Project Fellow, Real-Time Simulator for Pumped Storage Plants (NHPC) at IIT Roorkee
Job Description
IIT Roorkee’s Department of Hydro and Renewable Energy is hiring a Project Fellow to develop a real-time digital simulator for pumped storage plants, sponsored by NHPC Ltd. and led by Prof. Himanshu Jain. It suits a PhD in power systems or hydropower who wants to build models that will run in a production-grade simulator.
At a glance
- Position: Project Fellow (1 post)
- Project: Development of a Real Time Digital Simulator for Pumped Storage Plants
- Sponsor: NHPC Ltd.
- Pay: Rs 40,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month plus HRA
- Duration: 1 year, extendable up to 2 years or the project’s duration, whichever is earlier
- Apply by: 24 September 2026, by email; walk-in interview the same day at 3:00 PM
Pumped storage plants store energy by pumping water to an upper reservoir and generating power when it flows back down, which makes them useful for balancing solar and wind power. A real-time simulator lets engineers and operators test control strategies and study fast transients safely, before trying them on a working plant.
About the project fellow role
- Develop models and algorithms for transient and steady-state modelling of pumped storage plants (PSPs) for real-time simulation
- Work with other teams to develop and commission a production-grade digital real-time PSP simulator
- Write computer programs, reports and research papers
- Organise meetings, workshops and conferences in Roorkee and elsewhere, and travel for the project when needed
Experience with software such as MATLAB/Simulink for modelling steady state and transients in electric power systems, hydraulic turbines or hydropower water conductor systems is highly desirable. Experience with SCADA systems and good English writing skills are desirable.
Eligibility
- Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (power systems), or Ph.D. in Energy (power systems or hydropower)
Open to Indian nationals only. Among equally qualified candidates, SC/ST candidates will be preferred. No TA/DA is paid for attending the interview.
Pay and duration
- Rs 40,000 to Rs 1,00,000 per month plus HRA
- 1 year, extendable up to 2 years or the project’s duration, whichever is earlier
How to apply
Email your application and supporting documents to himanshu.jain@hre.iitr.ac.in on or before 24 September 2026. Include an application on plain paper with a detailed CV (degrees and certificates in chronological order), details of your research, industrial or other experience, attested copies of your degree and experience certificates, and a one-page A4 write-up in 11-point Times New Roman on your understanding of real-time simulations, written in your own words. Bring your original certificates to the interview.
Key dates
- Applications by email: on or before 24 September 2026
- Walk-in interview: 24 September 2026, 3:00 PM, HRED Committee Room, IIT Roorkee
Please read the official IIT Roorkee advertisement (PDF) before applying, and browse more Research Fellow jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Official advertisement: iitr.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Plant physics: revise reversible pump-turbines, penstocks and surge tanks, and how water hammer arises during load changes.
- Transient modelling: be ready to discuss how you would model hydraulic transients alongside generator and grid dynamics.
- Real-time constraints: think about fixed time steps, numerical stability and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
- Simulink evidence: bring a model you built of a power system, turbine or conductor system and explain its validation.
- The one-page write-up: keep it specific: what real-time simulation is, why it matters for a PSP, and what you would bring.
About IIT Roorkee
IIT Roorkee traces its roots to Roorkee College, set up in 1847 and renamed the Thomason College of Civil Engineering in 1854. It became the country's first technical university in 1948, as the University of Roorkee, and was converted into an Indian Institute of Technology on 21 September 2001, when it was recognised as an Institution of National Importance. Much of its research, like this post, runs through externally sponsored projects.
