Juan Grau Barcelo

Juan Grau Barcelo is a Professor in the Department of Fluid Mechanics at the Escola d'Enginyeria de Barcelona Est (EEBE) of the Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya (UPC). He is actively involved in multiple research groups including GReCEF (Research Group in Fluid Science and Engineering) and CER-H2 (UPC Hydrogen Research Center).

His research focuses on fluid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics, turbulence modeling, and environmental fluid dynamics with particular emphasis on microplastics in ocean environments. His work spans both fundamental fluid dynamics research and practical engineering applications, including hydrogen technology and computational methods for fluid flow simulation.

Analysis of his recent publications shows a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research combining computational fluid dynamics with environmental science, particularly in the area of microplastic transport and aggregation in ocean turbulence. His work increasingly incorporates machine learning techniques for data reconstruction and virtual interaction with engineering systems, showing adaptation to emerging computational methodologies.

His research has been supported by various competitive R&D projects including European Horizon 2020 initiatives and Spanish National Research Programs focused on ecological transition and digital transformation.

Grau Barcelo has demonstrated significant contributions to both research and teaching innovation, with recent projects focused on active learning methods in thermofluid mechanics education through flipped lectures and problem-based learning activities.

He maintains active collaborations with researchers across multiple institutions, with notable long-term collaborations with Ricardo Torres Camara, Lluís Jofre Cruanyes, and Francesco Capuano, among others.