NOTE: This part is under construction and I will add with time more details to the different projects I conducted in the past.
Click the images for enlargement.
2014:
Postdoctoral Scholar (since 2010) at Institute for Nano- and Microfludics at TU Darmstadt.
:: Leidenfrost phenomenon of liquid drop on liquid layer (APS DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion 2014)
Placing a small liquid volatile droplet on a solid plate heated above the boiling point of the liquid
leads to a levitation of the drop on its own vapor, dramatically increasing the time needed to
evaporate the drop. This is due the well-known Leidenfrost phenomenon. By contrast, this work
explores the case where the drop is placed not on a solid but on a heated liquid layer. Depending
on the impact velocity, the acetone drop either floats on the layer of glycerine or violently
evaporates. The latter leads to the dispersion of small glycerine drops inside the left over acetone
drop.
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2007 - 2010:
NSF Postdoctoral Scholar at Laboratory of Interfacial & Small Scale Transport at Caltech.
:: Thermocapillarity induced instability in ultrathin polymer film melts (DOI, arXiv)
:: Modulation of thermocapillary stresses to pattern nanoscale molten polymer film
Molten polymer films of hundreds of nanometer thickness self-organize in arrays of nanopillars if
confined in a traverse thermal gradient due to a temperature-dependent surface tension.
The setup is a rare example of an extreme limit of the so-scalled deformational Bénard-Marangoni
instability where gravity is completely absent. The thermal gradient across the film (and a small
air gap) is commonly maintained by two flat plates. Defining a structure along the upper plate
directly affects the temperature- and thus stress-distribution along the film interface, replicating
the upper structure in a non-contact, one-step fashion in the film. The method is promising to
cost-effectively fabricate passive optical devices such as waveguides since the structures are
generated out of a melt, guaranteering specularly smooth interfaces and low scattering losses.
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2006 - 2007:
SNF Postdoctoral Scholar at Center for Optofluidic Integration/
Optical Information Processing Group/Caltech
:: Optical applications of free surface flows such as drop, bubbles, emulsions and capillary bridges
:: Switching behavior of bistable capillary systems
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2006:
:: Optofluidic room decoration
Little project to bring the beauty of optofluidics to your living room. Light is shined through a
volume of water with a free surface on one side, which is stirred by a little pump in an arbitrary
fashion. This modifies in turn the diffraction path of the light projected to a near-by wall.
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2005 - 2006:
Member of the scientific staff at LTNT/ETH Zurich
:: Vapor formation around heated particles (DOI)
:: Microfluidics of emulsions
:: Capillary bridges (PDF)
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2001 - 2005:
PhD student / research fellow at LTNT/ETH Zurich
:: Numerical simulation of laser induced evaporation and coagulation of nanoparticle suspension
liquids (DOI)
:: Thermocapillarity induced free surface flows
:: Dynamics of wetting
:: Particle dynamics in sterically stabilized suspensions
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2002:
Self-initiated research project on the formation of fluid chains during the pouring of water out of a bucket. John Bush at MIT has some nice pictures on the same topic.
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2002:
Self-initiated research project on the film thickness of water flowing over a spherical decoration spring stone fed in the stone center
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2001:
Self-initiated research project on sound generation during flatulence
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2000:
Self-initiated research project on miniature rockets driven by pressurized water (PDF)
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1994 - 2000:
Diploma student in mechanical engineering at RWTH Aachen, specialization thermal engineering
1999 - 2000:
Engineering assistant at FEV Engine Technology, Auburn Hills, U.S.A.
:: Testing of self-ignition engines fueled with either Diesel or Methanol
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1998 - 1999:
Exchange student at UC Davis
:: Temperature measurement of a heated plate impinged with an oblique airflow with thermochromic
liquid crystals (PDF)
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1997 - 1998:
Student Worker EST/RWTH Aachen
:: Numerical simulation of the combustion processes in an air-staged 100kW oil-burner (PDF)
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1996:
Self-initiated research project investigating the Magnus-effect acting on table tennis balls (more)
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1995:
Self-initiated research project investigating the thermal propulsion of a model steam boat (more)
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1992 - 1994:
Assistant activity in Porsche race teams (Chrzanowski-Klein, Roock racing)
:: Races: 24h Nürburgring, 24h Spa-Francorchamps, 24h Le Mans, 24h Daytona, 12h Sebring,
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1989 - 1993:
Assistant activity at Modena-Motorsport GmbH
:: Repairing and restoring sports cars and historic race cars
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