Towards Predictive Plasma-Assisted Combustion: Advanced Kinetic Modeling for Sustainable Fuels

1 - Working at the VUB

For more than 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and solidarity, and this is very much alive on our campuses among students and staff alike. 

At the VUB, you will find a diverse collection of personalities: innovators pur sang, but above all people who are 100% their authentic selves. With some 4,000 employees, we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer, in the private sector, in Brussels; an international city with which we are only too happy to connect and where (around) our 4 campuses are located. 

Add to this our principle of free research - in which self-reflection, a critical attitude and an open, creative mind around scientific and social issues are central - and you have a university that is fundamentally groundbreaking and pioneering in education and research. In short: the VUB all over again. 

Moreover, the VUB is a member of EUTOPIA, an alliance of like-minded European universities, all ready to reinvent themselves.

2 - Position description

The Faculty of Engineering, Department Applied Mechanics, research group Thermodynamics and Fluid Mechanics, is looking for a postdoctoral researcher. 

More concretely your work package contains: 

We offer a full-time postdoc position in the framework of the ERC Starting Grant project “Energising the future with clean plasma-based technologies” (ESCAPADE, proposal number 101302707). Plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) offers a promising pathway towards cleaner and more efficient combustion of sustainable fuels. However, progress towards industrial deployment is limited by the absence of predictive computational tools capable of capturing the complex interactions between plasma discharges, chemistry, and flame dynamics. ESCAPADE addresses this challenge by developing an innovative multi-physics simulation framework that combines first-principles modeling, machine learning, reduced-order techniques, and computational fluid dynamics. The project will deliver the next generation of predictive tools for the design and optimization of low-emission combustion systems operating with both sustainable and conventional fuels.

The FLOW research group at the VUB has a strong expertise in both fundamental and applied research topics related to the modelling of thermal-fluid systems, with applications in aeronautics (unsteady aerodynamics, flow control), aerospace (atmospheric re-entry, aerospace plasmas) and energy (wind energy, bioenergy, hydrogen, heat networks, combustion).

Since 2021, FLOW joined forces with the ATM research group at ULB, working in similar fields of expertise, to create the VUB-ULB Joint Research Group BRITE (Brussels Institute for Thermal-fluid Systems and clean Energy, https://brite-research.be).

Plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) has emerged as a promising technology to improve the ignition, stability, and efficiency of combustion systems operating with sustainable fuels. However, the predictive simulation of PAC remains severely limited by the lack of accurate kinetic mechanisms capable of describing the complex interactions between plasma-generated species and combustion chemistry.

This postdoc project aims to develop next-generation plasma-combustion kinetic models through the integration of state-of-the-art ab initio calculations, experimental measurements, and data-driven approaches. The researcher will construct detailed state-to-state reaction mechanisms for plasma-assisted combustion by combining first-principles calculations with experimental observations through advanced data assimilation techniques. Machine-learning methods will be employed to identify missing reaction pathways, estimate uncertain kinetic parameters, and accelerate the development of comprehensive reaction networks.

The work will focus on ammonia/hydrogen fuel blends, which are gaining significant interest as carbon-free energy carriers, while methane-based systems will serve as benchmark configurations for model validation. The resulting kinetic mechanisms will provide unprecedented descriptions of non-equilibrium plasma chemistry and vibrationally excited species and will form the foundation of high-fidelity state-to-state models for plasma-assisted combustion simulations.

For this function, our Brussels Humanities, Sciences & Engineering Campus (Elsene) will serve as your home base. 

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

• You hold a PhD in engineering, chemistry, physics, or applied mathematics with a focus on either chemical kinetics, combustion, fluid dynamics, or plasma physics;

• You have experience in numerical simulation, excellent computational skills, expertise in programming (Fortran/Python/C++);
• Your experience with CFD software such as Ansys Fluent/ OpenFOAM is a plus;
• Your experience with plasma-assisted combustion physics is a plus;
• You are interested in fluid dynamics, chemical kinetics, data-driven modeling;
• You are fluent in written and spoken English;
• You are a team player who can work independently.

• As a (non-)EEA national, meet the conditions for obtaining a valid permit for VUB and comply with the VUB residence requirements. More info here.

The VUB wants to be a reflection of the society where everyone's talent is valued, regardless of gender, age, religion, skin color, migration background, disability and neurodiversity.

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You’ll be offered a contract, for an assignment of 1 FTE, for 12 months (extendable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the research activities), with planned starting date 01/02/2027. 

You’ll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

At the VUB, you’re guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you will also enjoy various other benefits:

• Extensive homeworking options, a telework allowance of 50 euros per month OR an internet fee of 20 euros per month;
• An open and informal working environment where attention is paid to work-life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract), closure between Christmas and New Year and 3 extra leave days;
• Cost-free hospitalisation insurance;
• Full reimbursement of your home-to-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, and/or compensation if you come by bike; 
• A wide selection of meals in our campus restaurants at attractive prices;
• Excellent and affordable facilities for sport and exercise, a range of discounts via Benefits@Work (in  all kinds of shops, on flights, in petrol stations, amusement parks...) and Ecocheques; 
• Nursery near campus, discount on holiday camps; 
• The space to form your job content and to continuously learn through our VUB learning platforms and training courses;
• And finally: great colleagues with a healthy drive.

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you’ve been dreaming of?

Then apply, at the latest on 15 Nov 2026, via jobs.vub.be, and upload the following documents:

• Your letter of motivation (approx. 1 page);
• Your copies of degree and academic transcripts (with grades and rankings);
• The summary of your PhD thesis (approx. 1-2 pages);
• Your short CV including a publication list (if any);
• One or two reference letters from academics;
• Your proof of English language skills;
• A short movie in which you present yourself and your motivation (max. 2 min).

Our application process is as follows (subject to change):

• step 1: an initial selection based on your application file; 
• step 2: a job interview.

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact Prof Aurélie Bellemans at aurelie.bellemans@vub.be.

Would you like to know what it’s like to work at the VUB? Go to jobs.vub.be, and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues. Would you like more information about EUTOPIA? Go to eutopia-university.eu, and read more about the role of the VUB in the development of the EUTOPIA alliance.