PhD in Experimental Fluid Mechanics (ERC grant)

3 years - 2135€/month raw salary

Laboratory of Géosciences Rennes, Université de Rennes, CNRS

Contact : joris.heyman@univ-rennes.fr

We look for two talented students with a master degree in fluid mechanics or physics (PhD degree also accepted) for conducting groundbreaking experimental research in fluid mechanics in porous materials, with application to environment and soil contamination, hydrogen storage, catalysts and batteries. The project is funded by an European grant (see website). The PhDs will join a dynamic team of 3 permanent researchers, 2 engineers and 2 postdocs

Context - Fluid flow in porous media plays a central role in a large spectrum of geological, biological and industrial systems. Recent advances have shown that microscale chemical gradients are sustained by pore-scale chaotic flow dynamics. This fundamentally challenges the current macrodispersion paradigm that assumes that porous transport processes occurs under well-mixed microscale conditions. Using novel experimental, numerical and theoretical approaches, the candidates will explore the origin, diversity and consequences of chaotic mixing in porous and fractured media. He will develop a new generation of imaging techniques coupling laser induced fluorescence, refractive index matching and additive manufacturing of complex and realistic porous and fractured architectures.

•  PhD Topic 1 : "Micro-structural origin of chaotic mixing in porous media "

keywords : experimental fluid mechanics, dynamical systems, laser and optics, 3D printing
T he PhD candidate will uncover the physical mechanisms producing chaotic advection in laminar fluid flows through porous structures (left image). The candidate will use 3D printing tools to replicate natural porous architectures (rocks, fractures, vessels, membranes) and image scalar transport via new tomography techniques.

More on the subject : Heyman et al. PNAS 2020
Potential collaborations with RMIT (Australia)

• PhD Topic 2 : "Scalar signature of chaotic mixing"

keywords : experimental fluid mechanics, inverse problems, reactive transport
T he PhD candidate will develop a novel experiment of porous flow reversal that has recently been conceived in our laboratory. This new imaging technique is capable of producing high resolution images of scalar transport in natural porous samples (right image). The challenge is to adapt and apply the method to a large range of natural porous materials and fluids to investigate the consequences of mixing and dispersion in reactive transport.
More on the subject : Heyman et al. PRL 2021
Potential collaborations with : PoreLab (Norway), CSIC (Spain) and ISCR (France)