Postdoctoral Researcher - Multiphase Flow & CCUS

Job Title:

Postdoctoral Researcher
- Multiphase Flow & CCUS

Position Type:
Other Academic

Department: LSUAM Engineering
- Petroleum
- Transport Process Drilling and Geomechanics (Yuanhang Chen)

Work Location:

3306 Patrick

F. Taylor Hall

The incumbent will perform research on transient multiphase flow and heat transfer with applications in geothermal engineering (construction and/or extraction thermal‑hydraulics) and carbon management, including CO2 transport, injection, and well control. The role also involves CO2 atmospheric dispersion modeling for safety and risk‑related studies and developing and applying computational tools—physics‑based and data‑informed digital twin models—for multipurpose energy applications.

• Conduct research on transient multiphase flow and heat transfer for geothermal systems and CO2 well operations (transport, injection, well control).
• Model CO2 atmospheric (dense‑gas) dispersion for safety scenarios, providing hazard‑distance and sensitivity/uncertainty analyses.
• Publish and communicate results through papers, reports, and presentations; support research planning and external engagement; maintain data and code.

• PhD in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geosciences, or a related field; no prior post‑doctoral experience required.
• Expertise in fluid mechanics/transport phenomena and heat transfer.
• Demonstrated experience in computational modeling/simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer.
• Strong scientific programming skills in Python, MATLAB, and/or C/C++.
• Evidence of peer‑reviewed publication and strong written and verbal communication skills.

• PhD in Petroleum Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geosciences, or a related field with 1–2 years of post‑doctoral experience.
• Demonstrated research record in transient multiphase flow and heat transfer in wellbore systems, with applications in geothermal engineering and/or CO2 injection and well control.
• Experience with geothermal or CO2 related thermodynamics/phase behavior, coupled wellbore‑reservoir modeling, CO2 atmospheric dispersion modeling, and development of digital twin workflows integrating physics‑based models with experimental/operational data.
• Experience with CFD tools, HPC, and version control is a plus.

LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents, including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more.

LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All candidates must have valid U.S. work authorization at the time of hire and maintain that valid work authorization throughout employment.