UNIVERSITÀ DELLA CALABRIA (UNICAL) 3-year PhD scholarship Programme 2023
Large-scale Discrete Element Modelling (DEM) of the behaviour of powders subjected to complex adhesive/cohesive interactions at UNIVERSITÀ DELLA CALABRIA (UNICAL).
Doctoral school: Civil and Industrial Engineering (topic area: Chemical Engineering)
Duration: 3 years, starting on March 1, 2023.
Grant type: PhD scholarship (16,243 €/year, including social security contributions)
Application deadline: January 30, 2023 at 12:00 (Rome time).
The research program is part of the EU-funded large-scale project National Centre on HPC, Big Data and Quantum Computing (https://www.supercomputing-icsc.it/en/icsc-home/), whose main goal are promoting the use of advanced (extreme performance) computing capabilities and scale up of existing codes and technologies in Academia, Industry and Public Administration, and develop software solutions for data analysis and numerical simulations able to effectively exploit HPC resources in the perspective of the Exascale era, so to consolidate and promote Italian worldwide excellencies and flagship projects.
The Spoke 7 (Materials and Molecular Sciences) will deal with HPC development and application of state-of-the-art computational tools to extremely challenging fundamental and industry-driven problems.
Studentship description
Within the framework of the Doctoral school in Civil and Industrial Engineering, a research-training program will be carried out in the area of chemical engineering concerning large-scale modelling of the behaviour of fine powders subjected to cohesive forces arising from electrostatic interactions, for applications in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical processes and devices dealing with products in solid form are often strongly affected by the accumulation of charges that negatively impact on the optimal process operation or the therapeutic efficacy of the pharmaceutical devices.
The PhD candidate will focus on the development, extension and experimental validation of an open-source Discrete Element Method computer code for the coupled simulation of fluid/particle systems to include microscopic, Quantum Mechanics-informed tribocharging phenomena in cohesive powders. Several basic and advanced training events (training courses/summer schools) are available within the Doctoral school. In addition, a six-month period of international training abroad with project partners is planned during the first or second year.
For more information, interested candidates are invited to contact the Supervisors: Prof. Alberto Di Renzo ([email protected]), Prof. Francesco P. Di Maio ([email protected]).
Profile specification
Eligible candidates must hold a Master-level Degree in Chemical/Biochemical Engineering, Process/Industrial Engineering or closely related fields. Experience with computational modelling and simulation software tools, preferably in the area of CFD, as certified by academic transcript or documented training, is highly desirable. Experience with code development in a computer programming language (C, C++, Fortran, Python) is considered a significant plus. For a preliminary evaluation of the applicant profile, a cover letter describing previous research experience and current interests, an updated CV, a copy of both academic degree and official transcripts along with the names and addresses of two referees can be sent to: [email protected], [email protected].
General application call:
Application procedure: https://unical.esse3.cineca.it/
