Doctoral Researcher / Master's Thesis Worker – Virtual Torque Sensing for Maritime Powertrains

About the role

Aalto University Rotor Lab, in collaboration with its industrial partner Wärtsilä, is looking for a Doctoral Researcher or Master's Thesis Worker for the VIcTOR project, which develops virtual torque sensing for maritime powertrains. The project is carried out at Aalto University and at the Wärtsilä Vaasa STH laboratory, and the applicant is employed by the University. The aim is to estimate unknown input torque and torsional response using only encoder measurements and selected engine or generator data, so that a dedicated torque transducer is not needed.

Key responsibilities

• Define the accuracy and operational requirements for the torque estimation algorithm.
• Build and verify a torsional vibration model of the powertrain, based on data from Wärtsilä, with a final test environment in Simulink.
• Develop convex optimization-based and/or physics-informed deep learning approaches to torque estimation.
• Study the framework first with simulated measurements, then verify it against measurements from a physical powertrain.
• Test and refine the model for implementation in an embedded environment with limited computing capacity.

Required profile

• Masters or Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering or another relevant field.
• Excellent written and oral English; Finnish is a benefit.
• Ability to work full-time and, for doctoral studies, meet the eligibility requirements of the Aalto Doctoral Programme in Engineering during a 6-month trial period.

Required skills

• Background in mechanical, control, applied mathematics, electrical engineering or a related field.
• Knowledge of torsional vibration, rotordynamics or powertrain dynamics.
• Experience with state estimation or optimization methods (Kalman filtering, convex optimization).
• Interest in machine learning, especially physics-informed or physics-constrained learning.
• Programming and modelling skills (Matlab/Simulink, Python, C or other embedded-systems languages).

What we offer

• Master's thesis salary of 2,622 EUR gross per month, full-time, maximum 6 months, employment at Wärtsilä.
• Doctoral researcher starting salary of 3,143 EUR gross per month, with possible increases based on achievements.
• Annual workload of 1,612 hours; first doctoral contract of 2 years, extendable to 4 years after a midterm evaluation.
• Occupational health care coverage and access to industry data and test rigs.

Applications are submitted through the university's recruitment system by 11 November 2026, with a motivation letter, CV, thesis copy, degree certificates and transcripts.