According to Royal Decree 99/2011, for being a tutor its necessary to be a Doctor with accredited research experience, linked to the unit or School where the doctoral program is organized. To be a director or tutor it is required to be a Spanish or foreign doctor with accredited research experience, regardless of the university, center or institution in which he/she renders his/her services.
The director of a student may or may not coincide with the tutor. In this section, all doctors have been considered as potential directors. The program foresees that doctors with less experience start working in the co-direction of theses assisted and supervised by doctors with experience in thesis direction. Listed below are all faculty members participating in the program classified by teams. The entire staff belongs to the University of Castilla La Mancha (UCLM).
RESEARCH TEAM: CONTINUOUS MEDIA.
The team named ‘Continuous Media’ is integrated by teachers and PhD researchers from the knowledge areas of ‘Mechanics of Continuous Media’, ‘Fluid Mechanics’ and ‘Mathematics’ and the Institute for Energy Research and Industrial Applications. The team is made up of teachers Juan J. López Cela and Roberto Piriz (categorized as C.U). Furthermore, the team is integrated by the Phd researchers Antoine Bret, Manuel Barriga Carrasco, María Carmen Serna Moreno (All classified as T.U), and Miguel Ángel Caminero Torija, Gonzalo Rodríguez Prieto and Juan Luis Martínez Vicente, these three are hired PhD.
The ‘Continuous Media’ team from ETSII-CR and EIIA-TO, carries out theoretical and experimental research that involves the different states of matter, considered as a continuous medium. The team also carries out different theoretical and experimental research about the mechanical behavior submitted to general states of charge. A triaxial testing machine is available for tensile-compression studies in the three directions. The results are analyzed by means of numerical simulations with Finite Elements. The characterization of composite materials manufactured in the laboratory is also included. The high stiffness/weight ratio of this type of material makes them widely used in different industrial applications.
Research is carried out on the generation of matter under extreme pressure conditions (matter with high energy density). These studies include instabilities in plasmas, fluids and solids under extreme dynamic conditions. The generation of plasmas by means of intense laser pulses and ion beams, as well as the generation of shock waves and their interaction with continuous media are also investigated theoretically and with numerical simulations. The generation of dense plasmas by intense electrical discharges of the Z-pinch and exploding wire types is experimentally investigated. Experiments on the dynamic stabilization of an interface between Newtonian fluids are also carried out. The results of these investigations are applied in thermonuclear fusion by inertial, astrophysics, as well as in material sciences with high energy density.
They also work on optimization problems by means of mathematical analysis (variational methods, and the calculation of variations) and numerical simulation, and more specifically in the optimal design of the microstructure of composite materials, in order to obtain materials with desired properties. Structural optimization problems, in which the distribution of an elastic material in a domain is determined for its optimization according to some established criterion, are of great relevance in industrial applications.
RESEARCH TEAM: MECHANIC ENGINEERING AND MATERIAL SCIENCES
The research team of Mechanic Engineering and Materials is formed by teachers and researchers from the following knowledge areas: Mechanic Engineering, Manufacturing Process Engineering, Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Applied Physics, and the Institute for Energy Research and Industrial Applications. The team is formed by teachers Publio Pintado Sanjuán, Francisco Javier Sánchez-Reyes Fernández, Marco Antonio López de la Torre Hidalgo, José Manuel Chicharro Higuera, Gloria Patricia Rodríguez Donoso and Valentín Miguel Eguía, all classified as C.U. Furthermore, the teams is integrated by the doctorate team of Juan Pedro Andrés González, Pedro José Núñez López, Gemma Herranz Sánchez-Cosgalla, Antonio González Rodríguez, Antonio Nieto Quijorna, Ángel Luis Morales Robredo and Jesús Miguel Chacón Muñoz (all classified as T.U.), Francisco Mata Cabrera (C.D.), Oscar Juan Durá (CDI), Eustaquio García Plaza (CDI) and Ana Romero Gutiérrez (Ayte. Dra.).
The team works on different research lines related to mechanical design, mechanisms control, analysis and isolation of vibrations for machines and vehicles, walking robots design, different objects design such as: automobiles, boats, planes, modeling of human organs or living beings in general, the adjustment of experimental data and discretized solutions of differential equations, the synthesis of new electrical and magnetic materials for technological applications, the investigation of the physical properties of nanomaterials, with emphasis on magnetic materials and for energy applications, the monitoring and control of machining processes, and the characterization of electrochemical polishing processes. Likewise, work is also being done in the processing of polymers, ceramics, metals and composites by means of advanced additive manufacturing and powder metallurgical processes (Powder Injection Molding PIM), as well as in the use of high energy density beams (concentrated solar energy) in the surface modification, treatment and processing of materials.
RESEARCH TEAM: FUELS AND MOTORS.
The fuels and motos research team is made up of different teachers and researchers from the area of Termic Machines and Motors, the Research Centre in Combustion and Atmospheric Pollution and the Renewable Energies Institute. The team is integrated by the teachers Magín Lapuerta Amigo and Juan José Hernández Adrover (C.U.), the doctorates Rosario Ballesteros Yañez and José Rodríguez Fernández (T.U.) and the researchers Esperanza Monedero Villalba, Javier Barba Salvador and Ángel Ramos Diezma.
The team works on the study of the different combustion procedures, formation and characterization of polluting emissions produced by alternative internal combustion engines and vehicles, mainly Diesel, developing sampling techniques and mass, chemical and morphological analysis of particles, and modeling tools with predictive and diagnostic capabilities. In most of the work carried out so far, the effect of the fuels used has been studied, which has led to a remarkable development of the capacity for physical and thermochemical characterization of automotive fuels, particularly biofuels. In this field, this team has become an international reference.
