IMDEA Energy is seeking a predoctoral researcher (PhD) position for the Nuclear Technology Unit to work on advanced nuclear reactors (SMRs and microreactors) with grid-forming control to keep critical infrastructures, industrial facilities and data centres of the Community of Madrid supplied during blackouts.

You will join the team of the Nuclear Technology Unit, to carry out a PhD thesis on advanced nuclear reactors acting as grid-forming sources for the resilience of critical infrastructures against blackouts such as the Iberian blackout of 28 April 2025. 

Key responsabilities:

• Developing a real-time coupled dynamic model of advanced nuclear reactors (heat-pipe microreactor and light-water SMR), their power conversion system, a grid-forming converter and a critical microgrid.
• Assessing nuclear safety margins (fuel temperature, reactivity, heat pipes) during islanding, load steps and load rejection.
• Analysing the 28 April 2025 Iberian blackout on a reduced equivalent grid and evaluating the potential contribution of advanced reactors to voltage control and black start.
• Designing model predictive control strategies that coordinate the reactor and energy storage during black start while respecting nuclear margins, in order to predict and prevent reactor trips.
• Validating the control strategies experimentally in power-hardware-in-the-loop at the IMDEA Energy Smart Energy Integration Lab (SEIL).
• Applying the results to case studies in the Community of Madrid (hospital, data centre and industrial park).
• Publishing the results in international scientific journals and conferences and contributing to patent applications.
• Enrolling in and completing a PhD programme at a Spanish university.

Mandatory Requirements:

• Master’s degree (MSc) in Nuclear, Energy, Industrial or Electrical Engineering, Physics or a related field that gives access to a PhD programme in Spain, or expected to be completed before the start of the contract.
• Programming skills in Python, MATLAB/Simulink or similar.
• English level B2 or higher (CEFR).

Other merits:

• Knowledge of reactor physics, nuclear reactor dynamics or thermal-hydraulics.
• Knowledge of power systems, power electronics, grid-forming control or microgrids.
• Experience in dynamic modelling and simulation (Simulink, Modelica, OpenMC, MOOSE or similar), real-time simulation or hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Knowledge of control engineering (e.g. model predictive control) or machine learning.
• Academic record (average grade of the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees).
• Research experience: Master’s thesis on related topics, research internships, publications or conference contributions.

• Adequacy of the candidate's training to the requested profile.
• Research or work experience related to the profile of the job position
• Motivation for accomplishing high-quality research.
• Knowledge of English

• Remuneration: Between 22.000€ – 25.000€ per year, depending upon qualification and expertise.
• Duration of the contract: 1 year, renewable annually up to 4 years depending on performance (PhD contract)

IMDEA Energía, Móstoles, Madrid. 100% on-site position.