Applied Thermodynamics

Luca Doretti  (luca.doretti@unipd.it)
Francesca Martelletto   (francesca.martelletto@studenti.unipd.it)

Research areas:

  • Intensified two-phase and single-phase heat exchange with particular attention to new refrigerants with low environmental impact and applications to refrigeration systems, heat pumps, environmental conditioning, and absorption cycles.
  • Evaporation and condensation processes both inside and outside of pipes with smooth, finned, three-dimensional or other different geometry.
  • Application of metal foams (aluminum and copper) for cooling of high specific power electronics with exchange processes during evaporation with water or other fluids.
  • Flow boiling evaporation on composite surfaces in suitably treated Carbon-Carbon or copper.
  • All the two-phase and single-phase heat exchange processes are studied in two circuits built at the Department of Management and Engineering (DTG) in Vicenza.
  • Theoretical study and applications of new Phase Change Materials (PCM's) within building materials to optimize thermal behavior in non-stationary conditions (thermal wave in a building).
  • Thermo-structural analysis of building materials for energy applications (thermal storage systems) specifically for solar plant applications (in collaboration with ENEA).
  • Measurement of the contact angle of liquids (water or other) resting on flat surfaces in a special experimental facility at the ICEA headquarters in Padua.
  • Availability of a high-speed digital camera equipped with macro optics and fiber optic lighting system.

Keywords: Applied Thermodynamics, heat transfer, air conditioning