Damage and Fracture Mechanics are predictive computational tools able to prevent catastrophic failure in engineering structures. The complexity of the physics of damage, which rules out any homogeneity of materials at the usual macroscopic scale of laboratory experiments, has led to many different modeling assumptions in Solid Mechanics, each of them resulting from a suitable trade-off between physical relevance at different scales and applicability to structural design. Nonetheless, computations of failure mechanisms and ultimate load-carrying capacity of structures still stay as difficult tasks in civil and mechanical engineering.
The successful candidate will join a collaborative research team investigating a novel approach to model and predict material failure called graded damage. The project aims to link fundamental mechanics principles with advanced computational tools, namely Code_Aster, a general-purpose finite element code released under the GPL license, to understand and simulate damage nucleation and growth in porous media under hydro-mechanical loading.
This post-doc position provides a stimulating environment for scientific growth and future collaborations. The expected results will help overcome obstacles in the ongoing research programs at IFPEN on CCUS (Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage) as part of the PEPR “sous-sol, bien commun” funded under the France 2030 plan.

Key responsibilities of the job include:

• Implementing the graded damage concept in Code_Aster.
• Developing a suitable extension of the model to the case of porous media.
• Designing a computationally efficient implementation to accommodate  multi-domain parallelism for HPC computer clusters.
• Applying the developed model and computational tools to simulate CO2 screening.
• Analyzing results, publishing research in high-impact peer-reviewed journals, and presenting findings at international conferences.

The successful candidate will attend international conferences in France or abroad.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a closely related field.
• Strong background in solid mechanics and finite element methods.
• Experience with computational mechanics and numerical simulations.
  Proficiency in computer programming, particularly in Fortran and Python languages.
• Good communication skills in Engli sh (B2 level or higher required), self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with modelling in plasticity, fracture mechanics or phase-field approach.
• Basic knowledge of C++ and MPI programming.
• Familiarity with software engineering practices (e.g. version control)
• Basic knowledge of mechanics of porous media.
• Basic knowledge of fluid mechanics, code coupling or machine learning applications in fracture mechanics.

Langues

Good communication skills in English (B2 level or higher required)

PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or a closely related field.

It’s mandatory that the candidate has been awarded his/her Ph.D. no more than 3 years ago.

For further information and to apply, please contact:

Daniele COLOMBO - daniele.colombo@ifpen.fr