The position is jointly offered by the Mechatronics Group (M-Group) of KU Leuven, located in the historic city of Bruges, and the Royal Military Academy in Brussels, the heart of Europe. The M-Group is recognised for its expertise in the design of mechatronic systems, with particular strengths in drone propulsion, structural design, and control. The Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Royal Military Academy complements this with established expertise in fluid mechanics and experimental aerodynamics. Together, these institutions offer a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment that bridges fundamental research and applied engineering, fostering innovation within a European research and defence cooperation framework.
Responsibilities
Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) are becoming increasingly vital in modern society, enabling applications such as surveillance, logistics, maintenance, and communication, both onshore and offshore. Enhancing their aerodynamic performance is key to reducing power consumption and improving overall capabilities, including range and endurance.
The position focuses on investigating the aerodynamic performance of a fixed-wing drone equipped with boundary layer control technologies. The work involves the use of correlations available in the scientific literature and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analyses to assess and refine aerodynamic efficiency. This research is conducted within a European Defence Agency (EDA) Category B project, in close collaboration with multiple international partners across diverse technical domains.
Profile
You are a dynamic and passionate problem-solver. You can work independently but also in a multidisciplinary team consisting of knowledge institutes and industry.
The candidate:
- Holds a master’s degree in Engineering Sciences or Engineering Technology, preferably with a background in Aeronautics or Fluid Mechanics.
- Has adequate communication skills and can present the obtained results competently and comprehensively in research team meetings, conferences, and peer-reviewed journals. Preferably, you have given presentations at conferences or published articles in high-impact journals.
- Is flexible and has good time management skills.
- Can work autonomously and maintains good interactions with the co/supervisors.
- Has the necessary skills to successfully study CFD and aerodynamics within an aircraft design framework.
- Helps in the organisation of workshops and other events.
- Frequently reports the progress of the conducted research to the co/supervisors.
- Is willing to engage in teaching assignments.
- Wants to commute frequently between Bruges and Brussels, as the job position is split equally over KU Leuven Bruges and the Royal Military Academy.
- Wants to travel within Belgium or abroad to assist in meetings, execute tests or conduct measurements if such appears necessary.
- Must have the nationality of a NATO member state.
- Is willing to work within a Defence context.
- Must be proficient in English.
- Is willing to apply for a FWO PhD scholarship to continue the initiated research.
Advantages strengthening the candidate’s profile, but not explicitly required: Prior knowledge of Ansys Fluent or similar; Python or MATLAB programming.
- Having published as (co-)author in a peer-reviewed journal.
- Earlier expertise gained as an academic research assistant or as a research engineer in industry.
- Experience in the domain of CFD and fluid mechanics.
Offer
- A competitive remuneration package in line with the industry standards of Belgium, a country with a high quality of life and an excellent health system.
- A young, dynamic and international work environment where human contacts and professionalism are very important.
- Partial remote work possible.
- You will work in the historical city of Bruges and Brussels, the heart of Europe. Bruges is at 1h from Brussels by train, with a direct link to the international airport "Brussels National".
- The opportunity to pursue a PhD degree in Engineering Technology, a trajectory that typically takes 4 years, in a young and dynamic research team. You will be given a 1-year contract. Financing for the subsequent 3 years must be obtained through successfully participating in competitive funding.
- Other working conditions can be found at https://www.kuleuven.be/personeel/jobsite/en/phd/phd-information
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Frank Buysschaert, mail: [email protected].
KU Leuven strives for an inclusive, respectful and socially safe environment. We embrace diversity among individuals and groups as an asset. Open dialogue and differences in perspective are essential for an ambitious research and educational environment. In our commitment to equal opportunity, we recognize the consequences of historical inequalities. We do not accept any form of discrimination based on, but not limited to, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, ethnic or national background, skin colour, religious and philosophical diversity, neurodivergence, employment disability, health, or socioeconomic status. For questions about accessibility or support offered, we are happy to assist you at this email address.
