Keynote Speakers
Simone
Mancin
Simone Mancin is a Professor of Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer at the Department of Industrial Engineering of the University of Padova, Italy. He is the Director of the Thermal Energy Innovation (TEI) research group, where research activities focus on advanced solutions for single- and two-phase heat transfer using Additive Manufacturing (AM), Topology Optimisation (TO), and AI. The TEI group also investigates innovative heat transfer solutions for Thermal Energy Storage systems using both Phase Change Materials (PCMs) and Thermochemical Materials (TCMs). He is the author or co-author of approximately 250 papers, most of which are published in international scientific journals. He serves as Associate Editor of HEDH, the Journal of Energy Storage, Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, and Heat Transfer Research, and is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Thermofluids and Energies.
Keynote abstract
AM has opened new frontiers in heat transfer applications, going beyond the capabilities of conventional manufacturing technologies. Despite the great design freedom offered by AM, when dealing with metals, there are several issues that should be carefully considered to fully exploit the capabilities of this technology: design for additive manufacturing, surface roughness, thermophysical properties of printed components, among others. This keynote explores the latest work carried out by the Thermal Energy Innovation (TEI) research group at the University of Padova (IT) on AM. We demonstrated the feasibility of printing advanced cooling solutions in Cu and Al alloys for nuclear fusion applications and immersion cooling, developing original measuring techniques. This seminar aims to show how it is possible to maximise the impact of AM approaches to design incredibly complex heat transfer devices, manufactured by metal 3D printing, for real-world applications - and not just to produce fancy paperweights.
Marco
Marengo
Prof. Marengo is Full Professor of Thermal Physics at the University of Pavia, Italy. He is World President of the Institute of Liquid Atomisation and Spray Systems and a member of the International Heat Pipe Committee. He serves as Associate Editor and Editorial Board member in various journals, among which Int. J. Multiphase Flows. He is visiting professor in various universities around teh world, including India, China and Canada. His research focuses on phase-change heat transfer, microfluidics, atomization, sprays, and thermal control systems for space and terrestrial applications. He has authored over 350 scientific papers, including 200 peer-reviewed journal articles, and holds seven patents. His Scopus h-index is 48, with almost 10,000 citations.
Keynote abstract
Boiling and bubbly flows remain central to modern thermal engineering, yet their predictive description is still limited by the wide separation of length and time scales involved, from nanoscale vapor inception to mesoscale bubble growth and macroscopic multiphase transport. This keynote will present a multiscale perspective on recent advances aimed at bridging these regimes. At the smallest scales, fluctuating-hydrodynamics and diffuse-interface simulations reveal how the interaction and coalescence of sub-critical vapor embryos can explain the surprisingly low onset temperatures observed experimentally on ultra-smooth wettable surfaces. Complementary experiments on nanometrically smooth substrates show that wettability alone can induce a non-classical variation of the onset of nucleate boiling, which cannot be captured by standard theories. At larger scales, VOF-based simulations are used to analyse vapor-bubble growth across progressively reduced domains and different wettability patterns, providing a bridge from inception physics to mesoscopic boiling dynamics. Finally, the broader framework of bubbles and bubbly flows is discussed in the light of recent advances and open questions in nucleation, bubble dynamics, collective effects, and transport processes relevant to energy, space, and thermal-management technologies.
Christos
Markides
Christos Markides is Professor of Clean Energy Technologies and Head of the Clean Energy Processes (CEP) Laboratory at Imperial College London. He leads research in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer, focusing on high-performance systems for energy recovery, conversion, and storage. Professor Markides serves as the Editor-in-Chief of both Applied Thermal Engineering (ATE) and AI in Thermal Fluids (AITF). His research excellence has been recognized by prestigious honors, including the IChemE Clean Energy Medal in 2025 and the President's Award for Excellence in Research at Imperial College London.
Keynote abstract
Multiphase flows in the presence of heating, cooling, but also phase change and reactive processes are encountered in many important industrial processes and systems. Despite the numerous experimental studies of these flows, the availability of spatiotemporally-resolved simultaneous information on the multiple underlying physical phenomena in different flows remains limited due to the challenges in performing such measurements. These flows present the experimentalist with unique challenges, such as restricted (often sub-mm) fluid domains with moving and complex interfaces, across which phases have large property changes. Experimental techniques based on optical measurement principles can be applied, but further development is necessary for reliable data to be obtained. Once developed, these techniques can provide information with high spatiotemporal resolution on important scalar and vector fields in relevant flows, as well as on interfacial characteristics and dynamics. In this talk, we will present recent efforts to develop and apply a range of infrared, laser-based and other optical diagnostic techniques to multiphase flows with phase change and reaction. We will cover the deployment of simultaneous techniques for the generation of new multiphysics and multiscale information, and discuss challenges faced when attempting such measurements. This information is enabling an increasingly complete fundamental understanding of related phenomena, and the improved design of relevant devices, technologies and systems.