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Fuse is building a next-generation pulsed-power accelerator (Z-Star) for fusion energy research. As Fluid Dynamics Engineer, you will lead the design, simulation, and operational integration of large-scale fluid systems managing multi-million-liter volumes of high-voltage transformer oil and deionized water.
Core responsibilities include:
• System Design: Design large-scale fluid circuits for storage, transport, recirculation, and reconditioning of transformer dielectric oil and DI water. Select pumps, layout piping, design filtration trains, heat exchangers, and storage-tank configurations.
• CFD Simulation: Build and run high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics models using tools like ANSYS Fluent, CFX, OpenFOAM, or COMSOL to optimize circulation rates, identify cavitation or turbulence risks, and ensure dielectric integrity under operational conditions.
• Dielectric Fluid Management: Develop and maintain fluid-quality protocols including oil breakdown-voltage testing, moisture-content control, and particle filtration consistent with high-voltage pulsed-power standards.
• DI Water Conditioning: Design and oversee mixed-resin-bed ion-exchange systems to maintain DI-water resistivity, dissolved-gas content, and temperature within operational limits.
• Thermal Analysis: Perform thermohydraulic analyses to quantify heat loads from repeated pulsed discharges and design cooling strategies maintaining fluid properties within dielectric specifications.
• P&ID and Documentation: Develop Piping and Instrumentation Diagrams, system schematics, bills of materials, and operational procedures.
• Commissioning and Troubleshooting: Support fabrication, testing, and commissioning on-site; diagnose and resolve operational anomalies during early shot campaigns.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work with pulsed-power, high-voltage, structural, and vacuum engineering teams to ensure fluid-system integration with electrode geometry, transmission lines, and chamber design.
Minimum qualifications: B.Sc. or M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or Applied Physics with strong fluid-mechanics concentration. 2+ years designing or operating large-scale industrial fluid systems in energy, nuclear, defense, or high-voltage environments. Demonstrated experience with commercial or open-source CFD tools. Familiarity with transformer oil and dielectric insulating fluids. Strong command of convective and forced-flow heat transfer.
Preferred: Experience with deionized-water systems, ion-exchange resin beds, degassing, and resistivity monitoring. Knowledge of pulsed power, particle accelerators, fusion energy, or high-energy-density physics facilities. Knowledge of ASME piping codes and high-voltage facility regulations. Python proficiency for post-processing simulation data.
This is an in-office role requiring relocation if not local to San Leandro. ITAR compliance required: must be U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or eligible for required authorizations from U.S. Department of State.
