Research Activities
INSPIRE, H2020-MSCA-ITN-2020
Period: Jan 2021 - Jan 2025
EU H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN) Grant, No. 956803.
Role: Co-applicant & Team leader.
INSPIRE project is aimed at studying Pressure Gain Combustion solutions for the efficient use of carbon neutral fuels such as Hydrogen. KTH role (ESR8) is to apply Large Eddy Simulations for quantification of the near-field flow and acoustics fields and acoustic analogies for far-field noise prediction associated with rotating detonation combustion (RDC) configurations of interest. Among the focus areas one shall mention the quantification of acoustic sources at different opeorating conditions and identification of potential noise suppression technologies for RDC.
More details on INSPIRE project can be found at https://inspire.cerfacs.fr/en/
Partners: ENSMA, CERFACS, SAFRAN, UNI Firenze, UNI Genova, Poli Torino, TU Berlin, and KTH. Coordinator: Univ. Firenze.
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Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), VR Grant Diarienummer: 2020-04857.
Computational aero-vibro-acoustics of snoring with impact on obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis.
Period: Jan 2021 - Jan 2025
Role: Principal Investigator.
Scope: Resolve with accurate compressible flow simulations the intermittent airflow in flexible tubes mirroring pharyngeal airway dynamics, assessing the fluid-structure interaction and the associated noise generation processes. Correlate the medical data with the computational aero-acoustics data.
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VISION-xEV, H2020-LC-GV-2019
Period: Jan 2019 - Jan 2022
EU Ho2020; Grant agreement ID: 824314
Role: Co-applicant & Team leader.
The major challenge that the European automotive industry is facing is the 2020 CO2 fleet emission target of 95g/km and the envisaged further reduction of the CO2 emission limits in the European Union for the period after 2025. the VISION-xEV addresses chalanges related to development of effient and envirinmental friendly power trains. KTH's contributions to the project are:
- to provide guidance for an optimal turbine-engine integration aimed to maximize performance and minimize losses under pulsating engine-relevant operating conditions.
- to develop accurate methods for analyzing aerothermodynamic related losses and associated mechanisms in the exhaust manifold and turbine.
More details on VISION-xEV can be found at https://vision-xev.eu/
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Within the Competence Center for Gas Exchange (CCGEx):
Period: Jan 2018 - Dec 2022
STEM CCGEx III; Diarienr. Dnr. 2017-002801, Project No. 33834-3
Role: Co-applicant & Coordinator of two research areas.
“i-COLD” research area within CCGEx. The focus is on enhance understanding of the key factors leading to stall onset in centrifugal compressors; understand compressor system’s components and their interactions for an optimal, variable boosting system; explain the mechanisms for the aerodynamically generated noise in compressor systems and quantify the acoustic sources. (Role: Research Area Coordinator; 2 PhD projects; inter-disciplinary collaboration between KTH-Mechanics, KTH-ITM, KTH-Marcus Wallenberg Lab. - MWL for Sound and Vibration and automotive industry)
o PhD Project 1: On the aerodynamically generated sound of centrifugal compressors (Role: Initiator and Main advisor)
o PhD Project 2: Compressor response to upstream/downstream installation effects and perturbations (Role: Initiator and Main advisor)
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“i-HOT” research area within CCGEx. Research efforts towards quantifying the heat-transfer problem for pulsating, intermittent turbulent hot flow in complex geometries; understand the impact which such flow scenarios have on and turbine performance; identify and mitigate the aerothermodynamic losses; learn to take advantage of the pulsating conditions to maximize the average turbine power output. (Role: Research Area Coordinator)
o PhD Project 1: Flow and Heat transfer related losses: impact on turbine performance for ICE applications. (Role: Initiator and Main advisor)
o PhD Project 2: Turbocharged engine performance optimization with focus on maximising energy transfer from hot-side to cold-side (Role: Initiator and Main advisor).
