Job Description

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Position Details

School of Chemical Engineering

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary \xc2\xa337,099

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to June 2026

Closing date: 30th January 2024

Background

Plastic waste is one of the great, global challenges facing society today. At present, limited end-of-life options mean that a significant majority of plastics are either dumped, landfilled, or incinerated, thus also contributing significantly to the wider climate crisis. The research fellow will join a team working as part of an EPSRC funded Prosperity Partnership with UK-based SME Aquapak ( ). The mission of Aquapak is to help facilitate the shift to a less polluting world, through the manufacture of novel polymer products which are both biodegradable and recyclable, yet maintain - or even exceed - the functionality of conventional plastics. The complexity of the twin-screw extrusion process used by Aquapak - which involves multiphase rheologies, and complex chemical kinetics - means conventional, empirical models are entirely inadequate. As such, scale-up and optimisation of these systems is a time-, cost-, and labour-intensive process. The goal of the present project is to alleviate these issues through the co-creation of a new, digital approach to development, scale-up and optimisation.

Role Summary

The appointed Research Fellow will work as part of an experimental and computational team, but their primary responsibility will be the development of numerical models of rheology, flow, crystallisation and reaction kinetics occurring in the extruder. This would include the construction of models representing different parts of the process using various software/techniques and also validating the models based on experimental data and integration of the models. Techniques used could include:

• Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of phase behaviours and rheology.
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations of conveying and melting, coupling to Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) of mixing, degassing and metering.
• Fitting of crystallisation models (e.g. Avrami kinetics) to experimental data.
• Devising reaction kinetic models and fitting to experimental analysis of laboratory extrusion.
• Combining reaction kinetic models with flow and dispersion models.
• Working with experimentalists to ensure appropriate data generated for model validation.
• Analysing and interpreting the data, models and writing-up up manuscripts for publication.
• Contributing to the supervision of a PhD student working on a related project.

Software used may include OpenFOAM, LIGGGHTS, CFDEM, Gmsh, MATLAB and/or gProms. Although experience of some of these software packages is desirable, training will be provided.

Person Specification

• First degree in Chemical Engineering, Physics or a related STEM subject and normally, PhD or be near completion, or equivalent qualifications
• Experience of mathematical modelling, e.g. CFD or process simulation
• Demonstrated ability in writing computer code
• Some knowledge of ML/AI desirable but not necessary
• Ability to work closely with experimentalists as part of a team
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort

Informal enquiries to Dr Kit Windows-Yule, email:

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