Missions

In the framework of the EU-funded ERC project “Precipitation Triggered Rock Dynamics: the missing mesoscopic link” (PRD-Trigger) you will be in charge of the design for operating custom-made test cells in order to control temperature, pressure and fluid flow in rock samples. Additionally, you will manage existing laboratory equipment to prepare and condition samples. You will participate in experimental campaigns in collaboration with the project's researchers.

Activities

Your principal tasks will consist in:
• the design for operating custom-made test cells compatible with X-ray tomography imaging, to control temperature, pressure, and fluid flow in rock samples
• the exploitation of existing laboratory equipment for environmental control (oven, climatic chamber, humidity generator, pumps, gas injection and gas mixing)
• training users on operating the equipment
• planning of maintenance or reparation of the equipment
• performing experiments and writing experimental reports, storage and documenting of the acquired experimental data following the data management plan of PRD-Trigger
• working in collaboration with other engineers from the laboratory and from the university's workshop, with interns, PhD students and postdocs
• managing the relation with suppliers and constructors

Skills

Technical skills:
• good knowledge in technical drawing and control software (e.g. LabVIEW)
• expertise in design and construction of temperature and pressure controlled hydraulic circuits (Peltier stages, insulation, pumps, connections, valves, tubing, sealants, …)
• expertise in design and configuration of control systems for temperature, humidity and pressure (sensor selection, PID-control sequence, data acquisition pipeline)
• ability to work precisely, compliant with safety regulations
• general interest in material science and/or process engineering

Other skills:
• ability to work in a team
• ability to work autonomously
• maintaining good relations with internal and external services
• proficient in scientific writing and communication
• English: B2 level

Work Context

You will work within the framework of the ERC project PRD-Trigger, led by Dr. Hannelore Derluyn (CNRS Associate Scientist). The PRD-Trigger team will consist of you, Dr. Derluyn, and postdoctoral researchers, and is affiliated with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). The team will be hosted at the Laboratory of Complex Fluids and their Reservoirs (LFCR UMR 5150, lfc.univ-pau.fr) and the Pau Centre for X-ray Imaging (DMEX UAR 3360, imagingcenter.univ-pau.fr) at the University of Pau & Pays Adour (UPPA) in France, on its campus in Pau.

UPPA is a laureate of the French Science Innovation Excellence Initiative I-SITE (one of only 8 universities in France, e2s-uppa.eu). The LFCR consists of about 140 members (80 non-permanent, 45 permanent staff and 15 support staff) and its research focuses on the behavior of fluids and reservoirs, and the coupling between them, from nano to reservoir scale. The multi-disciplinary character of the laboratory is reflected by the research groups of which it consists, working on: (1) geomechanics and porous media, (2) characterization of geological reservoirs, (3) interfaces and dispersed systems and (4) thermophysical properties. The PRD-Trigger project inscribes into the transversal research axes of the laboratory spanning the different research groups, focusing on multi-scale numerical approaches and experimental imaging techniques. DMEX is a service unit, ISO 9001 certified since 2017, whose mission is to provide services related to X-ray imaging and material characterization, both to academic and industrial (TotalEnergies, TEREGA, STORENGY, SAFT,…) partners.

Constraints and risks

You will be working at an X-ray imaging center and assist in experiments performed at synchrotrons. As such, you will be working with equipment emitting X-ray radiation. At DMEX as well as at synchrotron beamlines, specific safety measures are put in place to protect you from radiation and to monitor potential exposure to radiation. Under correct use, you are not exposed to radiation.

The experiments will make use of salt solutions, which have to be manipulated according to the appropriate safety regulations with respect to their harmfulness for the environment and humans. The necessary safety measures and personal protective equipment are present at the laboratory.

Training on radiation safety and chemical safety will be provided at the start of your appointment.

Additional Information

Applications will be studied until a suitable candidate is found. The envisaged starting date is 1/02/2025, for a duration until the end of the PRD-Trigger project, 31/03/2026.

More information on the ERC-project and Dr. Derluyn can be found on:
in English:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4RimsgjwzA
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/850853
in French:
https://insis.cnrs.fr/fr/personne/hannelore-derluyn
https://recherche.univ-pau.fr/_resources/Documents/Emergences/Emergences2019.pdf

More information on moving to Pau, the gateway to the mountain range of the Pyrenees, can be obtained on the website of UPPA's International Welcome Desk:
https://ri.univ-pau.fr/en/international-welcome-desk.html
and on the city's website:
https://www.pau.fr//accueil