Industrial PhD

Industrial PhD in Advanced modelling of hygro-thermal transport phenomena in building envelopes

Information about the project
In the United States, about 15 Quads / 4.4 trillion (1012) kWh of energy is annually consumed to condition buildings. Therefore, the Department of Energy (DOE) is making strong efforts to reduce the energy consumption through various sponsored activities. An example of such commitment is to allow building designer to properly evaluate the impact of different technologies through computer simulation tools to ensure good performance, quality and durability. However, evaluation tools that predict the energy performance of the building enclosure (wall, roof, etc.) also need to take into account moisture conditions of the indoor and outdoor environments. The moisture conditions will not only have an impact on the efficiency of the HVAC system during cooling demand but also the durability of the building materials as well as the indoor air quality. There exist tools that allows to evaluate the hygrothermal (heat and moisture) performance in buildings but these tools sometimes fail to simulate realistic conditions.

One of the biggest challenges in this project is to allow the simulation tool to account for convective moisture transfer through and in-between building materials. Computation Fluid Dynamics allows to simulate various convection problems, but this approach is usually time consuming and complex. Therefore, a simulation method is needed which allows to account for convective air flow in a time efficient manner but without jeopardizing the accuracy of the simulation result. There are several examples of when existing hygrothermal calculation tools have failed to predict an unsatisfying performance. In many of these cases, air leakage is the main cause of moisture durability problems; such as deteriorated wooden sheathing boards in sealed (unvented) attics; corrosion and dripping problems in cool roof construction; and moisture accumulation in high-R (well-insulated) wall constructions. Without a simulation tool that can predict these unsatisfying events, the performance and durability assessment of building envelope cannot be relied upon.

Major responsibilities
The PhD candidate will work closely with the research team in developing the simulation tool. The main responsibility for the candidate will be to allow the simulation tool to account for moisture transfer mechanisms that will have an impact on the hygrothermal performance of the building enclosure. The candidate will develop benchmarks based on real case problems that will be validated against field and laboratory measurements and serve as a guiding feature for future users of the simulation tool.

The goal with a PhD position is to develop general research proficiency and a high competence within your specific research area. As a PhD candidate, you will primarily conduct research, often together with other researchers and PhD candidates. You will also follow PhD courses, be involved in teaching activities, and participate in international conferences and networks.

You will be admitted to a graduate school at Chalmers which leads to a licentiate degree and a doctorate. The total length of study for a licentiate degree is two years, while it is four years for a doctoral degree. As an industrial PhD candidate you will be involved in various work at the company and teaching qualifications of a different kind about 20 % of your working time, which leads to a total study time for the doctor’s degree of five years.

Your research until the licentiate degree will be conducted mainly at ORNL where an assistant supervisor is nominated. You will have a head supervisor at Chalmers.

Position summary
The employment is composed of a maximum full-time four-year doctoral programme and a maximum one year of work / d