PhD in Chemical Engineering in the University of Vigo, Spain, with two main research lines: waste valorization in chemical engineering and thermal engineering & thermodynamics. My main research focus are extraction of bioactive compounds, energy/energy analysis of thermal systems, and thermodynamic modelling. Currently looking for fruitful collaboration. Do not hesitate in reaching out (ivan.montenegro@uvigo.gal)
Thermal Engineering Chemical Engineering Food Engineering Applied Thermodynamics
The improvement in heat transfer equipment plays a significant role to enhance the overall performance of many systems and a wide variety of industrial processes. Heat exchangers are widely used in many of these applications and, with the aim of limiting the growing of energy demand, further improvement is needed. A low-enthalpy geothermal system is commonly constituted by a ground heat exchanger, a heat pump unit, and indoor heating/ cooling units. In the ground heat exchanger circuit, the heat exchange occurs between the fluid of the wellbore and the ground through a tubular section similar to that of the inner tube of a Double-Tube Heat Exchanger (DTHE), and between the fluid of the wellbore and the refrigerant of the heat pump in the evaporator/condenser, which is typically a Plate Heat Exchanger (PHE). The use of new nano-enhanced heat transfer fluids featuring improved properties, known as nanofluids, has been proposed as a potential solution for energy efficiency improvement. This study aims to analyse the feasibility of ZrO2 nanofluids based on a propylene glycol: water 10:90 vol% mixture as working fluids in heat transfer applications, focusing on renewable energy systems such as low-enthalpy geothermal installations. The heat transfer performance and hydrodynamic behaviour of four new ZrO2-based nanofluids at nanoparticle mass concentrations of 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1.0 wt% are analysed and compared with the base fluid. Tests through a PHE and a DTHE were performed, and convective heat transfer coefficients and pressure drops were obtained in laminar and turbulent regimes. Increases of the convective heat transfer coefficients up to 123 % and 8.8 % were found for the nanofluids in comparison to the base fluid for laminar flow in the PHE and for turbulent flow in the DTHE, respectively. Finally, a dimensionless analysis was carried out through Nusselt and Reynolds numbers and Darcy friction factor.
Polyphenolic compounds are key elements in sectors such as pharmaceutics, cosmetics and food; thus, their physicochemical characterization is a vital task. In this work, the thermal behavior of seven polyphenols (trans-resveratrol, trans-polydatin, kaempferol, quercetin, myricetin, hesperidin, and (−)-epicatechin) was investigated with DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) and TGA (thermogravimetric analysis). Melting temperatures, enthalpies of fusion and decomposition temperatures were determined, and heat capacities were measured in the temperature range from 283.15 K to 363.15 K. Results were compared to the scarce experimental data available in the literature, showing a satisfactory agreement. All compounds were found to be thermally stable until melting, upon which they rapidly decomposed. Myricetin was the only polyphenol that presented polymorphic behavior, exhibiting two phase transitions prior to melting. Heat capacities increased minimally with temperature in the studied range. In addition, the group contribution method developed by Marrero and Gani was used to estimate the thermal properties of the polyphenols, achieving high accuracy for melting temperatures.
Currently looking for international co-authorship via fruitful collaboration in applied or theoretical thermodynamic/Heat transfer analysis…
Currently looking for internacional co-authorship via fruitful collaboration in waste valorization in chemical engineering (extraction of b…
Looking for opportunities to collaborate as co-author with the fellow researchers in Engineering field. I am a Chemical Engineer via traini…
Hello, dear researchers I am reaching out to explore potential opportunities in the fields of academic research, R&D, or applied energy…
My research focuses on modern pharmacognosy through the integration of green extraction techniques, advanced analytical chemistry, and meta…