Academics
Ph.D. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
September 2015 to present
GPA: 5.00/5
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Surface and Interfacial phenomena
Dissertation: "Interactions at interfaces across scales: from adsorption to adhesion" under the supervision of Professor Kripa Varanasi.
Physical modeling and experimental characterization of solute activity at liquid-surface and liquid-liquid interactions.
- Fluid Mechanics (2.25)
- Colloids and Surfactant Science (10.55)
- Fundamentals of Nanoengineering (2.37)
- Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer (2.55)
- Fields, Forces and Flows: Biological Systems (10.539)
- Electrochemical Energy Systems (10.626)
- Properties of Solid Surfaces (22.75)
- Biomaterials Science and Engineering (3.963)
I studied experimentally the interaction between solutes suspended or dissolved in fluids, such as asphaltene molecules or proteins and functionalized surfaces immersed in the liquid.
The results were used to taylor surfaces that either promote or impede adhesion of these particles. This enables innovative ways to prevent fouling of membranes,
adhesion of ice, interaction with impeding droplets as well as enhance protein crystallization.
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M.Sc. University of California, Los Angeles, CA
September 2013 to June 2015
GPA: 4.00/4
M.Sc. with thesis in Aerospace Engineering (awarded June 2015).
Thesis: Interfacial and transport phenomena in hybrid pseudocapacitors under supervision of Professor Pilon.
Computer modeling of complex diffusion and electrochemical phenomena. Physical interpretation of simulation results.
- Microsciences (MAE281)
- Micromachining and MEMS (MAE280A)
- Micromachining and MEMS, Lab (MAE280L)
- Sensors, actuators and signal processing (MAE284)
- Nanoscience (MAE287)
- MEMS Fabrication and Manufacturing (MAE280B)
- MEMS Physics and design (MAE282)
- Compressible flows (MAE250C)
I implemented a numerical model for simulating hybrid pseudocapacitors under cyclic voltammetry (CV). The model was used to simulate various material properties for the electrodes and different electrolytes.
The results provides a method to identify the energy storage mechanism (capacitive or faradaic) at every potential and provides insight into the factors limiting the current density.
This allowed us to test a method widely used experimentally to characterize the behavior of pseudocapacitors.
I also performed a dimensional analysis of the model to identify relevant dimensionless parameters allowing to predict the maximum potential window for the faradaic process at a given scan rate during CV.
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Diplôme d'ingénieur, École polytechnique, Paris, France
September 2010 to July 2013
GPA: 3.85
M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering (awarded September 2013)
Highly selective Grande École, which trains engineers to a wide breadth of knowledge.
Broad scientific knowledge
- Economic Analysis (ECO311)
- Principles of programming languages (INF321)
- Real and complex analysis (MAT311)
- Randomness (MAP311)
- Quantum mechanics (PHY311)
- Micro and macroeconomics (ECO431)
- Continuum mechanics (MEC431)
- The foundations of molecular chemistry (CHI431)
- Quantum and statistical physics (PHY432)
- Molecular biology (BIO452)
- Relativity and variational principles (PHY431)
- Fluid mechanics (MEC432)
- Economics of innovation (ECO550B)
- Economy of the energy sector (ECO564)
Specialization in Fluid Mechanics
- Compressible Aerodynamics (MEC554)
- Aerodynamics (MEC578)
- Soft surfaces (MEC557)
- Propulsion (MEC560)
- Fluid-Structure interactions (MEC561)
- Hydrodynamics and Elasticity (MEC584)
Experimental and theoretical study of the push-off in swimming
We determined the variation law of the drag force with respect to depth in water by building an experimental setup consisting of a spherical body dragged at constant velocity at a controlled depth while recording the force. We then simulated different realistic trajectories for a swimmer pushing of the wall recording parameters such as velocity and distance of emergence at the surface. This data was used to compute the most efficient trajectory which was then compared to the trajectories followed by elite swimmers.
Flow bistability downstream a parallelepiped body
We built an experimental setup allowing flow visualization around a parallelepiped body in a wind tunnel. The setup consisted of pressure and velocity (hot wire) probes in the flow field as well as seeding of particles for particle image velocimmetry (PIV) analysis. We recorded the position of the drag vortex with respect to time for different wind speeds and clearances. The results indicated that vortex side switching is a random phenomenon and the axes along which the vortex switches is controlled by the aspect ratio of the free-stream equivalent body.
