Phd 2026: Controllability of welded parts in critical equipment - Virtual materials for efficie[...]

Organisation/Company Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF) Research Field Technology » Materials technology Mathematics Computer science » Digital systems Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Leading Researcher (R4) First Stage Researcher (R1) Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 30 Jul 2026 - 22:00 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Oct 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The aim of this PhD is to model the development of microstructures during welding processes on thick parts, in the context of nuclear equipment, for which deposits of several dozen passes are regularly made.

One of the challenges of the project is to propose numerical approaches that enable these simulations to be carried out within a reasonable time frame, given the volumes of material deposited, while maintaining the expected accuracy. Part of the activity will also involve implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods similar to computer vision to facilitate this prediction, based on the simulated microstructures.

The ATALANTE projec t, of which this PhD is a part, is divided between experimentation, modeling, and commercialization, and brings together five partners: CEMEF (Mines Paris PSL), ICB (Université Bourgogne Europe), CEA LIST, EDF R&D, and TRANSVALOR .

This thesis is complemented by a second thesis (ICB) dedicated to experimental developments. In addition, a post-doctorate (CEA LIST) will aim to develop numerical modeling of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) on the virtual grain structures obtained.

Context:

In the nuclear industry, the integrity of welded components is assessed using ultrasonic NDT methods, which provide essential information on the morphology, orientation, and location of defects. However, the implementation of these methods remains complex in the case of austenitic stainless steels, whose welds, made by depositing numerous passes, have a heterogeneous and anisotropic microstructure, causing the wave beam to diverge and attenuate.

The numerical modeling of these microstructures, influenced by the nature of the materials and the welding parameters, is a major challenge for the future optimization of NDT methods.

In this context, this PhD project aims to develop virtual microstructures on thick welded parts to enable ATALANTE's other partners to simulate the propagation of ultrasonic waves and improve NDT tools. The challenge will be to characterize the formation and variability of grain structures on welds with a high number of passes.

Students interested in issues related to modeling and digital simulations of physical phenomena in engineering science.

Additional Information

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux (CEMEF) Country France City Sophia Antipolis Geofield