KTH Royal Institute of Technology, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Third-cycle subject: Electrical Engineering
Nuclear power is experiencing a renaissance worldwide as one of the key solutions to achieve fossil-free electricity generation. The geopolitical effects on energy prices, the increased demand for clean, abundant energy, and the binding targets to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 are among the driving forces for this renaissance of nuclear power. After a long period with no new deployments in nuclear and a huge increase in capacity from renewable energy resources, in addition to storage technology and power electronic solutions, the deployment of new nuclear power implies entering into an unexplored field for research and development. Moreover, a long-term outlook shows that new technologies like small modular reactors (SMR) can play a pivotal role in enabling a new era for nuclear energy. There are multiple alternatives in the future deployment of nuclear, including centralized large-scale and distributed SMRs, and there is no established knowledge of how these would impact the power grid reliability, and consequently, the security of power stability, which could have a key influence on radiation safety. This project aims to generate knowledge on how new nuclear power should be integrated into the Swedish power grid without compromising radiation safety.
The project focuses on quantitative models and tools for decision support, e.g., comparing different technologies, alternative locations, and the system impact of various alternatives. This would help identify the social impact and the resulting value for society. Furthermore, the project would bridge the gap between the extensive knowledge of security and material science aspects of nuclear power. This knowledge would aim to support the process of deploying new nuclear. This would involve consideration of several system questions, like, e.g., which type of technology to select, where to locate the nuclear reactors (e.g., centralized vs. distributed nuclear, off- or on-the-grid), the number of co-located reactors, and defence in depth.
Supervision: Professor Lina Bertling Tjernberg
To be admitted to postgraduate education (Chapter 7, 39 ยง Swedish Higher Education Ordinance), the applicant must have basic eligibility in accordance with either of the following:
In addition to the above, there is also a mandatory requirement for English equivalent to English B/6.
In order to succeed as a doctoral student at KTH you need to be goal oriented and persevering in your work. During the selection process, candidates will be assessed upon their ability to:
After the qualification requirements, great emphasis will be placed on personal skills.
Target degree: Doctoral degree
Only those admitted to postgraduate education may be employed as a doctoral student. The total length of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education in four years' time. An employed doctoral student can, to a limited extent (maximum 20%), perform certain tasks within their role, e.g. training and administration. A new position as a doctoral student is for a maximum of one year, and then the employment may be renewed for a maximum of two years at a time. In the case of studies that are to be completed with a licentiate degree, the total period of employment may not be longer than what corresponds to full-time doctoral education for two years.
Apply for the position and admission through KTH's recruitment system. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the application is complete in accordance with the instructions in the advertisement.
Applications must be received at the last closing date at midnight, CET/CEST (Central European Time/Central European Summer Time).
Applications must include the following elements:
Striving towards gender equality, diversity, and equal conditions is both a question of quality for KTH and a given part of our values.
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It may be the case that a position at KTH is classified as a security-sensitive role in accordance with the Protective Security Act (2018:585). If this applies to the specific position, a security clearance will be conducted for the applicant in accordance with the same law with the applicant's consent. In such cases, a prerequisite for employment is that the applicant is approved following the security clearance.
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Disclaimer: In case of discrepancy between the Swedish original and the English translation of the job announcement, the Swedish version takes precedence.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm has grown to become one of Europe's leading technical and engineering universities, as well as a key centre of intellectual talent and innovation. We are Sweden's largest technical research and learning institution and home to students, researchers, and faculty from around the world. Our research and education covers a wide area including natural sciences and all branches of engineering, as well as architecture, industrial management, urban planning, history, and philosophy.