The High-Pressure Combustion Laboratory, Cryogenic Combustion Lab, and Combustion Research Laboratories in Penn State's Department of Mechanical Engineering are seeking a Researcher. The successful candidate will conduct research in multiple cutting-edge programs investigating fundamental combustion behavior for various applications, assist in management of existing research programs, and mentor both graduate and undergraduate students.
The position goals include developing and utilizing experimental hardware and analysis techniques for rapid and accurate characterization of performance parameters and key properties of energetic materials and combustion systems for monopropellants, solid fuels, solid propellants, and hypersonic systems for space and ground applications. Experimental research will be conducted in the energetics research labs at Penn State and collaboratively with government and industry research program partners on both modeling & simulation and experimental tasks.
Requirements and Qualifications:
The Researcher should possess a master’s degree in a related engineering or science field. Due to security restrictions, the successful candidate must be a U.S. citizen and be able to pass background checks required for facility access and working with export-controlled information at Penn State and partner locations. The Researcher should also have a strong record of high-quality experimental research contributions, such as published reports and peer-reviewed papers.
The successful candidate is expected to have a wide variety of skills and knowledge of topics relevant to analysis and evaluation of combustion and propulsion systems. These may include:
Combustion and propulsion theory, especially particles, solid fuels & propellants, energetic materials, and hypergolic propellants.
Experimental analysis of propulsion systems and propellants including monopropellant (with and without catalysts), solid fuel (hybrid and air-breathing), and hypergolic materials.
Design, fabrication, operation, and maintenance of experimental equipment (mechanisms, high pressure vessels, piping/tubing, pressure and vacuum pumps, common and specialty fittings) for high pressure and temperature operation.
Experience in evaluating, specifying, and implementing advanced diagnostics (intrusive and non-intrusive), including gas composition analysis techniques such as FTIR, GC, MS, etc.
Familiarity with a modern CAD package (SolidWorks preferred and available) and generating drawings for machine shop or additive manufacturing.
Computational chemical, fluid, and mechanical analyses for experimental design and interpretation using commercial or open-source software packages and tools (e.g., ANSYS, SolidWorks, Matlab/Octave, Python, etc.).
Safe lab practices and regulatory compliance for handling and processing of hazardous and energetic materials.
Additional Information:
Interested applicants should provide a detailed CV and cover letter/research statement page summarizing previous experience and expertise with relevant materials and topics. Evaluation of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position has been filled.
For additional information about this position, please contact Prof. Richard Yetter (ray8@psu.edu). Additional information on some of the Yetter Group laboratories can be found at https://www.hpcl.psu.edu.
This non-tenure-line research faculty position is a term position, funded for one year from date of hire. Possibility of renewal is available depending on research funding.
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