Department of Mechanical Engineering

Francine Battaglia


Francine Battaglia

Associate Professor
Mechanical Engineering
107 Randolph Hall
(540) 231-0077
(540) 231-9100 FAX

fbattagl@vt.edu
Website



Education Research
Teaching
Experience
Honors
Publications


Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering Pennsylvania State University 1997
M.S. Aerospace Engineering University of New York at Buffalo 1992
B.S. Mechanical Engineering University of New York at Buffalo 1991


Research

  • Endeavors include using computational fluid dynamics for analysis and developing computational models to explore fundamental issues and applications in fluid and thermal sciences. Current research interests include building energy utilization and renewable/alternative energy prodution, multiphase flows for applications in gasification processes such as coal or biomass, turbulent and reacting flows, fire and combustion.
  • Building Enery Utilization and Renewable/Alternative Energy Production
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Heat Transfer
  • High Performance Computing
  • Multiscale phenomena
    • Particulate behavior (collisions, elutration, segregation)
    • Hybrid modeling
    • Chemical reactions modeling
  • Fluidization technology
    • Gasification (gas-solid) of coal, biomass
    • Chemical vapor deposition (nuclear fuel)
    • Bubbling beds (gas-liquid)
  • Large eddy simulations for reacting liquid-phase flows


BACK TO TOP

 

Teaching Activities

No teaching activity listed


BACK TO TOP

 

Experience

Associate Professor Virginia Tech August 2007 - Present
Associate Professor Iowa State University May 2005 - July 2007
Assistant Professor Iowa State University August 1999 - April 2005
Director Center for Building Research December 2004 - July 2007
Associate Director Center for Building Research May 2004-November 2004
Mechanical Engineer National Institute of Standards and Technology September 1997 - July 1999
Visiting Scholar University of Adelaide October 1995 - November 1995
Lecturer Pennsylvania State University January 1997 - August 1997
Graduate Research Assistant, DOE-GAANN Fellow Pennsylvania State University January 1995 - December 1996
Graduate Teaching Fellow Pennsylvania State University January 1994 - December 1994
Graduate Teaching Assistant Pennsylvania State University August 1992 - December 1993
Graduate Research Assistant State University of New York at Buffalo June 1991 - July 1992
Undergraduate Research Assistant State University of New York at Buffalo September 1990 - May 1991

BACK TO TOP

 

Honors

  • Recognized at the Dean's Sudent Leadership Banquet, ISU, February 2006.
  • ASME Outstanding Student Section Advisor, Region VII, 2004.
  • Nominated as an outstanding faculty member, Interfraternity Council, ISU, October 2003 and March 2004.
  • Advisor Recognition Reception, nominated by ASME, ISU, 2001 and 2003.
  • Nominated as an outstanding faculty member, VEISHA, ISU, April 2000.
  • National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship, 1997-1999.
  • U.S. Dept. of Energy, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fellowship, 1995-1996.
  • Graduate Assistant Award for Outstanding Teaching, PSU, April 1993 and April 1994
  • Paul H. Schweitzer Memorial Graduate Fellowhip, 1992-1993.
  • Minta Martin Student Conference Competition, May 1992. AIAA Northwest Regional Conference, SUNY Buffalo First Place, Graduate Oral Presentation Division.
  • Minta Martin Student Conference Competition, May 1991. AIAA Northwest Regional Conference, Worcester Polytechnic Institute Third Place, Undergraduate Presentation of Technical Paper.
  • National Science Foundation, Undergraduate Research Grant, 1990-1991.


BACK TO TOP

 

Publications

Thesis

  • "Numerical Simulations of Instabilities and Asymmetic Characteristics for Suddenly Expanded Channel Flows", Doctoral thesis, The Pennsylvania State University, 1997.
  • "Direct Simulations of a Mixing Layer by a Lagrangian Transport Element Method", Master of Science thesis, The Sate University of New York at Buffalo, 1992.

