Host Institution: Technische Universität Darmstadt (Germany)

Institute of Energy and Power Plant Technology, Dept of Mechanical Engineering, TU Darmstadt

Phone:  +49 6151 16 28757

Fax:  +49 6151 16 28900

 peoban@gmail.com

Research interests

My emphasis is the study of combustion in multiphase flows. The fluid-particle interaction being simulated employing an Euler-Lagrange approach, where diverse phenomena are taken into consideration such as particle collision, breakup, evaporation, and afterward the combustion with the consequent species transformation. For the simulation of such processes I employ CFD OpenFOAM, where either the already incorporated or self implemented models and solvers are first properly validated using experimental data. Among the scope of my research is also included the analysis of spray behavior under supercritical conditions, which represents an expansion of the above expiained operations implying big challenges regarding the theoretical approach to be chosen and later on its mathematical and modeling implementation.  

Education

• 10/12-Present. PhD in Mechanical Engineering at TU Darmstadt.
• 10/12-12/14 Politecnico di Milano, Italy. Masters of Science in Energy Engineering (2 years program). Overall weighted average of 96 in a scale from 0 (Lowest Grade) to 110 (Highest Grade). Master Thesis at the Institute for Energy Systems and Technology, TU Darmstadt, Title: “Numerical Simulation of an Incineration Power Plant Employing OpenFoam”
• 01/09-09/12 Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad ICE (Costa Rica Electricity Institute)
  • 01/09-06/10 Position: Design Engineer at El Diquís Hydropower Project. Main Activities and Projects: Ventilation system optimization and installation for Pirris Penstock Tunnel, Ventilation system design for El Diquís Tunnel.
  • 07/10-09/12 Position: Project Engineer at Toro 3 Hydropower Project. Main Activities and Projects:  Installation of 2.7 Mile, 9.5ft diameter Penstock, Installation of the Power House Metal Structures,  Process supervision of the Buildings Metal Structure Fabrication and Maintenance Workshop.
• 01/04-12/08 Universidad de Costa Rica. Licentiate in Mechanical Engineering (5 years program) Overall weighted average of 08,94 in a scale from 0 (Lowest Grade) to 10 (Highest Grade). Licentiate Thesis Title: “Distribution Transformers Coil Conforming Machine Design”

Selected publications

• Behzad, N; Obando Vega, P; Guilizzoni, M; Rinaldi, F; Arosio, S. Fluid selection and parametric analysis on condensation temperature and plant height for a thermogravimetric heat pump. In: Applied Thermal Engineering, Volume 78, 5 March 2015, Pages 51–61

Project title: Development and Validation of Combustion unsteady simulation techniques using advanced Filtered Tabulated Chemistry Strategy

Objectives. The development of numerical models in context of LES (Large Eddy Simulation) for reacting flows has recorded significant progress in recent last years. Nevertheless, due to the complexity of the interaction between turbulence and chemistry in different combustion regimes (premixed, partially premixed and diffusion controlled), many scientific questions remain still open. Even within a single regime, various turbulence-chemistry interaction mechanisms lead to different flame behavior.
Validated LES models for partially-premixed operating conditions are very rare. Besides the diffusion-based flamelet approach with progress-variable (FPV), the premixed-based F-TACLES (Filtered TAbulated Chemistry for LES) combustion model has been recently extended to partially premixed regimes and to conditions with heat loss effects.
The objective of this PhD project is to further develop and validate appropriate sub-models to be integrated into a complete LES model using an advanced F-TACLES Strategy. This consists especially in introducing a dynamical formulation of the wrinkling model in order to avoid the undesirable tuning of the essential model parameter for each configuration, and thus to improve the predictability of the model under various operating conditions. The experimental data obtained in the framework of this consortium will be used for model validation. For engineering tasks the LES achievements will be assessed by comparison with those obtained from adaptive scale based RANS simulations.

Expected results. First, a combustion-LES tool relying on the F-TACLES approach for partially premixed combustion under adiabatic tabulating conditions shall be made available using the OpenFOAM code. This will allow for including detailed chemistry and for preserving low CPU cost while limiting the number of balance equations to be solved. Second, the dynamical formulation of the wrinkling model will be considered. Finally non-adiabatic features of the combustion systems will be addressed.

Planned secondment. BE-ULB (8-10 months. Chemistry reduction procedures.