Two PhD Fellowships in Process Control at the Department of Chemical Engineering

Two PhD Fellowships are available at the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim.
The positions are financed by the Research Council of Norway and the principal objective of this project is to consider the link between optimization and control, that is, how to implement operation in practice. The research project will be defined together with the candidate and the supervisor, Professor Sigurd Skogestad. One interesting area is to extend the method for selection for self-optimizing controlled variables, to cases where only data and no explicit model are available. Another area of interest is to use the idea of self-optimizing control to precondition dynamic optimization problems and thus speed-up their solution and improve their convergence properties.

This project is related to a larger activity in plantwide control performed in the group of Professor Sigurd Skogestad at NTNU. Plantwide control deals primarily with the structural issues of the control system, such as what to measure and control, which inputs to use, and how to pair these sets of variables. This is widely recognized as the most important issue for chemical process control (Seborg et. al, 2004), yet its theoretical basis remains quite weak, especially when compared with the large amount of work on optimization and control design (with structure fixed).
Applicants should have (at least within October 2011) a MS degree in engineering, preferably with an emphasis on process systems engineering, including process control, mathematical modeling or optimization.
Additional information can be obtained by contacting Professor Sigurd Skogestad, tel: +47 73594154, mail: sigurd.skogestad@chemeng.ntnu.no.
PhD research fellowships are awarded for a total of 3 years, or 4 years with 25% teaching duty. The fellowships will be awarded on a competitive basis.
More information about the Department of Chemical Engineering, see: http://www.ntnu.edu/chemeng
Detailed information on our PhD programmes is found at: http://www.ntnu.no/nt/english/phd
NTNU’s PhD-rules require a master degree or equivalent with at least 5 years of studies and an average grade of A or B within a scale of A-E for passing grades (A best) and C or better on the BSc. Candidates from universities outside Norway are kindly requested to send a Diploma Supplement or a similar document, which describes in detail the study and grade system and the rights for further studies associated with the obtained degree: http://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/rec_qual/recognition/diploma_en.html
Applicants for PhD positions must agree to participate in organized doctoral study programs within the period of the appointment and have to be qualified for the PhD-study. A contract will be drawn up regarding the period of appointment and work-related duties.
The appointment will be made according to the general regulations regarding university employees and to national guidelines for appointment as PhD fellow.
All applicants must be able to communicate fluently in English (in speaking and writing). Applicants must indicate their level of language skills in English and Norwegian.
NTNU has the ambition to increase the representation of women among academic staff, and particularly encourages female applicants.
PhD candidates are remunerated according to the State salary scale 48-52, starting at wage level 48, NOK 383.700 (before tax). There will be a 2 % deduction to The Norwegian Public Service Pension Fund.
An application with a CV, certified copies of transcripts and certificates of education (both MSc and BSc) and reference letters is to be submitted electronically through www.jobbnorge.no. Reference number NT-07/11. Application deadline: 28.02.2011.