Rocket Engine Injector Modelling and Design Tools Development Intern

About Pangea Propulsion:

We are a company dedicated to developing advanced propulsion systems for the space industry based on three key principles: high efficiency, sustainability, and reusability. We are revolutionizing the space industry with ground-breaking innovations that allow us to offer the best performance to cost propulsion systems.

Our goal is to be the propulsion provider for the next generation of spacecraft, which is essential to meet demands and compete in the booming space market of the next decade.

We are a passionate, multicultural, and multidisciplinary team pushing the boundaries of what is possible in space propulsion technology.

We have already made history by successfully testing the world's first 3D-printed Methalox Aerospike engine, marking a significant milestone for the space industry.

We are looking for talented professionals to join our international teams in Barcelona and Toulouse. We want to be a key player in improving diversity in the Aerospace sector as, in Pangea, we believe that diversity (gender, age, race, sexual orientation, beliefs, disability, culture, etc.) is a key to success. Within Pangea, everyone can grow with the same opportunities. We encourage you to apply. Individually we are different, but together we are an amazing team!

We are looking for a Rocket Engine Injector Modelling and Design Tool Development intern for a 6-month internship in Toulouse.

About the role

We are looking for a motivated engineering intern to join our Combustion Devices team and contribute to the development of engineering tools supporting the design and analysis of liquid rocket engine injectors.

During this internship, you will work on computational tools to automate and accelerate the preliminary design and assessment of injector configurations.

Your work will focus on three main areas:

• •Injector layout & manifold modelling: develop tools to automate injector element layouts and associated fuel and oxidiser manifolds, based on geometrical, fluid-dynamic and engineering design rules.
• •Injector spray-pattern visualisation: develop a qualitative visualisation of spray/jet directions, cone angles, spatial coverage and interactions between neighbouring injector elements.
• •Face-plate thermal assessment: contribute to a physics-based methodology to assess thermal loads based on injector configuration, local mixture ratio, spray angle, injection conditions and combustion behaviour.

The developed tools will support the team in rapidly comparing injector configurations, identifying potential performance and thermal risks, and improving the overall preliminary design process.

Key Responsibilities

• •Review existing injector design methodologies, engineering rules and relevant technical literature.
• •Develop algorithms for automated injector layout and fuel/oxidiser manifold generation.
• •Implement engineering models and methodologies in MATLAB and Python .
• •Develop an injector spray-pattern visualisation tool.
• •Develop preliminary models to assess injector face-plate thermal loads.
• •Use relevant parameters such as injector configuration, local mixture ratio, spray angle and injection/combustion conditions.
• •Define relevant CFD analysis needs and interpret available CFD and experimental data.
• •Validate models and tools against available analytical, numerical, experimental or literature data.
• •Document methodologies, assumptions, limitations and recommendations for future development and integration into the Combustion Devices design process.

What you need to be successful

• •Final-year student or recent graduate in Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Energy Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Software Engineering , or a related technical field.
• •Strong programming skills, particularly in MATLAB and Python .
• •Good understanding of:
• •Fluid mechanics
• •Thermodynamics and heat transfer
• •Numerical methods and computational modelling

• •Experience with data processing, numerical analysis or scientific computing.
• •Ability to translate physical and engineering requirements into computational models and algorithms.
• •Ability to analyse numerical results and identify relevant physical trends.
• •Critical thinking when assessing modelling assumptions and engineering correlations.
• •Interest in rocket propulsion, combustion devices and liquid-propellant injection systems .
• •Fluent written and spoken English.

Soft Skills

• •Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• •Autonomous, structured and methodical approach.
• •Curiosity and willingness to explore unfamiliar technical topics.
• •Ability to collaborate within a multicultural and multidisciplinary engineering team.
• •Good technical communication and documentation skills.
• •Attention to detail and critical thinking.

Nice to have

Any of the following would be a plus, but is not required :

• •Experience with liquid rocket engine injectors, combustion chambers or other combustion systems.
• •Knowledge of coaxial, impinging-jet, swirl or pintle injectors.
• •Knowledge of multiphase flows, sprays, atomisation or propellant mixing.
• •Knowledge of combustion physics, reacting flows or turbulent heat transfer.
• •Experience with thermal modelling or heat-transfer correlations.
• •Experience with CFD tools, post-processing or interpretation of reacting-flow/heat-transfer simulations.
• •Experience analysing parameters such as local mixture ratio, spray angle, wall heat flux or wall temperature.
• •Experience developing engineering correlations from numerical or experimental data.
• •Experience with geometrical algorithms, optimisation or automated engineering design tools.
• •Experience developing graphical interfaces or engineering visualisation tools.
• •Familiarity with Git or other version-control tools.

Expected internship outcomes

By the end of the internship, you will have contributed to:

• •A functional MATLAB/Python tool for automated injector layout and manifold definition.
• •An injector spray-pattern visualisation tool .
• •A preliminary physics-based methodology for assessing injector face-plate thermal loads .
• •Validation of the developed methodologies against available literature, CFD, experimental or reference data.
• •Technical documentation covering the tools, methodologies, assumptions, limitations and recommendations for future integration.

Supervision and collaboration

You will be supervised by an engineer from the Combustion Devices team and collaborate closely with the future users of the tools. Technical priorities, verification cases and acceptance criteria will be reviewed regularly to ensure that the tools address practical engineering needs.

Not hitting every requirement? Research suggests that some people tend to hesitate when it comes to job applications if they don't meet all the desired qualifications. Here at Pangea Propulsion, we're committed to fostering a workplace that values diversity, inclusivity, and authenticity. So, if you're enthusiastic about this role but your prior experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification mentioned in the job description, we still strongly encourage you to apply. You might just be the ideal candidate for this position or other opportunities within our organization.

Pangea Propulsion is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We consider all applications without discrimination on any legally protected grounds. We welcome applications from persons with disabilities and we can provide reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace.

More about us…

We are an international and very multicultural team. Our work is guided by these core values:

Teamwork : We strive to work together as an aligned team towards our common goals.

Respect & tolerance : we value people with integrity that treat other people with respect. We enjoy having diverse views to enrich the debate and take better decisions.

Passion for