Liliana de Luca Xavier Augusto is PhD student of chemical engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos in Brasil. She spent one year of her PhD (October 2015-2016) at the KIT in Karlsruhe to work with the group developing the software OpenLB at the Mathematical Department and the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Liliana Augusto investigates filtering devices which work on a micro () and nano () level, and computes the pressure drop between in- and outlet of the filter as well as the collection efficiency. There is a research group conducting experimental setups for these problems, but her research group focuses specifically on mathematical modeling and computer simulation. Due to the small scale and nature of the experiments, one cannot easily take pictures from the physical filters by electronic microsopy, but it is indeed feasible to deduce some important characteristics and geometry such as the size of the fibres for proper modelling and simulation. Appropriate models for the small scale are mesoscopic like Lattice Boltzmann Model where microscopic models are very expensive- too expensive. She is busy with special boundary conditions necessary no-slip boundary condition on the macro scale has to be translated. There is a certain slip to be taken into account to align the results with experimental findings.

Lattice Boltzman methods are not very prominent in Brasil. She was looking for suitable partners and found the development group around OpenLB who had co-operations with Brazil. She tried to apply the software on the problem, and she found out about the possibility to work in Germany through a program of the Brasilian government. It is not so common to go abroad as a PhD-student in Brazil. She learnt a lot not only in an academical manner but highly recommends going abroad to experience new cultures as well.

She does not speak German- everything, from looking for partners to arriving in Germany, happened so fast that she could not learn the language beforehand. At the university, English was more than sufficient for scientific work, but she had difficulties finding a place to stay. In the end, she found a room in a student dorm with German students and a few other international students.

References

• L.L.X. Augusto e.a.: CFD Simulation of nanofiber-enhanced air filter media – FILTECH 2015 – G6 – Modelling and simulation, 2015.
• L.L.X. Augusto e.a.: Predicting air flow resistance and capture efficiency of fibrous air filter media – Roomvent, 2014.