Étienne Robert

Étienne Robert is a Full Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal. He holds a B.Eng from Polytechnique Montréal and M.Sc./Ph.D. degrees from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). His primary affiliation is with Polytechnique Montréal, with past research experience at CERN.

Professor Robert's research focuses on experimental approaches to fluid mechanics, particularly combustion dynamics and multiphase systems. Key research themes include:

• Fundamental studies of diffusion flames and thermo-diffusive instabilities
• Soot formation mechanisms and carbon nanostructure synthesis
• Acoustic manipulation of sub-micron particles for separation applications
• Hypergolic ignition systems for rocket propulsion
• Aerosol dynamics relevant to pathogen transmission and environmental systems

His publication record shows strong emphasis on combustion science (40%), fluid dynamics (30%), aerosol physics (20%), and applied thermal engineering (10%). Recent work increasingly addresses sustainable energy applications including biomass polygeneration and hydrogen systems.

Professor Robert leads an active research group with current supervision of 1 postdoctoral fellow and 4 PhD students. He has graduated 10 PhD and 11 Master's students working on projects spanning fundamental combustion, aerospace materials, and environmental fluid mechanics. Research funding includes NSERC Discovery grants and participation in EU-funded collaborations.

Laboratory capabilities center on specialized combustion diagnostics, aerosol characterization systems, and acoustic manipulation setups. The group maintains unique experimental facilities including a one-dimensional diffusion flame burner enabling fundamental studies unobtainable in conventional systems.