Position under active recruitment:Research and Development on Energy Networks

What are the key points of energy networks?

We are working on the following technologies while aiming to create an energy-network system that reduces environmental load.

■Demand-supply balance optimization technology:
With the spread of generative AI, the electricity demand of data centers (DCs) is rapidly increasing. Meanwhile, the introduction of renewable energy (RE) is also advancing efforts to achieve carbon neutrality. However, electricity generation from RE fluctuates by region and time, and therefore does not always align with DCs' electricity demand, making it difficult to utilize RE effectively. Establishing new approaches to resolve this supply-demand mismatch has become a critical challenge. To address this challenge, the Space Environment and Energy Laboratories are working to maximize the utilization of RE through "watt-bit collaboration*" based on two approaches: (i) "energy/ICT resource integrated control technology," which flexibly controls the processing load of DCs (workload: WL) and battery charging/discharging according to the RE generation status, and (ii) "DC-placement optimization technology," which evaluates RE utilization rates, costs, and other factors at candidate sites to support the selection of optimal locations for future deployment of DCs.

*Efforts to integrate power infrastructure ("watt") and information and communication infrastructure ("bit") to build a sustainable and efficient social foundation

■Comprehensive energy circulation technology:
We are engaged in research and development to build a new cycle of energy chains by actively capturing previously unused waste heat and reusing it for cooling and electricity generation. For example, we are researching technologies that efficiently transmit heat with less energy to generate cold energy by utilizing waste heat from data centers, where power consumption is increasing due to rising information processing demands, and technologies that highly efficiently convert high-temperature waste heat generated in factories directly into electricity. Through these initiatives, we aim to promote energy saving in data centers and factories and contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society.

Recruitment overview

1 Research and development concerning demand-supply balance optimization technology aimed at maximizing the utilization of renewable energy

Details of work

Depending on your experience and abilities, you will be in charge of one or more of the following.

• Research and Development of Placement Optimization Technology for Data Centers

• Research and development of optimization algorithms for estimating placement plans that maximize the renewable-energy ratio and minimize costs on the basis of inputs such as renewable-energy generation demand, data-center power demand, candidate locations, and power-grid information; and studies for business implementation by the NTT Group

• Research and Development of Forecasting Technology for Renewable-Energy Generation and Data-Center Power Demand

• Research and development of algorithms for forecasting renewable-energy generation on the basis of environmental information such as solar radiation and weather conditions as input, and studies for business implementation by the NTT Group

• Research and development of algorithms for forecasting power demand, for individual devices and for the entire data center, on the basis of inputs such as power consumption, internal configuration, and usage status of devices within data centers (e.g., servers and air conditioners); and studies for business implementation by the NTT Group

Required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience

• Experience in data analysis using, e.g., Python and MATLAB (specific language is not required)
　　　　　　　　　　　

Desirable knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience

• Experience in data analysis/parsing and implementation of AI/machine learning
• Knowledge of data-center facilities and experience in their design and maintenance
• Knowledge of renewable energy

Qualities we are looking for

• Someone with strong intellectual curiosity who are eager to research proactively and utilize the latest technologies and can generate ideas for solving technical challenges
• Someone who can proactively engage in solving complex problems in collaboration with members from different specialized fields
• Someone with flexibility and a cooperative spirit who can communicate smoothly both internally and externally

2Research and development concerning cosmic-ray countermeasures and electromagnetic barriers

Details of work

Depending on your experience and abilities, you will be in charge of one or more of the following.

• You will be engaged in research and development of heat-related technologies specialized in the effective utilization of waste heat

• Research and development of technologies for reducing energy used for data-center cooling You will conduct research and development of technologies that transport heat with less energy and generate cooling energy. Key responsibilities include designing low-energy heat-transport devices, measuring heat-transport performance, developing new cooling technologies, conducting evaluation experiments for cooling efficiency, writing patents, making presentations at international conferences, and submitting papers to international journals.

• Research and development of technologies to convert waste heat from factories, etc., efficiently into electricity This involves research and development of technologies that convert low-energy near-infrared light obtained from high-temperature waste heat into high-energy near-infrared light and reuse it using thermoelectric-conversion elements. Key responsibilities include material development for wavelength-conversion materials and thermoelectric-conversion elements, optical experiments, device evaluation, patent creation, presentations at international conferences, and submissions to international journals.

Required knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience

• Research and development of technologies to reduce energy used for cooling data centers

• Knowledge of heat-transfer engineering, fluid dynamics, etc.
• Ability to write papers and patents

• Research and development of technologies for highly efficient conversion of waste heat from factories, etc., into electric power

• Knowledge of thermal-energy engineering, etc.
• Ability to write papers and patents

Desirable knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience

• Research and development of technologies to reduce energy used for cooling data centers

• Knowledge of cooling technologies, heat-transport devices, etc.
• Skills in experimental apparatus design/assembly, thermal measurement, and cooling design for data centers
• Engineering optimization capability based on real-world environments
• Experience in R&D related to data centers and air conditioning, demonstration research on heat-transport devices (heat pipes, PCM, etc.), energy-efficiency evaluation, presentations at international conference, and collaborative research

• Research and development of technology for highly efficient conversion of waste heat from factories into electricity

• Knowledge of optics, quantum energy conversion, semiconductor engineering, etc.
• Skills in data analysis, optical experiments, etc.
• Experimental design capability and interdisciplinary thinking
• Experience in optical-energy-conversion devices and solar-cell research, development of nanophotonics and near-infrared optical devices, evaluation of high-temperature materials and high-efficiency-conversion elements, presentations at international conference, and joint research

Qualities we are looking for

• Someone who possesses an interdisciplinary perspective and enjoys discoveries and learning
• Someone with intense intellectual curiosity who is eager to challenge unexplored areas and envision innovative technologies
• Someone who is motivated to contribute to solving social and environmental problems through research

Location

Musashino R&D Center (3-9-11 Midori-cho, Musashino-shi, Tokyo 180-8585)

Message

Established in July 2020, the NTT Space Environment and Energy Research Laboratory researches the environmental energy field from the perspective on a space scale.
In particular, energy and AI are both technological fields that are undergoing transformation, and technological trends and the surrounding environment are changing rapidly. In this context, we are looking for people who have dreams and passion for new research, actively take on challenges, and work collaboratively. We look forward to receiving applications from those who want to apply their skills to achieving a society with zero environmental load.

Technology