Thermal Engineer Intern

Work Schedule

Environmental Conditions

Job Description

Assignment background

At Thermo Fisher Scientific, transmission electron microscopes (TEMs) are developed, with a magnification high enough to visualize individual atoms. For optimal performance, high thermal stability is required. When thermal stability is insufficient, effects such as sample and beam drift, aberrations, and expiring alignments occur. Depending on where a thermal disturbance is introduced, milliwatts can already be enough to decrease system performance. 

Many of the modules in these TEM systems are highly complex and not properly understood in terms of thermal stability. This assignment is part of a series of assignments to better understand the thermal behavior of TEM systems developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific. With this knowledge, performance can be improved and systems can be optimized for energy efficiency.

Assignment description

The goal for this graduation assignment is to develop a thermal model of one module. To build and validate the model, you will need real system data which you can obtain by testing. If the model proves to be accurate enough, it is intended to be used in a thermal system model at a later point.

With the thermal system model in mind, an important part of the assignment is the definition of the thermal interfaces. This requires you to understand the module and system that you will be working on at a detailed level. During the assignment, you will encounter topics such as:

• Thermodynamics at cryogenic temperatures
• Thermodynamics in vacuum
• Thermal contact resistances
• Unknown or nonlinear thermal material properties 
• Thermal modeling in tools such as Matlab or Ansys

Benefits during the internship

• Assignment will be carried out at Thermo Fisher Scientific in Eindhoven
• You will obtain experience of what it’s like to work at a high-tech company and be part of an R&D team: work within a multidisciplinary team (not only thermal engineers), brainstorm with experienced colleagues, join and organize reviews, and present your progress and perform tests on actual TEM modules/systems
• Monthly compensation
• Freedom in how you want to approach the assignment according to your own interest. This should be in consultation with your supervisor. 

Apply today!