Bubble dynamics in flow-through gas-evolving electrodes

Applicants are invited for a PhD fellowship/scholarship at Graduate School of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark, within the Mechanical and Production Engineering programme. The position is available from 15 October 2026 or later. You can submit your application via the link under ‘how to apply’.

Title
Bubble dynamics in flow-through gas-evolving electrodes

Research area and project description
Flow-through porous electrodes are commonly used in gas-evolving electrochemical systems, such as water electrolyzers for green hydrogen production. This project aims to investigate the fundamentals of two-phase flow and bubble dynamics in flow-through electrodes, with a particular focus on membraneless electrolyzers. Key research questions include how gas bubbles interact with the electrode structure and the liquid flowing through it, how the interfacial phenomena affect these interactions, and how they influence the gas transport patterns within the system.

To address these questions, the PhD project will employ numerical simulations at both microscale (interface-resolving) and macroscale. In addition, a lab-scale experimental setup will be developed to enable optical observations of bubble behaviour and to provide validation data for the numerical simulations.

The PhD student will join a dynamic research team working on similar problems. The project is part of a broader collaborative effort with researchers from the Department of Chemical Engineering aimed at developing scalable membraneless water electrolyzers.

Project description
For technical reasons, you must upload a project description. Please simply copy the project description above and upload it as a
PDF in the application.

Qualifications and specific competences
Applicants must hold a master’s degree in mechanical engineering or related fields at the time of starting the position. In addition, the successful candidate should:

• Possess hand on experience in development and use of CFD solvers.
• Have a thorough understanding of subjects such as fluid dynamics and heat and mass transfer.
• Communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing.

Having a background in multiphase flows and/or experimental fluid dynamics is considered beneficial.

Place of employment and place of work
The place of employment is Aarhus University, and the place of work is Dept. of Mechanical & Production Engineering, Aarhus University, Katrinebjergvej 89, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark.

Contacts
Applicants seeking further information regarding the PhD position are invited to contact:

• Pourya Forooghi, forooghi@mpe.au.dk (main supervisor)

For information about application requirements and mandatory attachments, please see our application guide. If answers cannot be found there, please contact:

• admission.gradschool.tech@au.dk

How to apply:
Please follow this link to submit your application.

Application deadline is 20 June 2026 at 23:59 CEST.

Preferred starting date is 15 October 2026.

Please note:

• Only documents received prior to the application deadline will be evaluated. Thus, documents sent after deadline will not be considered.
• The programme committee may request further information or invite the applicant to attend an interview.
• Shortlisting will be used, which means that the evaluation committee only will evaluate the most relevant applications.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which everyone has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply, regardless of their personal background. Salary and terms of employment are in accordance with applicable collective agreement.