The Technical University of Denmark (DTU), Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, is recruiting a PhD student for a project on pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), a membrane technology that generates renewable energy from salinity gradients. The position is based at DTU’s Kgs. Lyngby campus and suits an engineer with a master’s degree who wants to build a research career in membrane process engineering.
The role
- Investigate scale-up and optimization of PRO systems operating up to 70 bar, using flat-sheet plate-and-frame modules
- Optimize feed flow distribution, spacer geometry and membrane housing design to reduce internal concentration polarization and fouling
- Combine long-duration experimental testing with numerical modelling or computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
- Support scale-up through module parallelization and evaluate durability under realistic operating conditions
- Work with academic and industrial partners in Denmark and abroad, and strengthen the department’s expertise in PRO
Requirements
- A two-year master’s degree (120 ECTS) in chemical engineering, biochemical engineering or a similar field
- Experience with membrane separation processes and handling membrane unit operations at laboratory or pilot scale
- Understanding of transport phenomena, fluid dynamics or spacer design in membrane modules
- Interest or experience in process modelling, CFD or data-driven approaches
- Basic knowledge of fouling mechanisms and testing under high-salinity conditions
About the employer
DTU is one of Europe’s leading technical universities, with about 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students and 6,500 employees across campuses in Denmark and Greenland.
Salary and deadline
Salary and pension follow the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations (AC), with any supplement negotiated per DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff; the posting gives no fixed amount. The contract runs 3 years, with an expected start date of 1 December 2026. Application deadline: 17/09/2026. The ad does not state a specific starting salary figure.
Source: Technical University of Denmark (DTU), “PhD scholarship in Scaling up and Optimization of Pressure Retarded Osmosis Processes – DTU Chemical Engineering”, read 11 September 2026. Summary by AVIDE; see the original page for the full and current text.