Combustion CFD Analyst

Combustion CFD Analyst

Requirements

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
• Hands-on experience with CFD software such as ANSYS Fluent, STAR-CCM+, or OpenFOAM.
• 10 years of combustion CFD experience.
• Strong background in turbulent reacting flows, combustion chemistry, and spray modeling.
• Proficiency in meshing tools (ICEM, ANSYS Meshing, Pointwise, etc.).
• Knowledge of high-temperature fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and combustion kinetics.
• Experience in interpreting and validating CFD results against experimental data.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a team-oriented environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute CFD simulations for gas-turbine combustor performance analysis.
• Manipulate CAD models and generate computational meshes with rapid meshing techniques.
• Model reacting flows, including fuel injection, vaporization, and combustion (diffusion and premix burning).
• Simulate fuel-air mixing and spray dynamics to optimize combustor efficiency and emissions.
• Implement conjugate heat transfer (CHT) simulations to analyze thermal behavior.
• Model ignition processes for reliable engine start-up and operation.
• Perform post-processing to extract key performance metrics, such as exit temperature pattern factors and profiles.
• Collaborate with design and engineering teams to enhance combustor performance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in standing up CFD computer resource capability and the ability to manage the tradeoffs between cost, time, and quality for performing different levels of CFD analysis vis-à-vis available computer resources
• Experience with high-fidelity LES simulations for combustion applications.
• Familiarity with chemical kinetics mechanisms and reduced-order modeling.
• Knowledge of combustor emissions modeling (e.g., NOx, CO formation).
• Python, MATLAB, or scripting experience for automation and data analysis.