Paola Pittoni portrait 688

Paola Grazia Pittoni

Title(s):

Associate Teaching Professor [M E]

Office

2072 Black Engr.
2529 Union Dr.
Ames, IA 500112030

Information

Representative-at-large (COE), Faculty Senate

Academic Advisor

Education

  • Ph.D. Chemical Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
  • B.S. Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Biography

Paola G. Pittoni serves as a Teaching Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University, where she has distinguished herself through a commitment to pedagogical excellence and research in experimental thermal-fluid sciences. She holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and a B.S. in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Milano.
 
Her instructional approach, marked by clarity, rigor, and student engagement, has earned widespread recognition. Named “Professor of the Year” by the ISU Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2017, 2020, and 2022, she has also received the College of Engineering’s “Superior Engineering Teacher Award” (2018) and the “ISU Award for Early Achievement in Teaching” (2020), which celebrates outstanding classroom performance early in an academic career. Consistently lauded by students for her accessibility and mentorship, her teaching has been described as inspirational and transformative, with students frequently citing her engaging lectures and unwavering support.
 
Beyond the classroom, Professor Pittoni contributes actively to the university community through service on the Faculty Senate (COE Representative-at-large), the Faculty Compensation Committee, and in advisory capacities for Women in Mechanical Engineering, Pi Tau Sigma, and four competitive SAE Teams (Baja, Formula EV, Aero, and CSC).
 
Her research focuses on the interaction between theoretical models and real-world behavior in multiphase thermal-fluid systems, particularly in applications related to power generation. Her investigations into droplet evaporation, impact dynamics, wettability, and heat transfer—under diverse thermal and surface conditions—inform the design and optimization of energy systems such as boilers and condensers.

Publications

Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals

• Lucchini, Carraretto, Phan, P G Pittoni, Colombo, “Comparison between R134a and R1234ze(E) during Flow Boiling in Microfin Tubes”, Fluids, 6, 11, 417 (2021), DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/fluids6110417

• P G Pittoni, Y-C Lin, R-J Wang, T-S Yu, and S-Y Lin, “Bubbles Entrapment for Drops Impinging on Polymer Surfaces: the Roughness Effect”, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 62, 183–191 (2015), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2014.12.015

• P G Pittoni, C-H Lin, T-S Yu and S-Y Lin, “On the Uniqueness of the Receding Contact Angle: Effects of Substrate Roughness and Humidity on Evaporation of Water Drops”, Langmuir 30, 9346–9354 (2014), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/la501455d

• P G Pittoni, Y-C Lin, and S-Y Lin, “The impalement of water drops impinging onto hydrophobic/ superhydrophobic graphites surfaces: the role of dynamic pressure, hammer pressure and liquid penetration time”, Applied Surface Science 301, 515–524 (2014), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.02.115

• P G Pittoni, H-K Tsao, Y-L Hung, J-W Huang, and S-Y Lin, “Impingement dynamics of water drops onto four graphite morphologies: from triple line recoil to pinning”, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 417, 256–263 (2014), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2013.11.022

• P G Pittoni, H-K Tsao, and S-Y Lin, “Water drop impingement on graphite substrates with random dilute defects”, Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 53, 142-146 (2014),DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.expthermflusci.2013.11.021

• P G Pittoni, R-J Wang, T-S Yu, and S-Y Lin, “Occurrence and formation mechanisms of bubbles entrapped into water drops impinging on graphite”, Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 45, 3062–3068 (2014), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2014.04.021

• P G Pittoni, C-C Chang, T-S Yu, S-Y Lin, “Evaporation of water drops on polymer surfaces: Pinning, depinning and dynamics of the triple line”, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochem. Eng. Aspects 432, 89–98 (2013), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2013.04.045

• P G Pittoni, Y-Y Chang, S-Y Lin, “The effect of interfacial morphology on wetting of graphite by molten silver at high temperature”, Journal of Materials Science 47, 8395–8403 (2012), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-012-6795-2

• P G Pittoni, Y-Y Chang, S-Y Lin, “Interpretation of the peculiar temperature dependence of surface tension for boron trioxide”, Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 43, 852–859 (2012), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2012.05.006

Peer-Reviewed Conference Proceedings, Bulletins, or Reports – In Print/Accepted

• A Lucchini, IM Carraretto, PG Pittoni, L Molinaroli, LPM Colombo, and U Merlo, “Heat transfer performances of R449a during flow boiling in a horizontal smooth tube”, 17th International Heat Transfer Conference, 14 – 18 August 2023, Cape Town, South Africa (IHTC-17, ID: 104)

• A Lucchini, IM Carraretto, LPM Colombo, Mazzeo, PG Pittoni and Lipori, “Convective condensation of R449a inside a smooth tube”, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Volume 2685, 40th UIT International Heat Transfer Conference (UIT 2023) June 26 – 28 2023, Assisi, Italy

• A Lucchini, IM Carraretto, TN Phan, PG Pittoni, L Molinaroli and LPM Colombo, “Convective condensation of R134a and R1234ze(E) inside microfin tube”, Journal of Physics: Conference Series, Volume 2509, 39th Heat Transfer Conference (UIT 2022) 20/06/2022 – 22/06/2022 Gaeta, Italy

• L Colombo, A Lucchini, L Molinaroli, A Niro, T Phan, P G Pittoni, “Flow patterns during flow boiling and convective condensation of R1234ze(e) inside a microfin tube”, 5th Thermal and Fluids Engineering Conference (TFEC), New Orleans, LA, USA (2021)

• L Colombo, A Lucchini, A Muzzio, P Pittoni, “Experimental results on flow boiling and convective condensation of R134a in microfin tubes”, 5th European Thermal-Sciences Conference, The Netherlands (2008)

• L Colombo, A Lucchini, A Muzzio, P Pittoni, “Flow-boiling of R134a inside a horizontal micro-fin tube”, XXV Congresso Nazionale UIT sulla Trasmissione del Calore, Trieste, Italy (2007)

Primary Strategic Research Area

Energy Systems

Departments

Affiliations

Interests

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