PhD-student “Distributed control framework for residential ventilation systems”

The Building Physics and Sustainable Design group in the Department of Civil Engineering at the Ghent Campus has the following research lines:
1. Energy performance of buildings and indoor climate: Interaction building and HVAC systems
2. Circular and bio-based construction
3. Collective renovation
4. Building Information Modelling (BIM)
This job vacancy is situated within the 1st research line.
Website unit

Project

In the framework of the Flemish VLAIO Flux50 SBO-project “NudgeFlow: The next generation of residential ventilation – tweaking the natural air flow with distributed components“, we are offering a PhD position focused on developing a control framework for a novel decentralized residential ventilation system.

NudgeFlow introduces a smart residential ventilation concept using low pressure drop components that directly connect indoor zones with each other and with the outdoors. This system dynamically adjusts airflow based on room conditions, user preferences, and environmental factors—offering a flexible and energy-efficient alternative to traditional centralized HVAC systems.

The core challenge of this PhD is to define and simulate an appropriate control framework for such a decentralized ventilation system. Centralized control approaches are often impractical in multi-zone dwellings with dynamic conditions. However, recent advancements in IoT sensing and open building automation platforms now enable the development of distributed model-based control tailored to systems like NudgeFlow.

The framework decomposes the global control problem into smaller local problems for each zone or room, enabling independent optimization with local states and controls, while enforcing consensus constraints on shared coupling variables through a coordinator.

One promising direction is the development of a multi-agent control system, where each zone acts as an autonomous agent collaborating to achieve global performance goals such as indoor air quality, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency.

This PhD offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of control systems engineering and building ventilation, contributing to the development of innovative solutions for healthier indoor environment in residential buildings.

Profile

• You hold a Master’s degree in Engineering Technology or Engineering Sciences, with a specialization in Civil or Mechanical Engineering
• Your degree must have been obtained after 1 March 2023, and awarded with at least distinction
• You must have no more than 18 months of research experience after graduation as of 1 March 2026
• You have a strong background in control systems engineering, preferably with experience in HVAC or building automation. Prior research experience in this domain is considered a strong asset
• You have a solid understanding of indoor air quality (IAQ) and ventilation systems in buildings
• You possess excellent programming and modeling skills, essential for simulation and control development
• Experience with building energy simulation tools (e.g., Modelica, IDA-ICE, EnergyPlus) and/or IAQ modeling is an advantage
• You demonstrate strong analytical thinking and the ability to synthesize complex information effectively.
• You have excellent communication skills, both written and oral, and a good command of English. Experience in scientific writing and presenting is a plus
• You are capable of working independently, while also being a collaborative team player who takes initiative and shows enthusiasm for research.

Offer

We offer 100% employment for 1 year and 9 months in the framework of the VLAIO flux50 SBO research project “NudgeFlow: The next generation of residential ventilation – tweaking the natural air flow with distributed components”. In order to obtain funding for the full PhD-period of 4 years, the candidate is expected (with the support of the supervisors), to develop an application PhD fellowship for strategic basic research at FWO (see https://www.fwo.be/en/support-programmes/all-calls/phd/phd-fellowship-strategic-basic-research/). Requirements to apply for this funding are a maximum of 18 months of scientific seniority (on 1 March 2026) and Master’s degree obtained afer 1 March 2023.
NudgeFlow project

Interested?

For more information please contact Prof. dr. ir. Hilde Breesch, mail: [email protected].

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