PhD student on process modeling and simulation of structural composites

Information about the department and the project
The Department of Applied Mechanics with approximately 170 employees is one of the leading environments within mechanical and vehicle research. Our vision is to ensure sustainable technical solutions to society through applied mechanics. The six different divisions conduct world-leading research, usually in close collaboration with national and international universities and industries. We also offer a wide range of mechanics based courses on the undergraduate and graduate level.

The PhD position is to be placed at the division of Material and Computational Mechanics. The activities of the division are focused on the mechanical modeling of structures, components and processes along with the involved materials, thereby providing mechanics-based solutions and virtual solution tools to our engineering challenges. The research issues are canalized via our active fields: multiphase materials, process modelling and simulation and railway mechanics.

We are searching for you who want to work with advanced material and computational mechanics related to the composites process modeling. The processing of complex composite structures presents great design and manufacturing challenges with respect to the societal goals on smart, green and integrated transport. Unless composites processing is properly addressed, there is a risk of too conservative specifications in the early engineering design-to-prototyping phase, resulting in heavy components and large test programs, whereas weight reduction is the key drive.

Major responsibilities
The major goal of the project is to extend a special two-phase continuum mechanical framework for the manufacturing process of structural composites. Within this framework we will include and further develop a number of key sub-processes of the processing. Since composite components typically are thin-walled, a major challenge in the process modeling concerns the handling of the separate behavior in the thickness direction and in the tangent plane of the composite. 

Your major responsibility as a PhD student is to pursue your own doctoral studies related to the project. You are expected to develop your own scientific concepts and communicate the results of your research verbally and in writing, both in Swedish and in English. We have an established research on composites process modeling within our composite cluster, comprising partners of the automotive industry and Swerea SICOMP. You are expected to take part in this environment including fulfilling further goals on outreach activities of the research together with current and upcoming partners of the cluster. Your research and modeling activities will contribute to enhanced knowledge in this field, in particular by presenting your results in scientific journals and at international conferences. 

The position generally also includes teaching on Chalmers' undergraduate level or performing other duties corresponding to 20 per cent of working hours. In addition, teaching activities at the Department of Applied Mechanics are also expected, up to 20% of full-time work.

Position summary
Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

Qualifications
We expect you to have a MSc (or have it in near time perspective) in solid/structural mechanics or computational mathematics emphasized on applied mechanics. Profound knowledge and interest in solid mechanics, continuum mechanics, material mechanics, FEM and computer programming are required. Since communication of knowledge results is a central part of the work, communicative skills in English (oral as well as in writing) is vital. Furthermore, it will also be expected that you can take on responsibility and have the ability to take own initiatives and, when needed, work independently. At the same time, being a successful researcher also involves working with others as well as disseminating the results within existing and new networks, both within academia, industry and society, whereby networking skills, team work skills and quality assurance abilities are important. 

Knowledge of the Swedish language is desirable but not a requirement. Chalmers offers Swedish courses. To qualify as a PhD student, you must have a master's level degree corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in a relevant field. Finally, additional meriting factors include technical development and research project skills, journal publications and industrial employment or similar experience.

Chalmers continuously strives to be an attractive employer. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application deadline: 2015-04-19

For questions, please contact:
Professor Ragnar Larsson, Material and computational mechanics,
E-mail: ragnar@chalmers.se
Phone: +46 31-772 52 67

*** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***