Pre-conference training

Objectives

Liquid film flows appear in a wide range of technologies, from coating processes and heat exchangers to microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices. The complex physics governing these flows has attracted the interest of generations of researchers. Nowadays, it remains an active topic, presenting significant challenges for technological development. Students and early-career researchers often view this field through the lens of their specific education or research focus. This constrained perspective contrasts with the broader landscape of liquid-film science, which is required to identify opportunities for new research avenues, design adequate numerical and experimental studies, or address practical industrial problems.

This two-day course addresses that limitation by providing a structured introduction to the fundamentals of liquid-film dynamics. The programme integrates theoretical, numerical, and experimental perspectives, with sessions on multiphysics modelling, dynamical-systems analysis, reduced-order modelling, numerical simulation methods, and experimental techniques for data acquisition and analysis. Special emphasis will be placed on Basilisk as a practical tool for free-surface simulations, together with discussions of experimental uncertainties and data post-processing. Moreover, industry partners will also present process case studies and highlight open research questions.

The course will take place before the 666 Euromech Colloquium: Beyond the free surface: Liquid film flows from theory to applications, which will bring together leading European academics and industrial experts to discuss advances in stability, Marangoni and surfactant dynamics, thermal effects, control strategies, external-field influences, and phase-change processes. The pairing of the pre-training course and the colloquium creates a focused learning pathway that combines foundational training with exposure to cutting-edge research and real-world applications. By equipping participants with essential knowledge and practical tools, the course will also enable PhD students and early-career researchers to engage more effectively with the colloquium, follow advanced presentations more closely, and establish productive connections.