PhD Position in microstructure modeling using multicomponent multiphase-field method

The Graduate School -1483 of the German Research Foundation (DFG) “Process Chains in Production - Interaction, Modeling and Assessment of Process Zones” at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences invite applications for a PhD candidate position (Salary scale TV-L E13).

The qualifying candidate will join a young, dynamic, international team of multidisciplinary scientists engaged in numerous scientific and industrial collaborations under the leadership of Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Britta Nestler (IAM-CMS, KIT).  We have extensive experience in phase-field methods and simulation techniques, covering the whole spectrum from basic concepts of physical modeling and implementation with enhanced supercomputing techniques to industrially relevant questions of simulation-based material design. 

The PhD student is expected to conduct large scale numerical studies of the diffusive (such as solidification) and displacive (for e.g. martensitic) phase transformations in commercial steels using the multiphase-field multicomponent method [Phys. Rev. E 71, 041609, 2005]. During the initial stages, the student will directly report to the team leader (Group name: Quantitative modeling of phase transformations).

Brief overview of the project

The importance of computational modeling and simulations for manufacturing engineering has increased over the past few years. The vision of multi-scale and multi-process simulation promises major competitive advantages, not only in factory and production planning, but also in product engineering. These advantages result from the identification of process parameters which ultimately result in significant reduction of product development times.

 Strategies for the simulation of isolated manufacturing processes are already quite advanced and have been widely implemented with great success. Before simulation-based production process development becomes a reality, two crucial development steps still need to be achieved:

• link simulation steps so that entire process chain can be simulated with a high degree of reliability and,

• transfer the primary simulation results, i.e. the component condition, into a reliable prognosis for component behavior under operating conditions.

The primary focus of the Research Training Group is to devise simulation methods for the description, evaluation and optimization of component conditions in interlinked manufacturing processes and verify these by experimental studies. This places the present objective mainly on process chains ranging from semi-finished to finished components as opposed to previous research, which was mainly focussed on process chains from the liquid phase to the semi-finished parts.

Minimum Job Requirements:

• Masters degree or equivalent in metallurgical, computer or mechanical engineering, materials science, physics, or a related field.

Desired qualities

• Basic understanding of phase transformation in metals and alloys and metallurgical thermodynamics.
• Preference will be given to candidates having a working knowledge of the phase-field method. Students having experience with cellular automata or atomistic-scale simulations are also encouraged to apply.
• Keen interest in computer programming (C/C++) and knowledge of numerical techniques.
• Demonstrated capabilities in parallel code development is a plus.
• Ability to work in a collaborative research environment on problems comprising diverse application domains.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills (English).

How to apply

Interested candidates should send an updated CV and the contact information of at least 3 references to Dr. Kumar Ankit (Team Leader): ankit.kumar2@hs-karlsruhe.de (or ankit23aks@gmail.com)  and Prof. Dr. Britta Nestler (Head, IAM-CMS): britta.nestler@kit.edu before August 1, 2015.

In case of queries, please feel free to contact us at ankit23aks@gmail.com. 

 -- 

Kumar Ankit  

Team Leader: Quantitative modeling of phase transformations

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Institute of Applied Materials - Computational Materials Science (IAM-CMS)

Haid-und-Neu-Str. 7, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany

and 

Institute of Applied Materials - Applied Materials Physics (Campus North)

Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76334 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany