Project title: Experimental and numerical study of the two-phase flow in a tubular reactor for CO2 capture 

Aim of the project
The objective of this PhD project is the fundamental analysis of the rates of dissolution of gases in horizontal pipes using advanced visualization and measurement techniques and numerical simulations. The information extracted will help to generate specific mass transfer correlations for specific two-phase flow regimes and to tune and validate the existing one-dimensional models to obtain more accurate predictions of the two-phase flow features and mass transfer rates. (See the reference list below for examples of recent experiences of the group in the experimental and numerical analyses of multiphase flows).

Candidates
We are looking for candidates who can apply for the “Grants for the recruitment of pre-doctoral research personnel in training in the field of STEP technologies (FI-STEP)” of the Catalan Government. 

Candidate requirements
The candidates MUST meet the following conditions to be accepted:
1. Be a national of one of the member states of the European Union.
2. Have completed undergraduate studies or an equivalent degree and accredit a minimum average grade on the academic transcript equal to or higher than 6.50 (scale from 0 to 10). If the studies have been taken abroad, the average grade of the academic record must be calculated in accordance with the current resolutions of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities on the equivalence of average grades (https://universidades.sede.gob.es/pagina/index/directorio/Equivalencia_notas_medias/language/ca_ES).
3. Have completed studies leading to a doctorate (i.e. Master) between 1 January 2022 and the start date of the contract subject of this call.
4. Not to be in possession of a doctoral degree.
5. Not having had for more than six months of any other specific contract for pre-doctoral research personnel in training.
6. Each candidate has to be included in only one application.
Candidates who do not fulfil all these conditions will be automatically rejected.
If you meet all the requirements and you are insterested in applying please contact lluis.vazquez@urv.cat.

More info
Information about the conditions of the grants can be found in the following link:
https://agaur.gencat.cat/en/beques-i-ajuts/convocatories-per-temes/Ajuts-per-a-la-contractacio-de-personal-investigador-predoctoral-en-formacio-dins-dels-ambits-de-les-tecnologies-STEP-FI-STEP

Project references
Höhn R. L., Arabi A., Varela S., Sassi P., Pallares J., Stiriba Y. (2025) Analysis of flow regimes and volumetric phase fraction of vertical upward gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow, The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering. DOI: 10.1002/cjce.25663
Kazemi K., Vernet A. Grau F. X., Pallares J., Fabregat A., Cito S. (2024) Numerical investigation of a pair of in-line bubbles rising in Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids with interfacial passive scalar transfer, Physics of Fluids 36, 022106, DOI: 10.1063/5.0185472
Sassi P., Fernandez G., Stiriba Y., Pallares J. (2022) Effect of solid particles on the slug frequency, velocity and length of intermittent gas-liquid two-phase flows in horizontal pipelines, International Journal of Multiphase Flow, 149, 103985. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmultiphaseflow.2022.103985