PhD Design of a Predictive Energy and Thermal Management Strategy for Hybrid Fuel Cell/Battery Systems in Electric Vehicles

Discipline: Energy engineering

Line Manager: Nadine LOCOGE

Supervision: PhD Directors: Prof-Dr. Serge RUSSEIL & Dr-HdR Lala RAJAOARISOA
                       PhD Supervisors: Dr. Mohamed Moussa EL IDI & Dr. Kokou Anani Agbessi LANGUEH

Workplace: Douai

Type of contract and duration: Doctoral fellowship, 3 years

CONTEXT:

Public establishment belonging to IMT (Institut Mines-Télécom), placed under the supervision of the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, IMT Nord Europe has three main objectives: providing our students with ethically responsible engineering practice enabling them to solve 21st century issues, carrying out our R&D activities leading to outstanding innovations and supporting territorial development through innovation and entrepreneurship. Ideally positioned at the heart of Europe, 1 hour away from Paris, 30 min from Brussels and 1h30 from London, IMT Nord Europe has strong ambitions to become a main actor of the current industrial transitions, digital and environmental, by combining education and research on engineering and digital technologies.

Located on two main campuses dedicated to research and education in Douai and Lille, IMT Nord Europe offers research facilities of almost 20,000m² in the following areas:

•              Digital science,

•              Energy and Environment,

•              Materials and Processes.

For more details, visit the School’s website : www.imt-nord-europe.fr

The recruited candidate will join the “Energy, Fluids and Heat Transfer” (EFT) team of CERI EE and the “Modeling and Control of Complex Systems” (McLEOD) team of CERI SN. The EFT team conducts research on heat transfer intensification, multifunctional heat exchanger-reactors, as well as modeling and experimental characterization of complex energy systems, combining numerical and experimental approaches. The McLEOD team develops modeling and control methods for complex systems, particularly through advanced control strategies such as Model Predictive Control (MPC).

The candidate will be affiliated with the MADIS doctoral school of the University of Lille, which offers, in collaboration with IMT, a wide range of disciplinary and cross-disciplinary training courses. Teaching and science outreach opportunities may be available at IMT Nord Europe.

Scientific Context:

Decarbonizing the transport sector is a major challenge in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Hybrid technologies combining proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) and lithium-ion batteries appear to be a promising solution for heavy transport, particularly urban buses. However, the differences in energy dynamics and optimal thermal operating ranges between these subsystems make it essential to develop integrated energy and thermal management strategies capable of simultaneously optimizing performance, hydrogen consumption, safety and durability.

Scientific objectives:

The PhD aims to develop a new energy and thermal management strategy for a hybrid PEMFC–battery system in order to:

·         Model the multiphysics electrical and thermal behavior of the system

·         Design an integrated thermal management system

·         Optimize power split to minimize losses and hydrogen consumption

·         Maintain subsystems within their optimal operating ranges

·         Reduce component wear and improve lifetime

·         Manage rapid load variations through adaptive and predictive strategies.

Missions:

The main mission of the recruited person will be to develop a new energy and thermal management strategy for a hybrid PEMFC–battery system through:

·         The development of a 0D/1D multiphysics model of the hybrid system

·         The design and implementation of an advanced ETMS strategy

·         Energy and thermal optimization of the system

·         Validation on an experimental test bench or pilot vehicle

·         Analysis and interpretation of results

·         Formulation of recommendations for industrial deployment

Activities:

·         Conduct a literature review related to the PhD project

·         Analyze and model the hybrid system: understand system behavior and prepare simulation tools

·         Develop the energy and thermal management strategy: define and test the ETMS to meet project objectives

·         Post-process, analyze, and interpret results

·         Summarize the conducted studies in the form of reports, internal presentations, and external communications

·         Participate in CERI activities

·         Disseminate research work by participating in international conferences and publishing scientific articles in international journals

·         Possibility to participate in teaching activities at IMT Nord Europe

REQUIRED PROFILE :

·         Master’s degree or engineering degree in energy engineering, process engineering, control systems or electrical engineering

·         Skills in multiphysics modeling and simulation

·         Excellent analytical and synthesis skills, with a critical mindset.

·         Good communication skills

·         Good scientific communication skills (written and oral)

Skills

·         Scientific rigor

·         High-quality writing skills

·         Communication and teamwork

·         Organized, rigorous, autonomous, and responsive

·         0D/1D modeling

·         MATLAB / Simulink / Simscape

·         Recognized scientific and technical expertise in energy systems and numerical modeling

Knowledge

·         Energy engineering

·         Electrochemistry and thermochemistry

·         Energy systems

·         Numerical modeling

CONDITIONS :

The position is to be filled starting from 01/09/2026 for a duration of 36 months (fixed-term contract).

INFORMATION AND APPLICATION METHODS :

For any information on the missions, please contact :

EL IDI Mohamed Moussa, moussa.elidi@imt-nord-europe.fr

LANGUEH Kokou Anani Agbessi, kokou.langueh@imt-nord-europe.fr

For any administrative information, please contact the Human Resources Department: jobs@imt-nord-europe.fr

This job is offered to civil servants on a mobility basis, or on a contractual basis under public law.

In addition, the position can be adapted for a disabled person.

DEADLINE DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 31/05/2026