Development of an endoscopic PIV method for the characterization of flows in karst environments (Ref 19 EN)

IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN) est un acteur majeur de la recherche et de la formation dans les domaines de l’énergie, du transport et de l’environnement. De la recherche à l’industrie, l’innovation technologique est au cœur de son action, articulée autour de quatre priorités stratégiques : CLIMAT, ENVIRONNEMENT ET ÉCONOMIE CIRCULAIRE, ÉNERGIES RENOUVELABLES, MOBILITÉ DURABLE et HYDROCARBURES RESPONSABLES.

L’engagement d’IFPEN en faveur d’un mix énergétique durable se traduit par des actions visant :

• à gagner en efficacité énergétique ;
• à réduire les émissions de CO2 et de polluants ;
• à améliorer l’empreinte environnementale de l’industrie et des transports ;

tout en répondant à la demande mondiale en mobilité, en énergie et en produits pour la chimie.

Dans cet objectif, IFPEN développe des solutions permettant, d’une part, d’utiliser des sources d’énergie alternatives et, d’autre part, d’améliorer les technologies existantes liées à l’exploitation des énergies fossiles.

Development of an endoscopic PIV method for the characterization of flows in karst environments

Karst aquifers are both a treasure and a source of risk: while up to 25% of the world's population depends on them for drinking water, they also have extremely fast water and contaminant conduction capacities, which can lead to significant flooding and impact public health. The goal of the European ERC Synergy KARST project is to enhance scientific knowledge in the field of flows in karst environments, in order to better model them and determine their possible reactions to external events (weather, dam construction, etc.). A significant update of the physical laws governing these flows is expected. IFP Energies nouvelles is involved in this project on two fundamental aspects: the experimental characterization of flows and pollutant transport, and the mathematical and physical laws for scale change in modeling.

The internship we are offering concerns the first aspect, namely the characterization of flows in the underground conduits that make up karst aquifers. Underground cavities have been scanned by speleologists using LIDAR. Reduced models were then 3D-printed using different types of resins, some of which are transparent. However, not all components of the karst have been printed in optical resin. Therefore, it would be interesting to utilize the parts printed in opaque resin and explore the possibilities of implementing a diagnostic technique such as PIV within these models. For this, the use of an endoscope is possible, both for laser injection and image collection. Data post-processing can involve commercial software, as well as an internally developed code based on Python libraries that use AI. The work will be conducted in direct interaction with members of the ERC KARST project.

The objective of the internship is to set up this endoscopic diagnostic, create a test database, and conduct a scientific analysis of the results to qualify the flows and compare them with numerical simulation results.

Autonomous and meticulous, the candidate must have a strong interest in fluid mechanics. Persistent, the candidate must demonstrate a certain physical intuition, allowing them to question their results to ensure their quality. The candidate will be integrated into the optical diagnostics team in the department and must be able to work in a team

Desired Profile:

Master’s degree (Bac+5) or final year of engineering school, motivated to conduct research and development work in the exciting field of fluid mechanics. The student will be integrated into a dynamic team specialized in "optical diagnostics": research engineers and specialized technicians.

Required Skills:

• Optics and interest in measurement and experimentation
• Fluid mechanics
• Programing tools (Matlab, Python, etc.)

Keywords: Fluid mechanics, optical diagnostics, PIV, etc.

Internship Duration and Period: 6 months between February and August 2026
Internship Location: Rueil-Malmaison