Pablo Ayala Santamaría

Pablo Ayala Santamaría is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the School of Engineering (ICAI) of Pontifical University of Comillas, where he has been affiliated since 2010. With 15 years of teaching experience, he currently instructs Fluid Mechanics in the Electromechanical Engineering degree and contributes to the Master's program in Fire Protection Engineering.

His academic credentials include:

• Doctor Internacional from Pontifical University of Comillas
• Industrial Engineer from Pontifical University of Comillas
• Master in Research in Industrial Technologies (UNED)
• Master in Modeling in Engineering Systems (Pontifical University of Comillas)
• Master in Fire Protection Engineering (auditor)

Dr. Ayala specializes in Fire Safety Engineering with core expertise in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Fluid Mechanics. His research focuses on fire simulation in complex environments including urban settings and large compartments like atriums, examining phenomena such as fire whirls, smoke movement, and structural fire behavior in reinforced concrete. He integrates experimental validation with numerical modeling to advance predictive fire safety methodologies.

His publication record (2012-2019) demonstrates consistent contributions to fire dynamics research, particularly in atrium fire behavior under natural ventilation. Key themes include the impact of geometric configurations, transient venting conditions, and scaling laws on fire spread and smoke movement. His work bridges fundamental fluid dynamics with practical fire safety engineering applications through rigorous experimental validation.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Sexenio in Mechanical and Production Technologies (2013-2023)

As an active researcher at the Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (IIT), Dr. Ayala supervises final-year engineering projects and contributes to curriculum development in fire safety. His ANECA certifications (2023) validate his qualifications for university teaching and research leadership in private institutions.

He maintains strong ties with the IIT research institute, where he conducts experimental fire studies and develops computational models for fire safety applications in architectural and urban contexts.