Post-Doctoral Opening in Composite tanks for compressed hydrogen storage

The Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia, invites applications for Postdoctoral fellow in Mechanical Engineering at the Mechanics of Composites for Energy and Mobility Lab. (MCEM).

Field of study
A Postdoctoral opening is available in the area of engineered thermoplastic composite tank.
Hydrogen storage is an essential step of the entire hydrogen chain. Owing to their light weight, high specific strength, good fatigue response, and dimensional stability, the use of fiber-reinforced plastic pressure vessels for hydrogen storage has definitely been on the rise. Despite these advantages, the current tanks have several issues regarding the liner such as cavitation and blistering and others related to the tank walls such as hydrogen leak through cracks. These challenges renders the fast progress in the hydrogen market.
The project aims to contribute to this global effort by solving essential challenges faced by the current storage and transportation technologies, to which we believe adequately engineered and designed thermoplastic carbon fiber technology can be beneficial.
The project will be organized around 3 main activities:

• Understanding the diffusion paths and cavitation in thermoplastic liners.
• Optimize the processing parameters for thermoplastic carbon-fiber walls.
• Understanding transverse cracking to percolated-leakage-path transition in monolithic composite tank.

Other duties
The Postdoctoral fellow will be actively engaged in student mentoring (directed research, Masters thesis students). He/She will also be in charge of developing further the facilities of the laboratory. The candidate will also be in charge of delivering regular reports related to the associated grant.

Appointment
1 year, renewable up to three years by mutual agreement. The candidate is expected to join the team as soon as a successful interview has been completed.

Benefits
In addition to a competitive salary, the successful candidate will enjoy a generous benefit package including medical insurance, on-campus housing facilities, K-12 schools, and outstanding recreational facilities.

The successful candidate must hold a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Material Science or other relevant discipline. He/She must have a strong background in one or more of the following fields: experimental solid mechanics, mechanical testing, fracture, damage mechanics and polymeric materials. The candidate should also have a good knowledge of simulation on Abaqus Standard; an experience in testing at extreme conditions, high pressure and temperatures is a plus. For any appointment at MCEM, an in-depth knowledge of theoretical mechanics is a firm requirement.

1. A high level of self-motivation, strong publication record and a good command of oral and written English, the ability to work in a team, as well as alone and good organizational skills are essential.

Only applications providing all requirements will be considered further. Applicant requirements are as below. They should be numbered and attached to the application in that order:

1. Detailed CV including list of publications, awards, with potential start date.
2. Short statement of previous work, title of the post-doc fellowship you apply for, and a description of your vision and of your research plan on that field (the document does not need to be extensive - no more than one A4 page – but should be very high quality. It should clearly highlight a vision of the candidate in the field, a prior understanding of the related literature and the definition of key steps towards innovative results in the field. Special care should be given by the candidate to this document, which is a key element of the decision process towards recruitment).
3. Names and contact information of three referees.
4. Slides from a recent presentation in a conference or seminar.
5. Pdf of a recent publication considered by the candidate as being representative of his research work.

Interested applicants should send their complete application package to Dr. Gilles Lubineau (gilles.lubineau@kaust.edu.sa) (with a systematic cc to khathijah.osman@kaust.edu.sa and ahmed.abdelhady.1@kaust.edu.sa)

PLEASE USE this as the subject of your email: Post Doc MCEM22– CompH2.

Note: Applicant will be evaluated on a rolling basis and closed as soon as the position filled.