FONTANESI Stefano

Author of nearly 120 scientific publications mainly on international journals and peer reviewed international congresses.
The research activity focuses on the three dimensional thermo-fluidynamic modelling of the physical and chemical processes in internal combustion engines.
The main research topics are:
- the modelling of engine turbulent flows using either two-equation "eddy viscosity" RANS approaches and LES/DES modelling techniques, these last mainly for the analysis of highly unstable phenomena such as cyclic variability and abnormal combustion Particular care is devoted to the .simulation of fluid/wall interaction and turbulent boundary layer.
- the modelling of in-cylinder physical and chemical processes (fuel injection, mixing, combustion and tailpipe emission formation) in both CI and SI engines (both PFI and GDI), these last also fuelled by alternative fuels. These analyses have recently been bridged in the LES framework for the analysis of cycle-resolved phenomena. Such research area recently brought to the development of proprietary models for each of laminar flame speed propagation and spark ignition.
- modelling of abnormal combustion onset in SI engines using both RANS and LES, in particular leading to the development of a proprietary model to estimate the stochastic probability of knocking events within a RAN modelling framework, using a synthetic chemistry approach and the transport of conservation equations for the variances of fluid-dynamic fields of interest.
- modelling of conjugate heat transfer for the characterization of the thermo mechanical behaviour of engines. Such activity led to the development of two proprietary thermal wall functions and heat transfer models.
- modelling of fuel cells, both PEM and SO.
He is session organizer of many international congresses with peer review e associate editor of the journal SAE International Journal of engines