Refereed Journal Articles

  • Xie, N., Battaglia, F. and Pannala, S., "Effects of using two- versus three-dimensional computaitional modeling of fluidized beds: Part I, hydrodynamics"Powder Technology, In Press.
  • Xie, N., Battaglia, F. and Pannala, S., "Effects of using two- versus three-dimensional computaitional modeling of fluidized beds: Part II, analysis"vPowder Technology, In Press.
  • Sun, J., Battaglia, F., and Subramaniam, J., "Hybrid two-fluid DEM simulation of gas-solid fluidized beds.". Journal of Fluids Engineering, 129 (11), 2007.
  • Ge, Y., Gordon, M.S., Battaglia, F., and Fox, R.O., "Theoretical study of the pyrolysis of methyltrichlorosilane in the gas phase. II : Reaction paths and transition states". Journal of Physical Chemistry, 111 (8), pp. 1475-1486 (2007).
  • Ge. Y., Gordon, M.S., Battaglia, F., and Fox, R.O., "Theoretical study of the pyrolysis of methyltrichlorosilane in the gas phase. I: Thermodynamics". Journal of Physical Chemistry, 111 (8), pp. 1462-1474 (2007).
  • Sun, J., Battaglia, F., and Subramaniam, S., "Dynamics and structures of segregation in a dense, vibrating, granular bed". Physical Review E, 74, 061307 December (2006). http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRE/v74/e061307.
  • Battaglia, F., and Papadopoulos, G., "Birfurcation characteristics of flows in rectangular sudden expansion channels". Journal of Fluids Engineering, 128(4), pp. 671-679 (2006).
  • Sun, J., and Battaglia, F., "Hydrodynamic modeling of particle rotation for segregation in bubbling gas-fluidized beds". Chemical Engineering Science, 61(5), pp. 1470-1479 (2006).
  • Gokarn, A., Battaglia, F., Fox, R.O., and Hill, J.C., "Simulations of mixing for a confined co-flowing planar jet". Computers and Fluids, 35(10), 1228-1238 (2006). Available on-line (www.sciencedirect.com) 19 Aug. 2005.
  • Xie, N., Battaglia, F., and Fox, R.O., "Simulations of multiphase reactive flows in fluidized beds using in situ adaptive tabulation". Combustion, Theory, and Modelling, 8 (2), 195-209 (2004).
  • Mammoser, J.H., and Battaglia, F., "A computational study on the use of balconies to reduce flame spread in high-rise apartment fires". Fire Safety Journal, 39 (4), 277-296 (2004).
  • Battaglia, F., Rehm, R.G., and Baum, H.R., "The fluid mechanics of fire whirls: An inviscid model". Physics of Fluids, 12 (11), 2859-2867 (2000).
  • Battaglia, F., McGrattan, K.B., Rehm, R.G., and Baum, H.R., "Simulating fire whirls". Combustion, Theory, and Modelling, 4 (2), 123-138 (2000).
  • Battaglia, F., Kulkarni, A.K., Feng, J., and Merkle, C.L., "Simulations of planar flapping jets in confined channels". AIAA Journal, 36 (8), 1425-1431 (1998).
  • Battaglia, F., Tavener, S.J., Kulkarni, A.K., and Merkle, C.L., "Birfurcation of low Reynolds number flows in symmetric channels". AIAA Journal, 35 (1), 99-105 (1997).
  • Battaglia, F., and Givi, P., "Direct Lagrangian simulations of a mixing layer by the transport-element method". Journal of Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics, 18 (2), 173-194 (1993).

 

Archival Reports

  • Battaglia, F., Pate, M.B., Cloutier, J. "A Cost Analysis Study of the Benefits of Building Energy Code Upgrades in Iowa", Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Contract No. 03-75030-01, 2004. http://www.energycodes.gov/implement/pdfs/ia_bece_VI_ final_report.pdf
  • Fan, R., Xie, N., Battaglia, F., Fox, R.O., :A Reference Guide to Use MFIX with ISAT and DQMOM", National Energy Technology Laboratory(http://www.mfix.org/), 2004.
  • Battaglia, F., Rehm, R.G., and Baum, H.R., "The Fluid Dynamics of Fire Whirls - An Inviscid Model", National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, NISTIR 6427, February 2000.
  • Battaglia, F., McGrattan, K.B., Rehm, R.G., and Baum, H.R., "Simulating Fire Whirls", National Institute of Standards and Technolog, Gaithersburg, MD, NISTIR 6341, July 1999.


BACK TO TOP