· The total funding amount: 10000 kSEK / year
· The portion at the disposal of the applicant: 3120 kSEK/year
· Funding body: Swedish Energy Agency (STEM), Diarienr. Dnr. 2017-002801, Project No. 33834-3
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Completed Projects:
Jan 2013 - Dec 2018. “Compressor off-Design Operation - CoDOp” project targets understanding and predicting compressor surge using advanced computational and experimental techniques (Role: Project Coordinator)
Jan 2014 - Dec 2018. “HOlistic approach Targeting to reduce/recover exhaust losses and increase Spark Ignited & Diesel Engines performance – HOTSIDE”. Integrated use of 1D and 3D flow modeling together with measurements for assessing exhaust flow, maximize exhaust energy extraction and increase ICE efficiency. (Role: Project Coordinator)
Projects financed and supported by the Swedish Energy Agency (STEM) and the Swedish automotive industry.
Collaborators: SCANIA, VOLVO Cars, Volvo GTT, BorgWarner, University of Cincinnati, KTH-Machine Design, CICERO & Marcus Wallenberg Lab. for Sound and Vibration at KTH
SIGMUND Project:
Flow control technologies in supersonic jets for improving performance. (Role: Co-Investigator)
Collaborators: GKN Aerospace, Chalmers, University of Cincinnati
Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet), VR 621-2012-4256:
Multi-physics investigation of unsteady cyclic internal flow in order to assess airway function: developing of a non-intrusive diagnosis tool (Role: Principal Investigator); Collaborators: Karolinska Institute, Stanford University Sleep and Research Center.
EU-FP7 Clean Sky project SP1-JTI-CS-2012-02-325977
May 2013 - Aug 2015: Optimization of air jet pump design for acoustic application (OPA). Role: Co-Investigator; Partners: Liebherr - Aerospace Toulouse SAS, Romanian Research & Development Institute for Gas Turbines COMOTI.
GE Aviation - University Strategic Alliance Program, while at Univ. of Cincinnati (UC)
Jun 2005 - May 2011. Aeroacoustic investigations of separate exhaust flow systems as models for GE turbofan engines. Assessing the mechanisms for sound generation in coaxial subsonic jets, shape optimization of nozzles and flow mixing devices; investigations of present and new noise suppression technologies for commercial turbofan engines. PI: Ephraim Gutmark; Partner: General Electric (GE) - Aviation, Evendale, Ohio.
URC Interdisciplinary Grant, while at Univ. of Cincinnati (UC)
Jun 2009 - May 2010. Nasal airflow modeling as a guiding tool for optimizing treatment plans in patients with nasal obstructions. Mihaescu as Co-PI together with Ephraim Gutmark, Lee Zimmer, and Allen Seiden. Partner: Univ. of Cincinnati (UC) - Medical Center.
Ref. No. 11081231; Frac System - CFD assessment, while at UC
Oct 2010 - Sep 2013. Sand Control Frac Pack Simulation Research. Critical components within the Frac system are evaluated using a combination of CFD and small scale testing. Mihaescu as Co-Investigator (until May 2011) together with Ephraim Gutmark (PI); Partner: Halliburton Company.
Ref. No. 09091209; NIH Grant: 1R01DC009435-01A2, while at UC
Dec 2009 - Nov 2014. Clinical significance of flow structures for normal and abnormal voice production. PI: Sid Khosla. Co-Investigators: Mihai Mihaescu (until May 2011), Shanmugam Murugappan, and Ephraim Gutmark. Partner: UC - Medical Center.
Ref. No. 10070984; NIH Grant: 1R01HL105206-01, while at UC
Sep 2010 - Sep 2014. Dynamic Computational Modeling of Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Down Syndrome. Co-PIs: Lane Donnelly, Raouf Amin, Ephraim Gutmark, Sally Shott. Co-Investigators: Mihai Mihaescu (until May 2011), Sid Khosla, Charles Dumoulin, and Mohamed Mahmoud. Partners: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, UC, and UC - Medical Center.
