MCF2 Lab

MCF2 Lab

MCF2 Lab focuses on the development, implementation, and validation of accurate and tractable computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools for polydisperse multiphase, turbulent mixing, and reacting flows.

Join Us

Join Us

The Multiphase and Complex Fluids Flow Lab welcomes motivated students who are interested in computational fluid dynamics, multiphase flows, turbulent mixing, reacting flows, scientific computing, and engineering applications. Students in the lab may contribute to numerical modeling, code development, data analysis, visualization, validation studies, and applications related to energy, aerospace, propulsion, disperse multiphase flows, mixing and reactive flows, environmental flows, and industrial systems.

General Student Opportunities

Current CSULB students interested in conducting research with the MCF2 Lab are encouraged to review the lab’s research areas and recent publications before reaching out. This helps identify topics that match your interests, background, and long-term goals. Depending on project needs and available advising capacity, opportunities may include:

Students interested in joining the lab should email Prof. Ehsan Madadi with a clear subject line that identifies the topic or opportunity of interest.

For general inquiries, use the subject line:

Research Interest in MCF2 Lab

In your email, please include:

What We Look For

Successful students in the lab are typically curious, self-motivated, reliable, and willing to learn. Experience with CFD, programming, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, numerical methods, or data analysis is helpful, but not always required for every project.

Students should be prepared to communicate regularly, document their work clearly, maintain organized research files, and work carefully through technical challenges.

Prospective Students

Prospective students interested in joining the MCF2 Lab should first apply to CSULB through the official university admissions process. Admission decisions are handled by the university, and the lab cannot provide assistance with admission processing or application review.

After admission to CSULB, students are welcome to contact Prof. Madadi using the same general inquiry guidelines listed above.

Contact

Ehsan Madadi, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Multiphase and Complex Fluids Flow Lab California State University, Long Beach

Email: ehsan.madadi@csulb.edu

Current Openings

Specific funded or thesis-based opportunities will be posted here when available. Students applying to a specific opening should carefully read the position description and use the exact subject line listed in the announcement.

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Position 1: Acoustic Streaming and Continuum-Phase Response (Fall 2026-Spring 2027)

This project focuses on acoustic streaming and continuum-phase response in ultrasonic multiphase flows. The student will study how ultrasonic forcing frequency, amplitude, and orientation affect the carrier-fluid velocity field and generate Eckart and Rayleigh streaming.

The core research question is: How do ultrasonic forcing frequency, amplitude, and orientation change the carrier-fluid velocity field and generate Eckart and Rayleigh streaming?

The student may contribute to reduced numerical modeling, CFD or coupled simulation cases, verification and sensitivity studies, and analysis of standing-wave and acoustic streaming behavior. Expected outcomes include a verified baseline standing-wave case, mesh/time-step sensitivity results, a streaming map as a function of frequency and acoustic energy density, and thesis- and poster-ready results.

Applicants should attach a short CV or resume, include an unofficial transcript if available, write one short paragraph explaining why the topic interests them, and state their programming experience and expected weekly availability.

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Position 2: Low-Stokes-Number Nanoparticle Transport Under Insonation (Fall 2026-Spring 2027)

This project focuses on low-Stokes-number nanoparticle transport under ultrasonic forcing. The student will study when small particles stop behaving like passive tracers and begin showing directed migration, clustering, or dispersion under insonation.

The core research question is: When do low-Stokes-number particles stop behaving like passive tracers and show directed migration, clustering, or dispersion under ultrasonic forcing?

The student may contribute to reduced drift-diffusion modeling, particle transport analysis, verification studies, and regime-map development. Expected outcomes include a 1D drift-diffusion solver and verification notebook, particle migration time-scale estimates, a regime map separating passive-tracer, drift-dominated, and diffusion-dominated behavior, and thesis-ready interpretation of low-Stokes-number transport.

Applicants should attach a short CV or resume, include an unofficial transcript if available, write one short paragraph explaining why the topic interests them, and state their programming experience and expected weekly availability.

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Position 3: Ultrasound Configuration Optimization for Disperse-Phase Manipulation (Fall 2027-Spring 2028)

This project focuses on optimizing ultrasound configurations for disperse-phase manipulation in ultrasonic multiphase flows. The student will study how different ultrasound arrangements influence phase separation, aggregation, and remixing, with the goal of identifying useful operating windows for later computational modeling.

The core research question is: Which ultrasound configuration gives useful phase separation or aggregation while avoiding excessive streaming-driven remixing?

The student may contribute to reduced numerical modeling, CFD or coupled simulation cases, sensitivity studies, and analysis of vertical, horizontal, intermittent, and multi-directional ultrasound configurations. Expected outcomes include a ranked operating-window map, a recommendation for configurations to use in later GPBE/QBMM simulations, and thesis- and poster-ready results.

Applicants should attach a short CV or resume, include an unofficial transcript if available, write one short paragraph explaining why the topic interests them, and state their programming experience and expected weekly availability.

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Position 4: Ultrasound Configuration Optimization for Disperse-Phase Manipulation (Fall 2027-Spring 2028)

This project focuses on optimizing ultrasound configurations for disperse-phase manipulation in ultrasonic multiphase flows. The student will study how different ultrasound arrangements influence phase separation, aggregation, and remixing, with the goal of identifying useful operating windows for later computational modeling.

The core research question is: Which ultrasound configuration gives useful phase separation or aggregation while avoiding excessive streaming-driven remixing?

The student may contribute to reduced numerical modeling, CFD or coupled simulation cases, sensitivity studies, and analysis of vertical, horizontal, intermittent, and multi-directional ultrasound configurations. Expected outcomes include a ranked operating-window map, a recommendation for configurations to use in later GPBE/QBMM simulations, and thesis- and poster-ready results.

Applicants should attach a short CV or resume, include an unofficial transcript if available, write one short paragraph explaining why the topic interests them, and state their programming experience and expected weekly availability.