved through an in-depth analysis of new circular and environmentally efficient economy strategies to mitigate the effect of F-gases through the development of new recovery and reuse processes, based on a solid thermodynamic base.The project aims to study a new technology based on a temperature change adsorption process by radio frequency heating (RF-TSA) that allows the efficient separation of refrigerant mixtures and the recovery of the compounds of interest. To do this, it is necessary to synthesize and characterize new materials that have a dual function (adsorbent/radiofrequency heating source). The adsorption isotherms of various hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in the prepared materials will be experimentally studied using the isochoric volume method in order to select the optimal one to be studied in a prototype RF-TSA system. The refrigerant mixtures that will be studied are R410A and R407F.Next, the project will focus on the thermodynamic characterization of new multicomponent mixtures containing the recovered HFCs and other low global warming potential (GWP) compounds by integrating the use of the soft-SAFT equation with artificial intelligence tools. With this, the rational design of direct replacements of mixtures with a low GWP for different gases of high GWP in refrigeration applications will be studied through a holistic analysis 4E (energy, exergy, environmental and economic) based on key indicators.Finally, an evaluation of the sustainability of the circular economy proposal of the RE(F)CICLA project will be carried out through the integration of technical-economic and environmental assessments through life cycle analysis (LCA) for the reuse of recovered HFCs in the reformulation of new low-GWP refrigerants.

Tasks:

• Preparation of new adsorbent materials for efficient gas separation.

• Perform adsorption experiments for the separation of gas mixtures.

• Design, simulation and optimization of adsorption processes using ASPEN package tools.

• Acquire skills in life cycle analysis through tools such as Simapro, Brightway or Activity Browser.

• Work as a team in an interdisciplinary and international team.

• Participate in the activities of the research team, which could allow them to plan and conduct new studies.

• Write the results in scientific articles in prestigious international journals that will enhance their academic profile.

• Attendance at international conferences.

• A predoctoral stay at an internationally renowned centre (3 months) is planned.

We are looking for a responsible, hard-working person with previous experience in research and academic/scientific writing, teamwork, English proficiency and with a background in Chemical Engineering.Eligibility criteria: Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering or similar, Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering or similar. Previous knowledge of the ASPEN package.Conditions:Duration: maximum 4 yearsSalary (subject to changes):Year 1: € 19,097.36Year 2: € 23,871.70Year 3: € 23,871.70Year 4: € 23,871.70Expenses derived from research stays and enrollment in doctoral studies are also covered.Selection Process:A board of two researchers will review all applications and the three best ranked applicants will be selected for a face-to-face interview. The ranking of each applicant will follow the punctuation showed below, as mandated by the fellowship rules stated by the Ministry for Science and Innovation:Criterion 1Academic and/or scientific-technical career (up to 50 points)1a. Average grade for bachelor’s and master’s degrees (up to 25 points)1b. Publications or relevant works (Bachelor thesis or Master thesis) in the thematic area of the project Scientific-technical contributions (up to 10 points)1c. Other scientific-technical publications (up to 10 points)1d. Mobility and internationalization (up to 5 points)Criterion 2Suitability of the candidate for the research activities to be carried out (up to 50 points)Application deadline: 15th November 2024, at 14h CET.We are an equal opportunity employer. We promote equality and inclusion. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law. We strongly welcome applications from female candidates as they are currently under-represented at this level in this field of knowledge in our School.We also promote scientific and technological knowledge, business transformation and societal progress. At IQS we look for professionals committed to both these values.

Expected salary

Location

Barcelona

Job date

Sat, 05 Oct 2024 05:07:33 GMT

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