Phd 2026: Controllability of welded parts in critical equipment - Virtual materials for efficient NDT inspection tools

The aim of this PhD is to model the development of microstructures during welding processes on thick parts, in the context of nuclear equipment, for which deposits of several dozen passes are regularly made.

One of the challenges of the project is to propose numerical approaches that enable these simulations to be carried out within a reasonable time frame, given the volumes of material deposited, while maintaining the expected accuracy. Part of the activity will also involve implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods similar to computer vision to facilitate this prediction, based on the simulated microstructures.

The ATALANTE project, of which this PhD is a part, is divided between experimentation, modeling, and commercialization, and brings together five partners: CEMEF (Mines Paris PSL), ICB (Université Bourgogne Europe), CEA LIST, EDF R&D, and TRANSVALOR.

This thesis is complemented by a second thesis (ICB) dedicated to experimental developments. In addition, a post-doctorate (CEA LIST) will aim to develop numerical modeling of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) on the virtual grain structures obtained.

Context:

In the nuclear industry, the integrity of welded components is assessed using ultrasonic NDT methods, which provide essential information on the morphology, orientation, and location of defects. However, the implementation of these methods remains complex in the case of austenitic stainless steels, whose welds, made by depositing numerous passes, have a heterogeneous and anisotropic microstructure, causing the wave beam to diverge and attenuate.

The numerical modeling of these microstructures, influenced by the nature of the materials and the welding parameters, is a major challenge for the future optimization of NDT methods.

In this context, this PhD project aims to develop virtual microstructures on thick welded parts to enable ATALANTE's other partners to simulate the propagation of ultrasonic waves and improve NDT tools. The challenge will be to characterize the formation and variability of grain structures on welds with a high number of passes.

see more here :

https://www.cemef.minesparis.psl.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Phd_ATALANTE.pdf

CEMEF is a research lab. of MINES ParisTech I PSL University associated with CNRS, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS, UMR7635).

 Overall, our missions are research and training in collaboration with industry.

 Our research focuses specifically on materials and their transformation processes in the broadest sense. It extends additionally to other fields such as fluid mechanics, biomechanics or HPC for instance. On the other hand, our training programmes offer post-graduate courses related to our scientific fields of expertise. Furthermore, we are attentive to the scientific needs of industry and we set up research projects with industrial companies.

 A MULTI-DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH LABORATORY

 CEMEF studies the science of materials and forming processes. This twofold research theme is in fact at the origin of the creation of our research lab. Thus, from the outset, CEMEF has been interested in the analysis of manufacturing processes, i.e. it studies the entire chain consisting of the material / the process / the finished product .

Engineering degree or Master's degree in digital technology, materials, mechanics, or applied mathematics.

Students interested in issues related to modeling and digital simulations of physical phenomena in engineering science.