27 Feb 2025
Job Information
- Organisation/Company
Université Gustave Eiffel- Department
MAST- Research Field
Engineering » Chemical engineering
Engineering » Civil engineering
Engineering » Thermal engineering
Physics » Applied physics- Researcher Profile
First Stage Researcher (R1)- Positions
Master Positions- Country
France- Application Deadline
20 Apr 2025 - 00:00 (Europe/Paris)- Type of Contract
Not Applicable- Job Status
Full-time- Hours Per Week
35- Offer Starting Date
1 Oct 2025- Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?
Not funded by a EU programme- Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?
No
Offer Description
Context
From cement production to food processing, rotary drums are widely used industrial equipment to perform different unit operations on granular materials with different degrees of cohesion depending on the application (drying, heating, torrefaction, clinkerisation, coating, etc.) (Huchet et al., 2018).
For environmental and economic reasons, reducing energy consumption involves three possible levers related to fuel substitution, raw material substitution (bio-based or recycled materials) or process innovation (energy efficiency or process substitution). A detailed understanding of the many physical mechanisms responsible for these energy transfers between the different phases transported in the drum (Bisulandru et al., 2023) is a prerequisite for these ongoing changes in the industrial paradigm (Izoret,2021).
Scientific issues
Modelling this process on a macroscopic scale is key to controlling it on an industrial scale. However, the design of new processes can only be based on local physical modelling. The multiphase nature of the process, combining grain transport and heat transfer, remains a major obstacle.
The particles flow in the rotating drum under non-isothermal conditions. From a thermodynamic point of view, therefore, changes in the state of the material in the grains take place on several time and space scales. The general laws of gas and grain transport and energy transfer therefore govern these complex physical processes, which consist of: i) granular flow regimes and solid loading control parameters (Piton et al. 2015, Kozacovic et al. 2023); ii) heat transport, whether conductive, convective or radiative (Le Guen et al. 2013, Le Guen et al. 2017, Le Guen et al. 2020).
As part of this work, we will develop modelling approaches for smooth drums and drums with lifters, which represent a major innovation for the process. Such models will be validated by experiments on rotating drums combining granular flow measurements and infrared thermography. It has been shown that the coupling between granular flow regimes and heat transfer is governed by the fluid/grain exchange surface. Homogenisation approaches that allow macroscopic modelling (of the 1D type) remain relatively reliable as long as conductive transfers are negligible compared to convective and radiative transfers. When conductive transfers (grain/grain and wall/grain) dominate, homogenisation models reduce their accuracy. Consequently, numerical simulations using a DEM-CFD coupling would allow a local analysis of the granular bed and could give the opportunity to estimate the influence of the effective conduction of granular materials, especially when the drum is equipped with lifters.
The aim of the PhD thesis would therefore be to better model the energy transfers taking place in and between the lifters of the rotating drum. The thesis work will be based on experimental tools developed at laboratory scale and numerical tools.
Objectives and available resources
The thesis will be carried out on the Nantes campus of the Gustave Eiffel University within the GPEM laboratory. The PhD will benefit from additional supervision to combine experimental and numerical methods linking granular materials and heat transfer. Non-invasive measurements using infrared thermography are an innovative aspect of this research at the laboratory scale, as shown by Adepu et al (2021). Recent investment in measurement equipment (sapphire cell) should provide 2D observations and measurements (transverse and longitudinal) for comparison with numerical results. At the grain level, Lagrangian monitoring using optical and reaction calorimetric methods will provide a better understanding of air/grain and grain/wall interactions in the rotating drum. The use of 3D printing will facilitate the installation of innovative lifters in the rotating drum.
References
Adepu M., Boepple B., Fox B., Emady H. (2021). Experimental investigation of conduction heat transfer in a rotary drum using infrared thermography Chemical Engineering Science 230 116145 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2020.116145
Bisulandru J.R., Huchet F. (2023). Rotary kiln process: an overview about physical mechanisms, models and applications. Applied Thermal Engineering, 119637 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.119637
Huchet, F., Le Guen, L., Richard, P., Piton, M., Cazacliu, B., Semelle, P., Matheus, J., Riche, H., & Tamagny, P. (2018). Influence of asphalt composition upon the thermodynamics performance of a mixing plant. Road Materials and Pavement Design, 19(1), 104–119. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680629.2016.1249018
Izoret L., Ressources minerals et ciments basse empreinte environnementale : feuille de route de l’industrie cimentière, Journée technique la SIM / CERIB (2022)
Kosakovic M., Havlica J., Le Guen L., Parez S., Huchet F. (2023). Recognition of the granular airborne portion in a flighted rotary drum. Powder Technology 425, 118565. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2023.118565
Le Guen L., Huchet F., Dumoulin J., Baudru Y., Tamagny P. (2013). Convective heat transfer analysis in aggregates rotary drum reactor. Applied Thermal Engineering, 54(1), 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2013.01.025
Le Guen L., Piton M., Hénault Q., Huchet F., Richard P. (2017). Heat Convection and radiation in flighted rotary kiln : a minimal model, Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 95 100-110. https://doi.org/10.1002/cjce.22659
Le Guen, L., & Huchet, F. (2020). Thermal imaging as a tool for process modelling: application to a flight rotary kiln. Quantitative InfraRed Thermography Journal, 17(2), 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1080/17686733.2019.1611222
Where to apply
florian.huchet@univ-eiffel.fr
Requirements
- Research Field
- Physics » Applied physics
- Education Level
- Master Degree or equivalent
- Languages
- ENGLISH
- Level
- Excellent
Additional Information
Selection process
This fellowship is conditional to the successful completion of a two-step selection, the first step of which is advertised here. If you are interested in the project, please submit your application by e-mail to Florian Huchet (florian.huchet@univ-eiffel.fr ), Riccardo Artoni (riccardo.artoni@univ-eiffel.fr ) and Lauredan Le Guen (lauredan.le-guen@univ-eiffel.fr ) no later than April 20th, 2025. Apply early, as shortlisted candidates will be selected for interviews every week, to be interviewed on-line or on-site (depending on the candidate’s location) in March or early April, until suitable candidate is found. After these interviews, the candidate will be preselected and will then compete in the SIS doctoral School selection (Nantes ED SIS 602) around May 15th-23th, 2025, for the second and final round of selections.
The application, in English or in French, must include:
- The candidate’s CV (no more than 2 pages)
- A short letter explaining her/his motivation for this position and project
- Grades from Masters Courses (the two last year of studies)
- A recommendation letter from someone who supervised the candidate’s laboratory work (for example the supervisor of the Masters project/internship) – please ask the referee to send the recommendation letter directly by e-mail to florian.huchet@univ-eiffel.fr
- Website for additional job details
https://gpem.univ-gustave-eiffel.fr/recherche-1
Work Location(s)
- Number of offers available
- 1
- Company/Institute
- Université Gustave Eiffel
- Country
- France
- State/Province
- Loire-Atlantique
- City
- Bouguenais
- Postal Code
- 44344
- Street
- Allée des ponts et chaussées
- Geofield
Contact
- State/Province
FRANCE- City
Bouguenais- Website
https://www.univ-eiffel.fr/- Street
Allée des ponts et chaussées- Postal Code
44344
florian.huchet@univ-eiffel.fr
STATUS: EXPIRED
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