My name is Luca Stendardo and I come from Switzerland. I did my BSc and MSc in mechanical engineering at ETH Zurich. I specialized in renewable energy systems and thermodynamics of Micro- and Nanoscale Technologies. My master thesis was called “Computational Analysis of Water Condensation on Superhydrophobic Surfaces” and had the goal to create a model that was able to realistically simulate water vapor condensation. With this experience, I applied to the SURFICE ITN-project, and I hope to be able to transfer and expand my knowledge to anti-icing surfaces.  

My PhD project involves the design and setup of an ice adhesion test system. The goal is to investigate ice formation and adhesion to various substates using a lab-scaled test system, and then compare my results to those obtained by the other PhD-students within the project. Ideally, we will be able to correlate our experimental data to results obtained with computer simulations and in wind tunnels.   

Many aspects around ice formation on surfaces need to be better understood. The fact that many people are involved in this ITN project shows how challenging it is to successfully prevent damages or issues from icing. In this project, among the PhDs we need to find links in our research to cover all the aspects of anti-icing. These are unique aspects that are not easy to find in other PhD-projects. 

What are the advantages of being involved in an ITN project?

For sure the fact that it involves so many people. The work is done in 10 different research centres across Europe and being able to collaborate with so many people is motivating and fascinating. We will collaborate with other universities and private companies and this helps us to develop unique working skills. ITN projects are known to be among the most prestigious PhD projects in Europe. My involvement in SURFICE will for sure help me to launch my career in research, whether it will be in academia or in the private sector. It will also help me to build a strong network of research colleagues that can hopefully unlock unique opportunities in the future. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement  No 956703