Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Off-Earth Construction

Are you passionate about revolutionizing the architecture, engineering, and construction industries through cutting-edge digital technologies? Do you want to leverage 3D printing and numerical simulations to shape the future of habitat development on the Moon and Mars? Pushing the boundaries of construction in extreme space environments presents unique challenges. For example, in lower-gravity conditions like those on the Moon or Mars, reduced gravitational forces heighten the importance of other forces, such as surface tension and electrostatics. This shift impacts fluid flow and heat transfer—both critical for construction processes in space. Additionally, the behaviour of construction materials in high-vacuum conditions, similar to those on extraterrestrial surfaces like the Moon, introduce issues with evaporation and sublimation. All these challenges must be addressed with the added constraints that structures must withstand harsh environmental conditions, and that material usage is restricted, ideally relying on locally available resources.

We invite you to join our section Digital Building Technologies at the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering as a tenure-track assistant professor, where you will collaborate with a team of experts dedicated to advancing the digital transformation of the built environment. Our research focuses on developing and applying digital technologies such as additive manufacturing/3D printing, numerical modelling, artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, digital twins, and smart materials.

Responsibilities and qualifications
You will enhance our team in the Digital Building Technologies section with their expertise in numerical modelling of various construction and additive manufacturing technologies. You are expected to broaden the section's activities in the area of off-Earth construction, particularly concentrating on lunar construction initiatives. Given the interdisciplinary nature of this field, you should have a demonstrated track record in fluid dynamics, heat transfer and phase change phenomena, complex fluid and composite flow phenomena, and fluid behaviour in microgravity environments. 

Your primary tasks will be: 

• Establish a research line related to lunar construction efforts with a focus on fluids behavior in extreme environments
• Conduct research at the highest international level in the modelling of flow phenomena in composite materials
• Leverage numerical and experimental techniques to explore ideas that will lead to process-induced smart features of 3D-printed structures
• Supervise BSc and MSc projects and co-supervise PhD students
• Develop new project ideas, write applications as a PI, as well as contribute to other projects led by section colleagues

We expect you to have:

• A broad background within (computational) fluid dynamics and transport phenomena
• Proven track record and experience with fluid behavior in microgravity environments
• Experience with numerical and experimental techniques for analysis of flow phenomena and fiber orientation in composite materials
• Extensive expertise with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools, preferably with the open-source software OpenFOAM
• Experience with teaching and supervision

You must be responsible for the teaching of courses. DTU employs two working languages: Danish and English. You are expected to be fluent in at least one of these languages, and in time are expected to master both.

As formal qualification you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent).

Application procedure

To apply, please read the full job advertisement here: DTU Tenure Track Assistant Professor in Off-Earth Construction - DTU Construct

Application deadline: 6 December 2024

Read about DTU at www.dtu.dk/english.

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