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Multi-phase and Reacting Flows Group
Professor Miltiadis V. Papalexandris
Institute of Mechanics, Materials & Civil Engineering
Université catholique de Louvain
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Research Activities
The research activities of our group lie primarily on the fields of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics with particular emphasis on the fundamentals of multi-phase flows, complex fluids, electrohydrodynamics and reacting flows. Our activities cover: i) development of models for the flows of interest, ii) algorithm development and implementation for these models, iii) software verification and validation, and iv) detailed numerical studies and simulations via high performance computing.
As regards multi-phase flows, our current research activities focus on fluid-saturated granular materials with application to sediment transport in coastal and fluvial environments, flows of heterogeneous mixtures and powders with application to the transport and storage of bulk agricultural products and pharmaceuticals, flows through porous media with application to fuel cells and industrial filters, turbulent liquid-vapor pipe flows with application to the Pressurized Thermal Shock Problem of nuclear power plants, etc.
As regards reacting flows, we are currently pursuing research on both subsonic and supersonic combustion. Examples include the study of spray combustion porous-media combustion with application to forest fires and fluidized beds, thermal explosions, ignition and propagation of gaseous detonations, and modelling and simulation of two-phase detonations.
Funding of these ongoing projects is provided by the European Union, the National Fund of Scientific Research of Belgium (FNRS), BelV: a subsidiary of the Federal Agency of Nuclear Control of Belgium, and by private companies.