Thermal Fluids
and Energy
Group
We are an interdisciplinary group led by Dr Michael Gibbons focused on the decarbonisation of energy systems, thermal energy transport, conversion and storage, electronics cooling and zero-carbon technologies to address domestic and global energy challenges at Trinity College Dublin.
Advanced metrology for multiscale (nano- to macro-scale) and multiphase fluids and heat transfer
Intelligent design of multiphase systems through numerical simulation, machine learning and optimisation approaches
Advanced additive manufacturing and surface engineering for controlled wettability and enhanced phase change
Eshagh Nimvari, M., Persoons, T. & Gibbons, M. J. Numerical simulation of boiling in wick structures: comparative analysis of mono-, bi-, and hybrid porous media. International Journal of Thermofluids, 101564 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijft.2026.101564.
Chatterjee, C., Lupoi, R. & Gibbons, M. J. The evolution of aerosol jet printing, a review: enhancing material versatility and improvements for next-generation applications. Advanced Materials Technologies, e71126 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.71126.
Eshagh Nimvari, M., Persoons, T. & Gibbons, M. J. Pore-scale simulation of boiling in biporous media incorporating capillary effects. International Journal of Thermal Sciences 217, 110056 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2025.110056.
Guo, P. et al. Effect of current density on electrochemical machining process of laser powder bed fusion manufactured Inconel 718. Journal of Materials Processing Technology 337, 118748 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2025.118748.
Guo, P. et al. In-situ monitoring and metallographic observations of mass transfer and defect formation during AlSi10Mg additive manufacturing using powder sheets. Optics & Laser Technology 192, 113495 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.optlastec.2025.113495.
Eshagh Nimvari, M. & Gibbons, M. J. Multiphase flow simulation in hybrid porous structure. Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2766, 012066 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2766/1/012066
Nimvari, M.E., Persoons, T., Gibbons, M.J, Pore-scale simulation of two-phase flow in biporous media, Physics of Fluids 36 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0232694.
Gibbons, M. J., Garivalis, A. I., O’Shaughnessy, S. M., Robinson, A. J. & Di Marco, P. Water droplet evaporation in varied gravity and electric fields. npj Microgravity 10, 1–9 (2024). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41526-024-00396-2.
PhD Studentship — Machine Learning for Two-Phase Heat Transfer
Open now · Closing 30th September 2026 · Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Fully funded 4-year PhD studentship (€25,000 p.a. stipend plus registration fees for EU and non-EU students), supported by a Royal Society–Research Ireland University Research Fellowship.
Additive manufacturing enables the fabrication of spatially complex metal structures with features on the micron-scale. However, our capacity to intelligently design these surfaces is limited, because the models that predict boiling performance only work for the simple shapes that have been empirically tested. This project develops physics-informed machine learning models of flow boiling surface performance and couples them to topology optimisation, so that the geometry of a phase-change surface is determined by computation rather than intuition. Designs are then fabricated in the group and tested on our flow boiling facility.
Backgrounds in mechanical, chemical or aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, physics or computer science are all welcome. Experience across the full project is not expected — training is provided.
Full post specification and application process
Informal enquiries to [email protected]
We are always interested in growing our research group.
If you are interested in applying for PhD or Postdoctoral position, please get in touch. Potential funding pathways include the Reseach Ireland (https://www.researchireland.ie/), Marie Curie programmes (https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/), China Scholarship Council (CSC) (TCD link), and Trinity College Dublin (https://www.tcd.ie/).
Please contact me directly - [email protected]
FUNDING & PARTNERSHIPS
