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Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name -- RICE -- Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

About George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing

The George R. Brown School of Engineering and Computing ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought, and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

Position Summary

A postdoctoral research position is available at Rice University in the research group of Dr. Laura Schaefer, with additional collaboration with the research group of Dr. James Elliott. This opportunity is funded by the Department of Energy through their Small Innovative Projects in Solar program. This project aims to combine detailed simulations of concentrating solar (CS) systems (combined with advanced cycles and thermal energy storage) with geographic information system (GIS) tools and survey data to provide thermodynamic, economic, and sociological impact assessments of small-scale CS plants located in urban brownfields. The project will contribute to reaching U.S. goals for solar generation capacity for electricity and industrial process heat.

The ideal postdoctoral researcher should have a track record of research and publication in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, strong communication and interpersonal skills, and extensive experience in thermofluid modeling and simulation, preferably in the area of renewable and/or advance energy systems with extensions to assessing their impact. Candidates do not need to demonstrate prior experience with GIS tools, DOE packages such as Solar Pilot, or quantitative analysis of survey results but should have a willingness to gain these skills.

This position is a one year term-limited position funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Hiring Range: $48,000-$50,000

Requirements

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or a closely related field
• No experience required
  • Ability to create detailed thermofluid simulations of cycle components such as turbomachinery, heat exchangers, and thermal energy storage

Skills Required:

• Familiarity with integration of components into combined power cycles
• Ability to develop models of heat transfer and fluid transport behavior of multiphase flows in pipe networks for industrial process heat
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills
• Organization and time management skills to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction as well as in a collaborative environment

Preferences

• Experience in modeling turbomachinery and/or heat exchangers or similar systems
• Familiarity with economic and/or environmental assessment tools, such as LCOE, LCA, etc.
• Experience in statistical analysis for uncertainty quantification
• Experience writing peer-reviewed papers and presenting work at national conferences
• U.S. citizen or green card holder, per the grant funding requirements

Essential Functions

• Develops detailed and annotated computational models for individual components and integrated systems for concentrated solar-driven power and heating cycles
• Creates GIS models for urban brownfield mapping with direct normal irradiation, population levels, and industrial locations, combined with energy system simulation results
• Interfaces with collaborators in Sociology and the Kinder Institute for Urban Research to incorporate survey results for communities potentially adjacent to solar installations into GIS model
• Utilizes tools such as Solar Pilot, OpenCSP, and/or the NREL System Advisor Model to design solar concentrator placements and assess their output
• Plans and writes research reports, proposals, and scholarly submissions related to the laboratory's research.
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits-overview

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Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and the full inclusion of all qualified persons in the workplace. This commitment includes providing reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities. For applicants with disabilities who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.