Panayotis Koutmos

ΠRecent activities [pdf]

Professor, LAT Director

Phone: [+30] 2610 997244, Fax: [+30] 2610 997 371
e-mail :  koutmos@mech.upatras.gr

Graduate, 3rd Athens High School, Honours, (1976), – Diploma in Mechanical Engineering. (First Class Honours), Dept of Mech. Eng., University of Patras (1981), PhD, – DIC in Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (London, U.K. 1985). – Scholarships/Grants, Technical Chamber of Greece (TCG, 1977), Rolls-Royce plc (U.K, 1982). – Awards from, TCG (1981), Institution of Mechanical Engineers (U.K, 1989). – Research Assistant (1981–85), – Senior Research Assistant (1986-90), Dept of Mech. Eng., Imperial College. – Lecturer (1991-93), – Assistant Professor (1993-99), – Associate Professor (1999-present), Dept of Mech. & Aero. Eng., University of Patras. – Director, Laboratory of Applied Thermodynamics (2001-present) and – Director, Energy, Environment and Aeronautics Section (2002-03), Dept of Mech. & Aero. Eng., University of Patras.

His teaching and research activities are in the experimental and computational study and design of turbulent flow, heat transfer and combustion processes in Energy and Internal Combustion Systems with funding and support from the European Community, the Greek Secretariat for Research and Technology, the local industry and the University funds. He has published over seventy international articles and conference proceedings papers.

Research and Academic Activity

His research interests lie in the field of Experimental and Computational Fluid Mechanics, Heat Transfer and Combustion with emphasis on turbulent recirculating and reacting flows, combustion and aerothermodynamics of IC engines, combustion noise/instabilities/emissions/kinetics with recent involvement in Fire Suppression Technology.

Member(present and past): Technical Chamber of Greece, Hellenic Association of Mechanical Engineers, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Entry in Who’s Who in the World (1995), New York Academy of Science (1997), Peer Net (1999). Reviewer in several scientific journals. Invitation for participating in the Aerospace Engineering Education Delegation (USA) for a Russian “aerospace-tour” as a member of the Citizen’s Ambassador Program (1993).

He is teaching graduate and undergraduate classes on “Combustion and Emissions”“Gas and Steam Turbines”“Internal Combustion Engines”, “Partial Differential Equations”, “CFD for Thermofluids and Combustion’’, ‘Turbulence and Combustion” and is responsible for the supervision of a number of fourth and fifth year dissertation theses.

Research Activity (independently and in collaboration with LAT colleagues, Prof. Papailiou, Drs. Panidis, Perrakis)

Development of experimental techniques and systems (2-D Laser Velocimetry, Hot-Wire Anemometry, High Temperature Thermocouple, Laser Sheet Tomography) for the study of complex turbulent reacting and isothermal flows. Development of low turbulence, square test section wind tunnel for parametric ‘benchmark’ experimental studies of aerofoil wake-boundary layer interactions. Development of a three-channel high-speed wind tunnel for parametric measurements of mixing efficiency in low NOx RQL type combustor modules. Benchmark experimental data on diffusion flames stabilized on slender bluff-bodies. Small scale combustion tunnel studies of partially premixed flame stability and acoustics. Coaxial jet flame experimental configuration development and results from studies of flame speed and acoustics Development of three medium size enclosed fire chambers for fire behavior and suppression/extinguishments studies Low-Re turbulence model development and application. Development of Large Eddy Simulation methods for isothermal and reacting flows. Reactedness-Mixture fraction PDF models for turbulence-chemistry interactions with local extinction/reignition effects Development of turbulent combustion roar acoustics model for jet and bluff-body flames. Supervision of six PhD students involved in above research. Part of the above research activity has been funded and supported from the European Community, the Greek Secretariat for Research and Technology, the local industry and the University fund.

Teaching

He supervises several fourth and fifth year dissertation theses. He has prepared lecture notes on the subjects, “Gas Turbine Theory”, “An Introduction to IC Engines”, “Combustion Theory’’, and handouts on “Partial Differential Equations”, “CFD for Thermofluids and Combustion’’, ‘Turbulence and Combustion” accompanied by handouts of worked examples. He has embarked on introducing CFD methodologies in the above lectures through use of in-house and commercially available software packages and gradual dissemination of the teaching material in electronic form.

Selected Publications

Marazioti, P., Koutmos, P. (2010) “Simulations of combustion roar in turbulent attached and lifted turbulent methane jet flames” Journal of Engineering Transactions, CAMES.

Xiouris, Ch., Koutmos, P. (2010), “A study of the interaction of swirl flow with annular partially premixed propane flames”, in Flow 2010, 12-13 November, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Nikokavouras, N., Neofitidis, G., Koutmos, P. (2010) “Square cylinder reacting wake development under the influence of variable equivalence ratios”, in “Flow 2010”, November 12-13, Thessaloniki, Greece.

Marazioti, P., Koutmos, Giannakis, G. (2007) “A global oxidation scheme for propane-air combustion suitable for use into complex reacting flow computations”, Journal of Engineering Transactions, CAMES, Vol. 55, No 4, pp 293-316.

Panagiotaras, E., Mprouzas, K., Koutmos, P, (2006), “A study of water mist suppression of buoyant fires”, Proc. of “Flow 2006”, Patras, Greece.

Koutmos, P, Papailiou, D. and Bakrozis, A (2004) “Experimental and computational study of quare cylinder wakes with two-dimensional injection into the base flow region” Eur. J. Mech. B -Fluids, 23, pp.353–365.

Koutmos, P. Giannakis, G. (2003) “Numerical simulations of pool fires”, 3rd Int. Meeting of the Greek Section of the Combustion Institute, Patras, November 26-27, pp. 33 -S4.

Koutmos, P. Marazioti, P. (2001) “Identification of local extinction topology in axisymmetric bluff-body diffusion flames with a reactedness-mixture fraction presumed PDF model”, Int. J. for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 35, pp. 939-959.

Marazioti, P.E., Koutmos, P. (2001) “Preliminary results from simulations of combustion roar in turbulent attached and lifted turbulent methane jet flames”, 4th European Conference on Noise Control, Euronoise 2001, Patras, january 14-17, Greece.

Koutmos, P., Mavridis, C. (2000) “A study of partial extinction and reignition effects in turbulent non-premixed jet flames of CH4 and CO/H2/N2 with a two-scalar reactedness-mixture fraction presumed PDF model”, Combustion Science and Technology, 154, pp. 31-55.

Bakrozis, A., Papailiou, D., Koutmos, P. (1999) “An experimental study of turbulent non-premixed reacting wakes past a 2D square cylinder”, Combustion and Flame, 119, pp. 291-306.