Advanced on-board control for heat pumps
(ref. BAP
Laatst aangepast: 11/02/26
Industry is responsible for 15% of the EU's emissions, while Energy-Intensive Industries (EIIs) make up more than half of the energy consumption of the EU industry. EIIs comprise sectors, such as aluminium, steel, cement, lime, chemicals, ceramics, glass, pulp and paper. The majority (66%) of industrial energy use is for process heating purposes (37% of which with a temperature below 200 °C), meaning that the sustainable supply of heat should be at the forefront of any decarbonization strategy for industry. The ZEnITh (Zero Emissions Industrial Technologies) project aims at developing a solution combining High Temperature Heat Pumps (HTHP), Latent Thermal Energy Storages (LTESs) and AI-based Industrial Energy Management System (EMS). To do so smart control systems for HTHP are needed to favour the integration into the industrial processes.
The research group Flexible Heat Pumps and Cooling Systems (FHP&Cool, ) at KU Leuven, will be responsible for the predictive on-board control of the high temperature heat pump to support the process integration. FHP&Cool group, belonging to the Mechanical Engineering Department and located at the KU Leuven campus in Geel and linked to the research activities in Energyville, has a wide experience in Heat pump technology and system modelling and control.
Project
The PhD project will be focused on the control of a vapour compression heat pump developed in the ZEnITh project. In particular the main aim of the research activity will be:
* To develop an accurate dynamic model of a heat pump for control purposes
* To implement a control framework to identify the control actions by varying the load
* To assure integration of different control layers for industrial process decarbonization
Dynamic modelling of the system under consideration will be developed by means of open source tools (e.g. Python/Modelica) and optimization frameworks will be created to support the control implementation.
Profile
* Master Degree (MEng or MSc degree or equivalent) in a relevant field for the project content (mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, energy engineering or related subjects).
* Proficient knowledge of English (The English proficiency test scores accepted by KU Leuven are the TOEFL certificate, IELTS certificate, and Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE) or C2 Proficiency (CPE) certificate, check on )
* Experience with programming languages is considered beneficial (software that can be used in the project: Python, Matlab, Modelica)
* Willingness to cooperate in an open and multi-disciplinary environment, creative mind set and ability to take initiatives
Offer
We offer a 4 year contract as PhD student at KU Leuven. The contract can start after September the 1st 2026 (to be agreed). The candidate will attain a KU Leuven PhD degree reflecting skills in modelling, design and control of heating systems for decarbonizing industrial processes.
PhD scholarship:
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Alessia Arteconi, mail:
You can apply for this job no later than May 31, 2026 via the online application tool
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Tewerkstellingspercentage: Voltijds
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Locatie: Geel
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Solliciteren tot en met:
31/05/2026 23:59 CET
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Tags: Industriële Ingenieurswetenschappen, Ingenieurswetenschappen