Rodrigo Cavalcanti Alvarez

Rodrigo Cavalcanti Alvarez is a graduate student in nuclear science and engineering, advancing research in boiling heat transfer to improve the safety and efficiency of thermal systems. His work focuses on the boiling crisis—a phenomenon where heat transfer breaks down—by experimentally investigating the physical mechanisms that trigger this event. With his second MathWorks Fellowship, Rodrigo will use high-speed infrared and visible imaging to test competing theories of the boiling crisis, capturing transient bubble dynamics and surface temperature fields from a novel bottom-view setup. MathWorks tools, particularly MATLAB’s image processing, statistical analysis, and data visualization capabilities, are essential to extracting insights from terabytes of experimental data. Rodrigo will automate image segmentation and feature tracking to identify key boiling parameters, advancing predictive models of heat transfer failure. His work could enhance the reliability of nuclear reactors and other energy systems, contribute custom tools to the MATLAB user community, and support global efforts to enable low-carbon energy through better thermal management.