This offer is within the CESAREF EU project

Objectives: To conduct developments of numerical tools based on the discrete element method (DEM) for investigation of the relationships between microstructure and thermomechanical properties of model materials. These developments include debounding, thermomechanical coupling, crack-closure and anisotropic behaviours. These developments will lead to a “virtual numerical lab” able to provide tensile, dilatometry, fracture mechanics or thermal shock virtual tests for virtual characterizations. The related developments will be integrated to the free DEM software GranOO.

Expected Results: Validation of the method in regard to experimental observations in terms of (i) mesoscopic thermomechanical quantities such as CTE, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, stress-strain law and fracture energy and (ii) microscopic observations such as fracture coalescence under thermal and mechanical loadings dynamically observed in SEM. Keywords: Discrete Element Method (DEM), microstructure, refractory, thermo-mechanics Applicant Profile: Master’s level in Materials Science and/or Computational Methods in Mechanical Engineering. Candidates should be excellent in their skills for numerical method applied to mechanics, with some experiences. A good knowledge in material science and their associated experimental characterisation technics is also expected. Oral and written communication skills (English) are also required. Some experiences in Python and/or C++ programming will be appreciated.

PhD main locations:
Period 1 – IMERYS (www.imerys.com), Lyon, France (18 months)
Period 2 – IRCER (www.ircer.fr), Limoges, France (18 months)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the supervisors:
Dr. Damien ANDRÉ, damien.andre@unilim.fr

Due to the Mobility Rule by the funding agency, residents of France cannot apply for this PhD8 position