We are looking for a

Internship followed by fully funded PhD – Chemical process engineer (m/f/d)

Paul Wurth as a global leader in ironmaking technology is actively working on 
CO2 reduction approaches for the blast furnace based iron production route. One 
main approach is to integrate CO2 lean hydrogen into the process. Hydrogen can 
be produced much cheaper in remote sunny and windy areas such as Australia or 
Chile, necessitating efficient and easy transport to densely populated regions 
in the north such as Europe or Japan. Ammonia can be a carrier molecule for 
hydrogen and is already widely transported today for the fertilizer industry. 
However its usage required a novel reactor called a cracker to reconvert ammonia 
into hydrogen, which does not exist on large scale yet. In short, the PhD 
candidate shall be the main researcher to develop a new ammonia cracking reactor 
and propose an optimized process integration.



During the internship you are expected to get familiar with the topic to prepare 
for the PhD, mainly doing:

Literature review and state of the art ammonia cracking research and reactor 
design best practices based on similar high temperature catalytic hydrogen 
reactions such as ethylene cracking or steam methane reforming
Review, improve and document existing 1D Model from previous internships in C++, 
to achieve more accurate heat transfer and reaction equations. Revise C++ code 
to be more readable, more scalable and easy to use.
Draft funding application for PhD research proposal for starting the PhD in 
April 2025. Propose a comprehensive development plan outlining the main tasks 
for developing a full scale ammonia cracker, including simulation model 
improvement, catalyst tests, material tests, reactor design prototyping, pilot 
tests, etc…


During the PhD, you are expected to do the following:

Independently follow and manage the research required for developing an 
industrial ammonia cracker.
Continuously improve and validate the 1D simulation model, to make it as 
representative as possible.
Research and model the impact of using various steel plant off-gases in the 
reactor burner and heat transfer.
Coordinate with external laboratories to receive required catalyst test data for 
improving the simulation model.
Coordinate with burner, reactor and furnace manufacturers to obtain design 
criteria limits according to norms and fabrication limits. Use acquired 
knowledge together with simulation model results to optimize reactor design.
Integrated process flowsheet optimization using the proposed reactor design to 
maximize process efficiency.
Write publications required for obtaining a PhD according to University 
standards.


What do we expect?

MSc in process engineering, chemical engineering, computational sciences, 
chemistry or related discipline.
Strong analytical mindset and independent research capability. Critical thinking 
and problem solver.
Deep understanding of thermodynamics, chemistry and transport phenomena.
Good knowledge of MS Excel. Programming languages or process simulation software 
knowledge is a plus.
Any experience with catalyst or catalytic reaction characterization is a plus.
Any experience with reactor or furnace design is a plus.
Good communication and proficiency in English. Any other languages are 
additional assets.


What do we offer?

Fully funded PhD by FNR.lu in a diverse team in one of Luxembourg’s leading 
industrial players.
Office near the well-connected Luxembourg train station with a free company 
parking lot for easy commuting.
Flexible working hours, telework policy and flexible holiday planning.