the MAGIC of Flows ft. Ketan Madane

In Other Words

First demonstration (paper in Chemical Engineering Journal) of augmenting a standard stirred-tank crystalliser with an external fluidic loop, T-junction, then fluidic oscillator, then vortex diode (whose cavitation shockwaves also break crystals), to directly control paracetamol particle-size distribution, cutting mean size ~150 to 100 µm with a repeatable, narrow spread.

Key Takeaways

PhD student at University of Limerick designing ‘MAGIC’ (modular, agile, intensified, continuous) processes using fluidic devices with no moving parts, fluidic oscillators (Coandă effect) and vortex diodes.
Uses CFD (Navier–Stokes) to predict and optimise flow, mixing and residence-time distribution before manufacturing a device, ’time-travelling in fluidic devices’.
Mechanical-engineering background; found industrial CFD work more monotonous than research.
Values endless curiosity, challenging established ideas (the stirred tank), and how science benefits society.
Three wishes: bridging mechanisms between interdisciplinary fields, unrestricted access to computational/experimental tools (a supercomputer), and sustainable research funding and recognition.