The vision of the DLR Institute of Future Fuels is to develop technological solutions that enable the cost-effective production of fuels, hydrogen or even chemical base materials such as cement on an industrial scale in the Earth's sunbelt. To this end, we utilise our unique infrastructure at the institute, in which concentrated solar radiation covers the heat requirements of high-temperature processes at temperatures of well over 1000 °C. For production to be as sustainable as possible, the recyclability of the components of a production plant, e.g. a concentrating solar thermal plant, must be considered from the outset. The utilisation of recycled materials and the recycling of parts and components after their use phase are critical aspects of a circular economy.
What to expect
Passionate about sustainability? Do you agree that recycling is fundamental to our society? Join us in an innovative project to improve circularity in manufacturing by developing real-time sustainability assessment tools for product designers!
In this project, we aim to create a methodology that allows product designers to instantly see how design changes affect the sustainability of their products. Our team has already developed indicators to assess the cost, CO2 emissions, circularity and use of critical materials associated with these changes. Your work will be key in refining and extending this tool, helping to put sustainable design decisions at the heart of product development.
Your tasks
Your thesis will focus on understanding how different metal alloys are produced and recycled, and how these processes affect the environmental and economic lifecycle impacts of the products made with them. You'll explore the alloy production and recycling steps to model and potentially validate these processes.
If you are interested in metallurgy and have basic knowledge of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), this is your chance to make a meaningful impact on the development of the circular economy!
Your profile
- Master’s degree in final stage in engineering, e.g. environmental engineering, process engineering, material science
- good knowledge of metal-based materials is required
- basic experience with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and LCI databases is required
- basic knowledge of process modelling (with Aspen Plus or similar software) is a bonus
- fluent English language skills complete your profile
We look forward to getting to know you!
If you have any questions about this position (Vacancy-ID 512) please contact:
Nathalie Monnerie
Tel.: +49 2203 601 2337
