PDEng trainee - Smarter utilization of thermal mass in high-performance building at Technological University of Eindhoven

The Smart Energy Buildings & Cities (SEB&C) PDEng program wants to contribute to the transition to an energy-positive built environment in which indoor environmental quality is optimized for health, comfort and/or productivity. To achieve these goals a transdisciplinary approach is required which:

• addresses technological solutions for energy generation, storage, distribution and demand reduction, and

• integrates and optimizes these in design, construction and operation of new and existing buildings.

This requires technical designers who are able to work in a multidisciplinary environment and know how to communicate with different disciplines and stake holders. This PDEng program educates trainees to become those technical designers! Please note that this program is about technological design, i.e., the process of solving problems by means of a technological design, this in contrast to (PhD) research, which is the process of understanding problems.

After the two year program our trainees become technical designers with a broad technological understanding of energy related disciplines in the built environment (mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, building physics and services and ICT), who excel in their own discipline and who are able to work in multidisciplinary design teams, contribute to design issues outside their own core disciplines, integrate different technologies into new products and concepts, and who understand the commercial aspects of these innovative products and concepts.

Job description

The Department of the Built Environment of the Eindhoven University of Technology offers you a trainee position to follow a two-year post-master technological designer program, which leads to the degree of 'Professional Doctorate in Engineering' (PDEng). The SEB&C program consists of two main parts:

1. Workshops. You will follow technical workshops in which you acquire knowledge concerning important concepts of disciplines other than your own (master) specialism. You will follow these workshops with other SEB&C trainees (all with different master specialisms). The workshops increase your ability to effectively and efficiently communicate with these other disciplines in multidisciplinary design teams. Furthermore, you will follow workshops on design methods, entrepreneurship and professional skills.

2. Design projects. You will work on a design project with a group of SEB&C trainees and you will work an individual in-company assignment (see description below). The latter is a design project in collaboration with a company and the university. You work within the company structure (facilities, office desk, computer and other required equipment are provided by the company). It is your main responsibility to manage and execute the project. You are supported by an advisor from the company and an advisor from the university. A business plan for implementation or marketing of the project or product is part of the final deliverables.

A significant part of the first year of the program is dedicated to the workshops, while the second year is mostly dedicated to the in-company assignment. Nonetheless you will start working on the in-company assignment from the start of the program. The in-company assignment related to this traineeship is described below.

Thermal mass is usually positively associated with energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings. However, the slow response of heavyweight constructions is not beneficial at all times, as these dynamic effects may actually also increase heating and cooling energy demand during intermittent operation or can cause unwanted discomfort.

This project will focus on the possibilities of making more intelligent use of thermal mass in buildings. Specifically, the project will investigate the potential of innovative responsive building elements that can enable on-demand access to thermal energy storage. Concepts that will be considered include (i) using dynamic insulation to selectively restrict/accelerate energy exchange with thermal mass, (ii) enhanced control of convective heat transfer for better charging/discharging of thermal mass, and (iii) movable thermal mass using fluid flow inside porous constructions.

Various prototypes will be developed and tested in an iterative process, in collaboration with researchers from multiple departments and universities. The project will use experimental and simulation-based analysis, with a focus on building physics aspects, in view of optimizing both the design and performance of the innovative concepts.

Deadline Application: 27-03-2016

Further details:
PDEng trainee - Smarter utilization of thermal mass in high-performance building at Technological University of Eindhoven