The candidate with a geoscientific background will support the research and development of numerical simulations for multi-phase and multi-component fluid-flow systems in homogeneous, heterogeneous and discretely fractured porous media for hydrogen underground storage (UHS). Familiarity with thermo-hydro-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in geological storage applications is a prerequisite. The focal points of the research project are (1) upscaling techniques from molecular scale models towards reservoir scale models, and (2) hydrogen dissolution in saline formation water in presence of cushion gas. The position offers an ideal opportunity to contribute to the further advancement of numerical methodologies as well as the implementation of deep learning algorithms.

Your responsibilities:

• Implementation and benchmarking of numerical simulation tools for underground hydrogen storage on various spatial scales (core, near-wellbore and field scale)
• Development of computational THMC models to characterize the coupled processes in geological storage formations
• Evaluation of new modelling approaches for the cyclic hydrogen storage process (injection/production) in deep saline aquifers
• Investigation of the poroelastic and thermoelastic stresses of the storage complex to plan and de-risk a future field demonstrator
• Verification of numerical results from the applied simulation techniques with results from laboratory or field experiences
• Presentation of project results in conferences and scientific journals

Your qualifications:

• Master's degree or equivalent, and completed doctorate with focus on geosciences, physics or related disciplines
• Experience in open-source or commercial software programs that model advective and diffusive processes of geochemically reactive fluids in subsurface formations
• Experience with coupled modelling approaches (THM, THC) in geothermal or gas storage applications
• Ability to develop codes in MATLAB and/or Python or other similar platforms
• Skills in areas such as petrophysics and geology, familiarity with equations of state (EoS)
• Scale coupling experience, i.e. transfer of core scale models into meso-scale reservoir models
• Knowledge of biological modelling is an advantage, but no requirement
• Strong teamwork and communication skills for working in an interdisciplinary environment