From 5 to 8 May 2025, the Department of Energy organised and hosted the course “Multiphase Flows: Cutting Edge Approaches In Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling” as part of the STEN – Energy and Nuclear Science and Technology PhD programme and organised within the framework of international education.

The course, dedicated to advanced methods for simulating multiphase flows, is the result of collaboration between the Department of Energy at Politecnico di Milano and the Institute of Computational Fluid Dynamics at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), one of Germany’s leading research centres. Together with Prof. Giorgio Besagni, Associate Professor at the Department of Energy and organiser of the course, four researchers from HZDR – Fabian Schlegel, Richard Meller, Ronald Lehnigk and Benjamin Krull – were involved as lecturers to provide an introduction to their multiphase flow simulation methodology, called MultiMorph.

The aim of the course was to provide participants with a solid scientific basis for critically addressing computational fluid dynamics applied to multiphase flows, which are essential for the optimisation of numerous industrial processes.

During the four days, the 23 PhD students enrolled in the course learned the principles and methods used in multiphase flow simulations, using computing resources made available by the interdepartmental laboratory CFDHUB@Polimi. Participants also learned how to use modern systems for managing computing processes and parametric studies. Finally, they applied the knowledge they had acquired to a complex industrial case.

This course was a concrete example of high-quality international teaching, combining advanced scientific research and specialist training. The organisers expressed great satisfaction with the active participation of the participants and the quality of the scientific discussion, convinced that this course will have a significant impact on the training and research of the PhD students involved.