Chemical Engineer

Position: Chemical Engineer 4
** Overview*
* At PNNL, our core capabilities are divided among major departments that we refer to as Directorates within the Lab, focused on a specific area of scientific research or other function, with its own leadership team and dedicated budget.

Our Science & Technology directorates include National Security, Earth and Biological Sciences, Physical and Computational Sciences, and Energy and Environment. In addition, we have an Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory, a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility housed on the PNNL campus.

The Energy and Environment Directorate delivers science and technology solutions for the nation's biggest energy and environmental challenges. Our more than 1,700 staff support the Department of Energy (DOE), delivering on key DOE mission areas including: modernizing our nation's power grid to maintain a reliable, affordable, secure, and resilient electricity delivery infrastructure; research, development, validation, and effective utilization of renewable energy and efficiency technologies that improve the affordability, reliability, resiliency, and security of the American energy system;

and resolving complex issues in nuclear science, energy, and environmental management.

The Energy Processes and Materials Division, part of the Energy and Environment Directorate, creates and delivers real world solutions that support the Department of Energy's goals for national energy security. We deliver new technologies that connect fundamental science to applications in areas such as energy storage, advanced materials manufacturing, applied catalysis, advanced separations, biomass conversions, carbon capture and utilization, and hydrogen production and storage.

We employ a systems perspective that includes discovery, technology development, and scale-up as well as economic, regulatory, and market acceptance issues necessary for successful technology commercialization.

** Responsibilities*
* The Chemical and Biological Processing Group is seeking a senior researcher to lead research in slurry processing, rheology, particle transport, and flow assurance. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise from fields such as mining and mineral processing, food processing, pulp and paper, wastewater treatment, or other industries that routinely handle concentrated, heterogeneous, or non-Newtonian slurries.

This position will apply fundamental and applied knowledge of slurry behavior to improve feed handling, pumping, mixing, heat transfer, solids transport, fouling mitigation, and reliable operation of continuous-flow process systems.

+ Designs, develops, and operates processes or unit operations to create a diverse range of products.

+ Evaluates and manipulates the chemical properties of various substances used in the fabrication of new products.

+ Designs, models evaluates, and implements chemical processes, instrumentation, and equipment to ensure effectiveness in engineering and design.

+ Performs trials, tests, and/or experiments to support engineering, production, and/or R&D activities.

+ Applies the principles of chemistry, nuclear science, biology, physics, material science, math, and engineering to solve problems that involve the production, use or conversion of chemicals, materials, and energy.

+ Uses the principles of biology and the tools of engineering to mimic biological systems to create products or to modify and control biological systems so that they can replace, augment, sustain, or control chemical and mechanical processes.

+ Lead research and development focused on slurry processing, particle-laden flow, rheology, fouling, deposition, plugging, and flow assurance in continuous-flow systems.

+ Design and execute experiments using flow loops, pumps, mixers, piping, heat exchangers, valves, and other continuous-flow equipment.

+ Apply experimental methods, computational fluid dynamics, and engineering analysis to understand slurry transport, particle settling, solids suspension, pressure drop, mixing, heat transfer, and fouling.

+ Potentially develop and validate CFD models, mechanistic models, engineering correlations, and scale-up methodologies…