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PhD position in thermo-mechanical studies of geothermal energy pile foundations

PhD position in thermo-mechanical studies of geothermal energy pile foundations NTNU main building, Gloshaugen Campus, Trondheim, Norway (source: commons/ wikimedia, Shekko, CC BY-SA 3.0)
Alexander Richter 14 Jan 2020

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology has a vacancy for a PhD position in thermo-mechanical studies of geothermal energy pile foundations, mostly in shallow geothermal conditions.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has a vacancy for a PhD position in thermo-mechanical studies of geothermal energy pile foundations.

About the position

The Geotechnical Engineering Group at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, NTNU, has a vacancy for a 3-year PhD scholarship for research on thermo-mechanical study of geothermal energy pile foundations installed in soft clays subjected to freezing and thawing. The geotechnical engineering group has 6 full time professors, 1 senior researcher, 3 technicians, 13 PhD students and 2 research assistants. The group has a modern geotechnical laboratory as well as drill rigs and equipment for advanced field work.

Shallow geothermal energy is a sustainable and renewable way for heating/cooling homes. Recently geothermal energy piles have been utilized to employ ground as heating/cooling energy source. A geothermal energy pile consists of a pile foundation, heat exchanging loops and a heat pump. Heat exchanging loops are usually made of high-density polyethylene pipes and carry heat exchanging fluid (water and/or an antifreeze). The loops are attached to a reinforcement cage and installed in the concrete piles of the building to extract the shallow ground energy via a heat pump to heat the building during winter. The cycle is reversed during summer when heat is collected from the building and stored in the ground.

The main supervisor for the work will be Prof. Rao Martand Singh with co-supervisors from SINTEF and NTNU.

Full details via the link below.

Questions about the position can be directed to professor Gustav Grimstad, phone number: +47 41300948, e-mail: gustav.grimstad@ntnu.no or Professor Steinar Nordal, phone number: +47 90031845, e-mail: steinar.nordal@ntnu.no

Source: JobNorge