Research that we do:

Our research interests are in broad areas of fluid mechanics mainly around the prediction of the behavior of dispersed and continuous phases in polydisperse multiphase turbulent reacting flows.

Population Balance Modeling

We develop sophisticated models to understand and predict particle aggregation, breakage, and precipitation dynamics. These models are crucial for advancements in fields like pharmaceuticals, energy, and chemical engineering. By far the most important physical property of particulate samples is particle size. Measurement of particle size distributions is routinely carried out across a wide range of industries and is often a critical parameter in the manufacture of many products. Measuring particle size distributions and understanding how they affect your products and processes can be critical to the success of many manufacturing businesses. Particle size influences many properties of particulate materials and is a valuable indicator of quality and performance. This is true for powders, suspensions, emulsions, and aerosols. The size and shape of powders influence the flow and compaction properties.

Mixing

Our research in mixing involves creating and validating models that describe the interplay between molecular diffusion and turbulent advection. The most accurate approach for modeling turbulent mixing is direct numerical simulation (DNS) which consists in directly discretizing the physical space, and solving the transport equation for the passive scalar along with the Navier-Stokes equation. However, this method is computationally prohibitive when applied to practical problems, due to the requirements in terms of spatial resolution, which needs to explicitly resolve the smallest of the Kolmogorov and Batchelor scales. For practical applications, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations are particularly attractive to describe turbulent mixing processes due to their low computational cost. In RANS methods, the evolution equation of the composition PDF is closed by introducing molecular mixing models, which are defined in terms of one-point turbulence statistics. These models typically require the scalar dissipation rate to be modeled, which may not be a trivial task in general non-homogeneous problems.

Reacting Flows

Turbulent reactive flows mostly happen in engineering applications. For example, in combustion, where distinct species start reacting with each other during the burning process to produce heat and work, it is being used to increase the fuel efficiency and reduce soot and NOx. We focus on the computational study of chemical kinetics and reaction mechanisms in flows relevant to combustion, propulsion systems, and flash nanoprecipitation. This includes work on the simulation of reaction processes in solid fuel ramjets and other propulsion devices, and flash nanoprecipitation for nanoparticle manufacturing.

Rarefied Gases

Our studies in rarefied gases delve into the behavior of gases under low-pressure conditions, crucial for aerospace applications and vacuum technologies. We are developing new mathematical models that enable faster and equally accurate simulations compared to traditional Monte Carlo methods. Additionally, our innovative approach facilitates the easy integration of various reaction mechanisms into the rarefied flow field, enhancing our understanding and predictive capabilities in these specialized environments.

HVAC

We are working on improving the energy efficiency and effectiveness of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems through advanced simulation and modeling techniques.

Clean Energy

In our commitment to sustainable engineering solutions, our research group is actively involved in significant clean energy projects. We collaborate with ARCHESH2 California and the South Coast Air Quality Management District to promote and develop clean energy technologies and initiatives. These partnerships focus on advancing hydrogen clean energy and improving air quality, critical components of state and regional sustainability goals.
Our work with these organizations supports workforce development by preparing a new generation of engineers with the skills to innovate in the field of clean energy. Through these collaborations, we aim to contribute substantially to the transition towards renewable energy sources and to enhance environmental health and energy sustainability.