PhD position at IFPEN in Mechanical Engineering: Detailed numerical simulations of porous media combustion using ammonia and hydrogen as fuels: multi-physics coupling and modelling

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN), France

Updated: 8 days ago
Location: Rueil Malmaison, LE DE FRANCE
Job Type: FullTime
Deadline: 30 Sep 2026

16 Jan 2026
Job Information
Organisation/Company

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN)
Research Field

Engineering » Mechanical engineering
Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)
Positions

PhD Positions
Application Deadline

30 Sep 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris)
Country

France
Type of Contract

Temporary
Job Status

Full-time
Hours Per Week

35
Offer Starting Date

2 Nov 2026
Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme
Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

With increasingly stringent climate change regulations, developing low-emission, carbon-free burners has become crucial for industry and a technical challenge for researchers. Ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen (H2) are the main carbon-free fuels under consideration. H2 burns easily but is hard to store and transport, while NH3 has low flame speeds but is supported by an existing infrastructure. A promising approach is partial ammonia cracking at the burner site, creating NH3/H2 mixtures with improved combustion properties. However, these mixtures emit significant amounts of NOx unless operated at very low fuel/air equivalence ratios (FAER), which are challenging to control in turbulent burners.

An alternative investigated in this PhD is the use of porous burner technology. The recirculation of heat within the porous material can stabilize flames at low FAER, potentially reducing NOx emissions. Developing porous burners requires understanding complex physics such as heat conduction, radiative transfer, flame stabilization, and surface chemistry, which are difficult to capture experimentally due to the small scales and opacity of the matrix. Consequently, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is the best approach for improving these burners.

This PhD aims to investigate NH3/H2 flames in porous burners using direct numerical simulations (DNS) to understand NOx formation mechanisms. The research, in collaboration with CEA, will utilize the CFD code CONVERGE, employing adaptive mesh refinement for better resolution in key areas like heat transfer and flame chemistry. Reduced NH3/H2 mechanisms will be used for combustion chemistry, conjugate heat transfer (CHT) and radiative heat transfer (RHT) will be included. The study will focus on a reference experimental setup, exploring key parameters such as FAER, inlet mass flow, and porous topology. Surface chemistry's role in NOx emissions will also be explored. This research is expected to be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Keywords: Porous burner, 3D CFD, hydrogen and ammonia combustion modelling, heat transfer, radiative transfer

Academic supervisor: Dr Olivier COLIN, IFPEN, ORCID: 0000-0002-8947-3490

Doctoral School: ED 579SMEMAG, Université Paris-Saclay

IFPEN supervisor: Dr Karine TRUFFIN, ORCID: 0000-0003-0888-9003

Funding: PEPR SPLEEN AMHYABLE (https://www.pepr-spleen.fr/projet/projet-amhyable/ )


Where to apply
E-mail

karine.truffin@ifpen.fr

Requirements
Research Field
Engineering » Mechanical engineering
Education Level
Master Degree or equivalent

Skills/Qualifications

University Master degree (or equivalent) involving Computer science, Fluid mechanics and/or energetics


Specific Requirements

Programming skills (Python, C++), numerical analysis


Languages
ENGLISH
Level
Excellent

Additional Information
Benefits

IFP Energies nouvelles is a French public-sector research, innovation and training center. Its mission is to develop efficient, economical, clean and sustainable technologies in the fields of energy, transport and the environment. For more information, see our WEB site . 

IFPEN offers a stimulating research environment, with access to first in class laboratory infrastructures and computing facilities. IFPEN offers competitive salary and benefits packages. All PhD students have access to dedicated seminars and training sessions. 


Work Location(s)
Number of offers available
1
Company/Institute
IFP Energies nouvelles
Country
France
City
Rueil-Malmaison
Postal Code
92852
Street
1 et 4 avenue de Bois Préau
Geofield


Contact
City

Rueil-Malmaison
Website

http://www.ifpenergiesnouvelles.com/
Street

4 avenue de Bois-Préau
Postal Code

92852

STATUS: EXPIRED

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