Maria Fernandino

This PhD project is based at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at Norwegian University of Science and Technology and is part of the HORIZON Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network SurPhase . The work focuses on interface-resolved CFD for boiling and condensation on engineered surfaces , with the aim of improving how advanced numerical models represent interfacial transport and surface characteristics in phase-change flows. The research is motivated by thermal management challenges in refrigeration, air conditioning, electronics cooling, and energy systems, especially as low-global-warming-potential refrigerants introduce new complexities in wetting, nucleation, liquid and vapour transport, dryout, and flooding. The candidate will develop and implement modelling approaches for heat and mass transfer using diffuse and sharp interface methods, then assess their reliability through comparison with experimental evidence produced within the doctoral network. The successful candidate will be part of the Thermal Two-Phase Flow Laboratory at NTNU’s Gløshaugen campus in Trondheim, working in a group with close interaction among postdoctoral researchers, PhD candidates, and MSc students. The project combines commercial simulation tools with in-house numerical codes and is embedded in a broader international research and training environment with academic and industrial partners across Europe. SurPhase is a doctoral network on surface engineering and phase-change heat transfer for low-global-warming-potential refrigerants, bringing together universities and companies in a collaborative framework that includes mobility, training events, and cross-sector secondments.

This PhD project at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) focuses on drainage-enhanced flow condensation in micro-structured surfaces . The work is part of the SurPhase MSCA Doctoral Network and is centered on understanding how low-global-warming-potential refrigerants behave during condensation on ribbed and finned microstructured surfaces. The successful candidate will investigate the key transport and phase-change processes that govern performance in thermal systems. The project specifically targets droplet shedding , film breakup , flooding , heat transfer coefficient , and pressure drop during flow condensation. These phenomena are important for refrigeration, air conditioning, electronics cooling, and broader energy applications, especially as refrigerant technologies transition to fluids with different wetting and transport behavior. Research will be carried out in the Thermal Two-Phase Flow Laboratory at NTNU’s main Gløshaugen campus in Trondheim . The laboratory environment is described as state-of-the-art, with advanced experimental equipment and techniques. The candidate will join a group working on fluid mechanics and heat transfer and will collaborate closely with other postdoctoral fellows, PhD candidates, and MSc students. The position is embedded in an international doctoral network that combines academic and industrial research. SurPhase brings together universities and industrial partners across Europe and includes structured training, network events, international mobility, and cross-sector secondments. The project environment is therefore both experimental and collaborative, with strong links between surface engineering and phase-change heat transfer research. The position is supervised by Professor Maria Fernandino .