UNRAVELING THE EFFECTS OF SURFACE PROPERTIES ON FUNDAMENTAL MECHANISMS IN BOILING HEAT TRANSFER

The project aims to gain a new understanding on the effects of the surface properties on fundamental mechanisms in boiling heat transfer.

The insight gained will provide guidelines for designing smart surfaces for more efficient and safer thermal applications.

The approach consists in tackling the problem with the most advanced experimental diagnostic and sophisticated numerical simulations.

The researcher demonstrates to have a clear foundation to successfully develop the project because of his solid background in two-phase heat transfer, his proficiency in measurement techniques, his strong expertise in nanotechnology and his very good computational skills.

MIT and UoB are outfitted respectively with unique and ad-hoc experimental and numerical capabilities to achieve the objectives of the proposal.

The fellowship will boost the researcher’s expertise towards a position of excellence by enhancing his experimental skills with cutting-edge techniques and diversifying his profile with numerical techniques and transferable skills valuable for his career prospects.

The fellowship will establish a new network between the organizations and increase the internationalization of the researcher aiming to become an independent and mature research leader. The project fits into different pillars of Horizon 2020: 1) Societal Challenges: Secure, clean, and efficient energy.

It aims to provide new knowledge to increase the efficiency and enhance the safety of different energy processes (important for reducing the CO2 emissions); 2) Excellence Science: Future and Emerging Technologies.

It aims to identify the surface effects on heat transfer mechanisms, which could be exploited for developing new energy technologies; 3) Industrial Leadership: Nanotechnologies, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing and Processing, and Biotechnology. It involves nanotechnology to engineer the surfaces that could be scaled up to industrial applications.