I’m currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts, USA. I received my PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA (2017-2022) and my Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Western Macedonia-Kozani, Greece (2011-2016). In the past, I have interned at FEV GmbH, Germany (2015) and University of State of São Paolo, Brazil (2014). If you’re interested in engineering problems at the intersection of thermal science and materials for energy conversion applications, I invite you to do the reading below.

Climate change is driven by energy-conversion devices, and heat transfer often limits the overall efficiency of said devices. A number of applications rely on multilayer architectures to improve the inevitable trade-off between heat transfer and mechanical integrity. There remain significant heat transfer and solid mechanics problems related to the performance of multilayers that impact an array of devices, see Figure.

My Ph.D. research focused on thermal barrier coatings for reciprocating internal combustion engines with Professor Jaal B. Ghandhi at the Engine Research Center of University of Wisconsin-Madison. The technological challenge faced was to maximize in-cylinder heat insulation while ensuring coating durability under the extreme conditions inside a diesel engine. I developed analytical techniques to evaluate both the thermal and mechanical performance of multilayer insulation systems. My projects involved i) developing fast-solving, high accuracy algorithms for evaluating performance in system-level engine simulations and ii) predicting coating durability and failure, and iii) setting up high-throughput thermomechanical optimization routines.

My postdoctoral research working with Professor David R. Clarke at Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences is focused on thermal insulation systems for advanced high-performance gas turbine engines and spacecraft vehicles. This includes the development of better models to describe heat transfer in coated systems as well as experimental measurements of the reliability of coated materials in use as thermal barrier coatings.

Publications

[9] Optimization of Thermal Barrier Coating Performance and Durability over a Drive Cycle

Koutsakis, G. and J.B. Ghandhi, "Optimization of Thermal Barrier Coating Performance and Durability over a Drive Cycle", International Journal of Engine Research (2022)

[8] Fracture-based Transient Thermo-mechanical Analysis of Reciprocating Engine Thermal Barrier Coatings

Koutsakis, G., M.R. Begley, J.W. Hutchinson and J.B. Ghandhi, "Fracture-based Transient Thermo-mechanical Analysis of Reciprocating Engine Thermal Barrier Coatings", Engineering Fracture Mechanics (2022)

[7] Analytical Solution of Unsteady Heat Conduction in Multilayer Internal Combustion Engine Walls

Koutsakis, G., and J.B. Ghandhi, ``Analytical Solution of Unsteady Heat Conduction in Multilayer Internal Combustion Engine Walls', Applied Thermal Engineering (2022)

[6] Delamination Failure on High-Output Diesel Engine Thermal Barrier Coatings

Koutsakis, G., J. Saputo, E. Gingrich, M. Tess, S. Sampath and J.B. Ghandhi, "Delamination Failure on High-Output Diesel Engine Thermal Barrier Coatings", SAE Technical Paper (2022)

[5] Experimental and Analytical Study of Temperature Swing Piston Coatings in a Medium-Duty Diesel Engine

Babu. A, G. Koutsakis, S. Kokjohn, M. Andrie, "Experimental and Analytical Study of Temperature Swing Piston Coatings in a Medium-Duty Diesel Engine", SAE Technical Paper (2022)

[4] Comment on ‘Numerical approach to define a thermodynamically equivalent material for the conjugate heat transfer simulation of very thin coating layers’ by P. Olmeda, X. Margot, P. Quintero, J. Escalona, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 162 (2020) 120377

Ghandhi J. B. and G. Koutsakis, Comment on Numerical approach to define a thermodynamically equivalent material for the conjugate heat transfer simulation of very thin coating layers by P. Olmeda, X. Margot, P. Quintero, J. Escalona, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 162 (2020) 120377, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, (2021)

[3] Assessment of In-Cylinder Thermal Barrier Coatings over a Full Vehicle Drive Cycle

Koutsakis, G., S. R. Miles and J. B. Ghandhi, "Assessment of In-Cylinder Thermal Barrier Coatings over a Full Vehicle Drive Cycle." SAE Technical Paper, No. 2021-01-0456 (2021).

[2] An Analytical Approach for Calculating Instantaneous Multilayer-Coated Wall Surface Temperature in an Engine

Koutsakis, G., and J. B. Ghandhi, "An Analytical Approach for Calculating Instantaneous Multilayer-Coated Wall Surface Temperature in an Engine." SAE International Journal of Advances and Current Practices in Mobility 2, No. 2020-01-0160 (2020): 1303-1313

[1] Surface Temperature of a Multi-layer Thermal Barrier Coated Wall Subject to an Unsteady Heat Flux

Koutsakis, G., G. F. Nellis, and J. B. Ghandhi, "Surface Temperature of a Multi-layer Thermal Barrier Coated Wall Subject to an Unsteady Heat Flux." International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer 155 (2020): 119645

Talks

[9] SAE Conference Proceeding talk 3 in 2022

April 04, 2022

Conference proceedings talk at Experimental and Analytical Study of Temperature Swing Piston Coatings in a Medium-Duty Diesel Engine, Detroit, MI 2022