PhD position / Research Assistant (f/m/d) Numerical development of mitigation strategies for wind farm cluster wakes

ForWind – Center for Wind Energy Research has a vacancy in the team Energy Meteorology of the research group “Wind Energy Systems” at the Institute of Physics of the University of Oldenburg for a

PhD position / Research Assistant (f/m/d) Numerical development of mitigation strategies for wind farm cluster wakes(E13 TV-L, 75 %)

The future energy system will rely on large wind farm clusters with hundreds of turbines. The wake, i.e., the downstream flow, of such clusters is reducing the energy yield of neighbouring wind farms. Therefore, we request you to model the cluster wakes by High Performance Computing (HPC) and numerically develop and test strategies to reduce their impact.

Job description

The main objective of your PhD project is to improve the understanding of wind farm cluster wakes and develop mitigation strategies. For this purpose, atmospheric large-eddy simulations (LES), which are becoming increasingly popular in the wind industry, are the dedicated approach.

Among others, your tasks in the job offered will comprise:

• performing LES of selected wind farm clusters and comparing them to satellite data and wind farm operational data,
• performing LES of different control strategies to mitigate wind farm cluster wakes,
• performing LES for wind farm clusters with different turbine technologies and innovative control concepts,
• active collaboration with scientists and industrial engineers on measurements, wind farm operational data and numerical modelling,
• presenting your results at project meetings and conferences.

The work takes place in a joint research project of three research institutes and a very large wind farm owner and operator. Satellite data and measurement data from a wind farm provided by project partners will allow for a validation of LES results. You will have access to our new high-performance computing system. You will conduct your research in a team that has over two decades of experience in numerical fluid dynamics and simulations of atmospheric flows using the LES model PALM.

Candidate profile

Requirements for an employment include:

• a qualifying master degree in physics, physical sciences, meteorology, mechanical engineering, renewable energy (with major in wind energy) or in a similar field,
• aptitude and willingness to pursue a PhD,
• profound knowledge in numerical fluid dynamics in atmospheric sciences or aerodynamics,
• profound knowledge in MATLAB or Python,
• very good English skills.

Desired (but not mandatory) qualifications are:

• knowledge in numerical or experimental atmospheric physics,
• experience in analysing large data sets on HPC clusters,
• experience in atmospheric large-eddy simulations,
• experience abroad of several months during the school, study period or employment after graduation,
• and good German skills.

Job offer

We offer you the opportunity to develop your scientific career in a young and lively academic environment. You will be working in the WindLab – one of the university’s most modern office and lab spaces – while you will also have the opportunity for flexible and mobile work. The pathway towards the PhD is actively supported by, e.g.,

• multidisciplinary cooperation with other researchers at ForWind and Fraunhofer IWES in Oldenburg,
• collaboration with our national and international partners in research and industry,
• optional secondment at an international research institute,
• development of personal, scientific, and teaching skills through an individual training programme and selected teaching tasks,
• opportunities to present scientific results at international meetings and conferences to build your specific network,
• structured supervision of PhD process.

The employment is initially limited to three years with an intention for further prolongation up to four years to facilitate a PhD. The payment is based on the collective agreement for the public service in the German federal states, TV-L E13, for a 75% position.

The University of Oldenburg strives to increase the proportion of women in science. Therefore, women are strongly encouraged to apply. In accordance with § 21, para. 3 NHG, female applicants will be given preferential consideration in the case of equivalent qualifications. Severely disabled persons will be given preference in the case of equal suitability. Further, the university cares for a family-friendly working environment and offers a family service centre and children’s daycare on campus.

Contact

For questions regarding this job-opportunity, please contact Dr. Gerald Steinfeld at +49 441 798-5073 or preferably by email at gerald.steinfeld@uni-oldenburg.de. Further information is available at www.forwind.de/en/ and https://uol.de/en/​energiemeteorology/​research/​wind-energy.

Submit your application no later than 18.09.2023, preferably electronically, as one PDF file to gerald.steinfeld@uni-oldenburg.de including reference #AP89.

The PDF file must include either in English or German:

• A letter motivating the application (cover letter)
• Curriculum vitae
• Grade transcripts and BSc/MSc diploma
• Employment references
• A one-page research statement. The applicants are requested to present their notion of the field of the advertised PhD topic and some initial ideas to tackle it. Alternatively, a more general problem of interest in numerical fluid dynamics or wind energy utilisation might be addressed.

An optional attachment is a second PDF file containing the final thesis of the studies or relevant research papers (if available).
We are looking forward to receiving your application.