Predicting Complex Flows for Energy Transport

Advances in the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to simulate energy systems such as burners, injectors, reactors and building ventilation are a critical focus of research today. Implementing detailed physical CFD models can help industrial practice for improved process design, scale-up, and optimization. Computational chemistry techniques can be used to provide new insights into relevant reactions and be used to improve prediction of rate chemical kinetics. Likewise, models of mesoscopic phenomena, such as multiphase flow, can provide insight of interactions between reactions and interphase transport processes. This seminar will demonstrate progress with modeling a variety of systems for which energy transport is critical. The models used will be briefly presented but the focus will be on the validation and capabilities of the models. Examples will include a fluidized bed reactor for gasification of coal-biomass feeds, a non-premixed bluff body burner, and small- and large-scale building simulations for ventilation, including transport of pathogens. 

Dr. Francine Battaglia is Professor and Chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at the University at Buffalo (UB). Dr. Battaglia’s areas of expertise are in computational fluid dynamics and computational model development in single- and multi-phase turbulent reacting flows with applications in gasification processes, alternative energy production and building energy utilization. She has published over 130 refereed journal and conference proceedings papers and co-authored a textbook on natural ventilation. She received a PhD in mechanical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Battaglia is the Editor-in-Chief for the ASME Journal of Fluids Engineering, is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Society of Thermal and Fluids Engineers (ASTFE) and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.