Designation/Position- Postdoctoral position
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden offers Postdoctoral position in in Optimal usage of vehicle batteries by multi-scale modelling. This post-doctoral position is a full time employment for two years (1+1). Eligible candidate who have doctoral degree, preferably in control, signal processing or electrochemistry can apply for this position.
About- Chalmers University of Technology conducts research and education in engineering sciences, architecture, technology-related mathematical sciences, natural and nautical sciences, working in close collaboration with industry and society. The strategy for scientific excellence focuses on our eight Areas of Advance; Building Futures, Energy, Information & Communication Technology, Life Science, Materials Science, Nanoscience & Nanotechnology, Production and Transport. The aim is to make an active contribution to a sustainable future using the basic sciences as a foundation and innovation and entrepreneurship as the central driving forces. Chalmers has around 11,000 students and 3,000 employees. New knowledge and improved technology have characterised Chalmers since its foundation in 1829, completely in accordance with the will of William Chalmers and his motto.
Research/Job area– Control, signal processing or electrochemistry
Project Title- Optimal usage of vehicle batteries by multi-scale modelling
Location- Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Eligibility/Qualification- To qualify for the position of postdoc you must have a doctoral degree, preferably in control, signal processing or electrochemistry. Previous experience of battery research and/or modelling is a merit.
The position requires that you are fluent in written and spoken English.
Job/Position Description- At the department of Electrical Engineering research and education are performed in the areas of Systems and Control, Signal processing and Biomedical engineering, Communication and Antenna systems, and Electric Power Engineering. Our knowledge is of use everywhere where there is advanced technology with integrated electronics and we work with challenges for a sustainable future in society of today. The department provides about 100 courses, of which most are included in the Master’s Programs ”Biomedical Engineering”, “Electric Power Engineering”, ”Systems, Control and Mechatronics” and ”Communication Engineering”.
The position is with the Automatic Control group in the division of Systems and Control. Aiming for sustainable solutions, the group is involved in many research projects on energy savings using automatic control methods. In general, the projects are carried out in collaboration with other research groups, institutes and industry.
About the project- This post-doctoral position is a full time employment for two years (1+1). An employment at Chalmers comes with an attractive salary and full social benefits.
The interest and use of battery based electric, hybrid electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, are steadily increasing and are gradually replacing the traditional combustion engine based vehicles due to environmental concern and legislation. In order to use the batteries optimally, though, advanced control algorithms are required in the battery management system (BMS). Its perhaps most important function is to estimate and predict the charge and discharge powers allowed in order to not prematurely age or damage the battery cells. The true limits, however, are related to interior cell conditions that cannot be directly measured online, and they depend on the operating conditions as well as the status (age) of the cell. Usually, the cells are operated beyond the thermodynamic stability of the electrolytes, resulting in electrolyte decomposition and formation of a solid electrolyte interphase (SEI). The SEI layer have varying composition, is highly resistive, dimensionally unstable and in general a dominating factor for Li-ion battery performance degradation.
This project targets how to both model the most crucial aspects of the internal cell conditions, such as SEI build-up, at the molecular and meso-scale levels, and how this affects the macroscopically online measureable data (voltage, current and temperature). The models created will be experimentally validated, including microscopic analysis of the SEI using several different techniques. The goal of this multi-scale modelling approach is improved adaptive BMS algorithms. Using the algorithms, the power capacity of the battery can then be better utilized; charging can be made faster, the life-time increased and the energy management in hybrid vehicles be improved. Close cooperation with the vehicle industry in parallell battery projects will grant application relevance.
The Automatic Control research group at the Department of Electrical Engineering has an established team devoted to identification, estimation and control of batteries, which is now expanding further. In general, their projects are carried out in collaboration with other research groups, institutes and industry. This project is a collaboration with Condensed Matter Physics at the Department of Physics, internationally well-reputed for their basic science research on battery cells, who will provide the expertise on molecular level modelling and experimental facilities.
Major responsibilities- Your major responsibility is to pursue research in line with the project, publish and present scientific articles and take part in discussions.
The position also includes supervision of master’s students, if suitable. Another important aspect involves collaboration within academia and with society at large. The position is meritorious for future research duties within academia as well as industry/the public sector.
How to Apply- The application should be marked with Ref 20180076 and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:
CV: (Please name the document as: CV, Surname, Ref. number) including:
- CV, include complete list of publications
- Previous teaching and pedagogical experiences
- Two references that we can contact.
Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref. number) including:
- 1-3 pages where you introduce yourself and present your qualifications.
- Previous research fields and main research results.
- Future goals and research focus. Are there any specific projects and research issues you are primarily interested in?
Other documents:
- Attested copies of completed education, grades and other certificates.
For contact-
Professor Torsten Wik, Automatic Control, Department of Electrical Engineering
Mail: tw@chalmers.se
Phone: +46 31 7725146
Professor Patrik Johansson, Condensed Matter Physics, Department of Physics
Mail: patrik.johansson@chalmers.se
