KU Leuven, located in Belgium, is among the top European universities, ranked as the top university in the Reuters ranking of Europe's most innovative universities. KU Leuven is a research-intensive, international university that performs both basic and applied research. It is a highly interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary institution focused on and committed to international excellence. KU Leuven actively works on this together with its research partners at home and abroad. The university offers an academic education that is based on scientific research of high quality.
At the Power Electronics Group of the Department of Electrical Engineering ESAT / ELECTA, several Ph.D students and post-docs are working on modelling and on applications of power electronics. We currently have a post-doc position available in Energyville, located in Genk.
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Responsibilities
This project develops novel magnetic design concepts that enhance the performance and scaling laws of high-frequency transformers and inductors, enabling power converters with substantially higher power density. It integrates in the "High-Frequency Magnetics" research line established in the group, introducing novel winding and core structures as central to enabler to miniaturize modern power converters.
The application focus is isolated power conversion in applications such as electric vehicle onboard and fast chargers, data-center power supplies, aerospace, and other size- and cost-constrained, high-power-density domains. The work spans planar and PCB-winding magnetics, integrated and matrix transformers, wide-bandgap (GaN/SiC) resonant converters (LLC, CLL, CLLC) operating from the hundreds of kHz and into the MHz range, high-frequency loss and thermal modeling, and finite-element-driven multi-objective (Pareto) optimization, validated through hardware prototyping and experimental characterization. The researcher can build on the research group's existing power converter models, magnetics expertise, and laboratory infrastructure and will collaborate closely with its members.
As a post-doctoral researcher, the candidate is expected to lead and further develop this research line, co-supervise Ph.D and master's students, contribute to collaborative projects with industry and to competitive funded-project applications, and disseminate results through high-impact publications.
The position also carries a teaching assignment, in Dutch, at the Faculty of Engineering Technology, KU Leuven campus Diepenbeek. This includes lecturing and coordinating bachelor-level courses in the electrical engineering domain (for example, electrical machines and electricity and magnetism), including course organization, student supervision, and examination.
This research is performed within the framework of EnergyVille, located in Genk, a research collaboration on sustainable energy between KU Leuven, VITO, imec, and UHasselt.
Profile
We are looking for a highly motivated, enthusiastic, and communicative researcher who meets the following requirements:
- A master's degree in engineering technology or engineering science and a Ph.D in electrical or electromechanical engineering. If you do not posses a Ph.D at the time of application, you need to obtain one by the time your contract starts.
- Demonstrated expertise in the design of high-frequency magnetic components (transformers and inductors), including planar/PCB-winding and matrix or integrated transformer structures.
- In-depth knowledge of isolated DC-DC and resonant converters (for example LLC, CLL, CLLC), and of power converter modeling, design, and control.
- Hands-on experience designing, building, and experimentally validating high-power-density converter prototypes, including with wide-bandgap (GaN/SiC) devices and laboratory experimental setups.
- Proficiency with electromagnetic and thermal finite-element analysis (Ansys Maxwell and Ansys Icepak) and with power electronics simulation (PLECS, SPICE/LTspice), as well as scientific programming in Python and MATLAB.
- A strong record of peer-reviewed publications as lead author in leading power electronics venues (for example IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics and IEEE APEC/ECCE).
- Excellent English communication skills, written and oral.
- Excellent Dutch communication skills, required for the teaching assignment.
The following are considered assets:
- Experience teaching and coordinating courses at the level of a bachelor's or master's programme in engineering technology.
- Experience co-supervising master's theses and/or Ph.D researchers.
- International research experience, such as research stays abroad, and an active academic network.
- Patents and/or scientific awards in the field of power electronics or magnetics.
- Experience contributing to or acquiring competitive research funding (for example FWO) and contributing to industry collaborations.
Offer
The selected candidate will be offered a three year contract in a fulltime post-doc position (AAP - barema 44) in the aforementioned research group at KU Leuven.
Interested?
For more information please contact Prof. dr. Wilmar Martinez Martinez, mail: [email protected].
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