PhD position in Process Safety and Process Simulation of Electrified Chemical Processes M/F

Job Description

Thesis Subject

Duration: 3 years (Starting from October-November 2026)

Salary: 2300 € gross/month

Supervisors: Sébastien Leveneur (sebastien.leveneur@ircelyon.univ-lyon1.fr)
& co-supervisor: Naoufel Haddour (naoufel.haddour@ec-lyon.fr)

Location: IRCELYON & Ampère (Lyon)

Keywords: process electrification, cost evaluation, risk assessment, process analysis

💡Introduction to the e-FixedBed Project
This PhD will be embedded in the e-FixedBed ANR project, which aims to develop a new generation of electrified catalytic reactors in which the heat required for chemical reactions is generated directly within the catalytic packed bed via Joule heating
The research is conducted within a multidisciplinary consortium including:
• CP2M – Lyon (Catalysis and reactor engineering)
• ICPEES – Strasbourg (Catalyst design)
• Ampère – Lyon (Electrical engineering and conductive materials)
• IRCELYON – Lyon (Process safety and process engineering)
Within this project, the PhD student at LSPC will focus on process safety and process analysis of electrified chemical reactors.
🎯Research Objectives of the PhD
The PhD student will contribute to the safe design and large-scale evaluation of electrified catalytic reactors. The research will focus on two major areas:
1. Process Safety for Electrified Reactors
The electrification of chemical processes introduces new safety challenges, including electrical hazards, thermal hotspots, and interactions between electrical and chemical systems.


The PhD student will:
• Develop safety procedures for electrified catalytic reactors
• Perform risk assessments for electrified chemical processes
• Study electrical and thermal risks in catalytic packed beds
2. Process Simulation and Process Flow Diagrams
The PhD student will also participate in the process-scale evaluation of the electrified reactor concept.
This includes:
• Development of Process Flow Diagrams (PFD) for electrified processes
• Integration of renewable electricity, electrolyzers, and fuel cells
• Techno-economic analysis
The student will perform multi-criteria assessments.
🔬Expected Scientific Contributions
The PhD will contribute to:
• Development of risk analysis methodologies for electrified chemical processes
• Safe integration of electric heating in catalytic reactors
• Design of electrified process flowsheets
• Evaluation of the techno-economic feasibility of electrified reactors
This work addresses key challenges for the decarbonization of chemical industry through electrification.
References
1. Daniele Di Menno Di Bucchianico, Giordano Emrys Scarponi, Jean-Christophe Buvat, Sébastien Leveneur, Valeria Casson-Moreno, Sustainable design of biomass valorization processes for the production of gamma-valerolactone integrating wind energy and green hydrogen, Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 491, 1 February 2025, 144829. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.144829
2. Daniele Di Menno Di Bucchianico, Giordano Emrys Scarponi, Jean-Christophe Buvat, Sébastien Leveneur, Valeria Casson-Moreno, From biomass-derived fructose to γ-valerolactone: process design and technoeconomic assessment, Bioresource Technology, 401 (2024) 130753, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130753
3. Elizabeth Antonia Garcia-Hernandez, Moulay Elhassane Elmoukrie, Sébastien Leveneur, Bouchaib Gourich, Lamiae Vernieres-Hassimi, Global sensitivity analysis to identify influential model input on thermal risk parameters: to cottonseed oil epoxidation, Journal of loss prevention in the process industries, Volume 77, July 2022, 104795, DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jlp.2022.104795.




🚀 What you will gain
•Strong expertise in process safety and risk assessment for electrified chemical processes
•Hands-on experience with process simulation and flowsheet development
•Exposure to electrified reactors, Joule heating, and energy-efficient catalytic processes
•Publications in international peer-reviewed journals
•Participation in international conferences and collaborative research projects
•Training in a multidisciplinary environment at the interface of chemical and electrical engineering
• Based in Lyon — widely regarded as the gastronomic capital of France — the position offers both scientific excellence and a vibrant lifestyle.

🎓Requirements:
Education
Master's degree in:
o Chemical Engineering
o Process Engineering
o Industrial Risk / Process Safety
o Energy Engineering

Required Skills
Strong knowledge in at least two of the following areas:
• Process safety / risk analysis
• Process simulation
• Process Flow Diagrams (PFD)
• Chemical reaction engineering
• Energy systems

Experience with the following tools is highly desirable:
• Aspen Plus
• ProSim
• Matlab / Python (optional)

Languages
• Good level of English (written and spoken)

Personal Skills
• Ability to work in multidisciplinary teams
• Interest in energy transition and electrified processes
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

📩 How to apply and get further information:
The candidates should send a detailed curriculum vitae, a motivation letter, a transcript of record (Bachelor and Master), and other valuable documents (recommendation letters, language and degree certificates, awards, etc.).

Your Work Environment

The PhD student will be hosted at IRCELYON (UMR 5256 CNRS – Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1), located on the LyonTech–La Doua campus in Villeurbanne. The laboratory brings together more than 80 permanent researchers and around 50 PhD students, and conducts cutting-edge research in catalysis, chemical engineering, and environmental chemistry.

The PhD student will join the ATARI team, which specializes in kinetic modeling, calorimetry, and thermodynamic analysis of reactions. The student will be supervised by Sébastien Leveneur (HDR) and will work within the framework of the ANR QUANTASTIC project, in collaboration with partners in theoretical chemistry (DFT) and control engineering.

This position falls within a sector subject to the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST). Therefore, in accordance with regulations, your appointment will require prior authorization from the competent authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR).

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

2300 € gross monthly

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

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