Three (3) PhD Positions in Water Smart Cities, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark (2016)

DTU seeks qualified candidates for three vacant PhD positions. The positions are a key element in the Water Smart Cities project funded by Innovation Fund Denmark with participation of leading Danish industries and utilities within urban water management.

Candidates are invited to apply for a specific project from the list below or to submit an application that covers several of the scholarships. Additional information concerning the individual scholarships may be obtained by contacting the potential main supervisor directly. The scholarships are as follows:

1. Model Predictive Control strategies for real-time control of urban storm- and wastewater systems
There is a large potential for improving real-time control of urban water systems using system-wide control that utilizes model predictions about future loads of the system. The objective is to develop MPC strategies that consider multiple operation criteria, e.g. combined sewer overflows, pollutant loads and flooding. In the control design the system non-linearities have to be taken into account. Inherent uncertainties are high in modelling the system as well in the prediction of future loads. Both effects have to be incorporated in the MPC control. The preferred candidate will have a background in optimisation, control or urban drainage modelling. Main supervisor is Associate Prof. Niels Kjølstad Poulsen, DTU Compute.

2. Models for real time monitoring, warning and control
Smart water systems require system-wide monitoring of water levels, flows and water quality via continuous updating of system models with signals from in-sewer sensors and utilisation of meteorological forecasts from weather radar and weather models to predict future conditions. The objective is to identify models that are conceptually logical, reflect the uncertainty about the present and future conditions and are simple enough to work for a range of real-time purposes. The scientific disciplines will include both environmental modelling, systems analysis and control – with a view to economic assessment and decision variables that can be easily communicated. Main supervisor is Prof. Peter Steen Mikkelsen, DTU Environment.

3. Balancing costs and benefits of new urban water management objectives for both real time applications and urban planning
Climate change adaptation enables resilient cities. This resilience must be balanced against everyday values of liveability and functionality. The objective of this scholarship is to establish transparent and clearly defined operational indicators of costs and benefits of water management for both planning and design, that can be used to compare the efficiency of different adaptation options based on modelling results. The scientific preferred candidate will have a solid background within modelling of urban water systems, social science and/or economics and an interest in exploring these disciplines. Main supervisor is Prof. Karsten Arnbjerg-Nielsen, DTU Environment.

Further details:
http://www.universitypositions.eu