At the same time, the research orientation of this team has been divided into different objectives which are more alike to the regional interests and related to the renew energetic worldwide policies. In this sense, the team has been committed to the study of lignocellulosic biomass utilization systems, particularly those based on gasification. Methods for characterizing pruning residues have been developed, the properties of the gas generated have been studied, methods for enriching this gas in hydrogen have been studied and this gas has been tested as a fuel for automotive engines and electricity generation.
RESEARCH TEAM: BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING.
The research team of Biomedical Engineering is integrated by researchers and teachers from the areas of Business Organization and Automatic and Systems Engineering. The team is made up by the doctorate Mª Gloria Bueno García, Carmen Carnero Moya, Jesús Salido Tercero and Juan Belmonte Beitia (T.U). The general objective of research of this team in Biomedical Engineering is the application of engineering principles and tools, science and technology to the problems presented by biology and medicine. In particular, the research carried out so far in the team encompasses the following fields of action:
-
Applied to Mathematical Oncology, where it is pretended to develop macroscopic models (based on image) and microscopic models (using biologic information, pathologic anatomy, etc.) to describe the progression of different types of tumors, with a special emphasis on primary brain tumors. With these models we pretend to study in silico the optimum utilization of existing therapies (radiation fractionation, conventional chemotherapies, antiangiogenic drugs, etc.), as well as the use of novel therapies combined with them. The studies make use of modeling techniques using partial differential equations, numerical simulation, optimization methods, etc.
-
Applied to Optimal Design of Experiments, dedicated to search for reference designs in the different fields of experimental sciences and engineering. This requires the development of theoretical tools thar allow us to obtain designs for some families of non-linear models, which are the ones that appear with more frequency in real applications. In particular, work with exponential models, characterization and obtention of optimum designs for multidimensional and heteroscedastic, threshold-censored measurements for multi-exponential models, characterization of information matrices of multi-response models, characterization of optimal design theory with non-standard information matrices, treatment of models with correlated observations in pharmacokinetics, chemical-physics, radiology and astronomy, rational models of industrial utility for different optimization criteria. Special interest is taken in the development of efficient algorithms for obtaining optimal designs in the mentioned situations. We are actively involved in statistical consulting in various fields, both in design and statistical analysis of data.
-
Applied to Industrial Maintenance Decision Making, where it is pretended to develop mathematical models which facilitate taking decisions on different problems related to industrial maintenance, security and environment. For this, different multi-criteria methodologies such as AHP, ELECTRE or MACBETH are used, integrated with fuzzy logic or mathematical and/or statistical techniques such as factor analysis, logistic regression, Monte Carlo simulation or Markov chains. These problems, such as the selection of computer-aided maintenance management systems, evaluation and classification of facilities, selection and evaluation of maintenance policies, etc., have been analyzed in several hospitals with the aim of improving the availability of hospital assets and increasing the safety and quality of patient care services.
b. Signals Treatment, including Medical Image: We have worked in multidimensional signal analysis for several applications, such as: Neurology, Oncology, Radiotherapy and Pathological Anatomy; medical imaging being the main activity. Diagnostic imaging covers all types of medical modalities (molecular and anatomical): CT, MRI, PET, SPET, microscopic, fluorescence and ultrasound, for the applications mentioned above. Several methods have been developed for detection, 2D/3D visualization, modeling and tracking of regions of interest in diagnostic images. Two patents have been generated in this field.
c. Computational Biomedicine: This field of action is focused on the development of decision support systems particularly in oncology and neurology. Medical decision support systems through the development of systems based on artificial intelligence, rule-based knowledge and ontologies. A patent is currently being generated in this field of action. It is worth mentioning the collaborations that the team has with various specialists and departments of the General University Hospital of Ciudad Real in all the mentioned applications. As well as other National Institutions (Hospitals and Research Centers) in Biomedicine.
RESEARCH TEAM: ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING, ELECTRONICS, AUTOMATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT.
The part of the team dedicated to Electrical Engineering and Project Management is integrated by researchers and teachers from the areas of Electric Engineering, Project Management and Business Organization from different schools at the university and the Institute of Energetic Research and Industrial Applications. The team is integrated by teachers Javier Contreras Sanz, Diego Pedregal Tercero, José Manuel Arroyo Sánchez, José Luis Polo Sanz, Fausto Pedro García Márquez and Miguel Ángel López Guerrero (C.U), the doctorates, Natalia Alguacil Conde, Raquel García Bertrand, Miguel Carrión Ruiz-Peinado, José Ignacio Muñoz and Juan Ramón Trapero Arenas (T.U) and Rafael Zárate Miñano, María Ruth Domínguez Martín, Luis Baringo Morales and Gregorio Muñoz Delgado (CDI).
This part of the team is dedicated to control, operating, planning and the economy of the electric energy systems in the centralized and competitive regulatory frameworks. In this research context, the team has a wide research experience in the operative model of electric centrals, in the application of sophisticated optimization techniques; in the development of closing market mechanism; in decision-making of producers, sellers and consumers; and the analysis of the vulnerability of electric power systems to multiple contingencies. Within the team, in project management, there is extensive experience in power system modeling renewable energy investment portfolios, operation, energy planning and scheduling, and applications of prediction and optimization methods to power systems.
The part of the team dedicated to Electronic, Automatization and Communications is integrated by professors and researchers from the areas of Electronic Engineering and Systems and Automation Engineering. The team is formed by professors José Luis Sanchez de Rojas (C.U) and doctorates Andrés García Higuera (C.U), Jorge Hernando García (T.U) and Pedro Roncero Sanchez-Elipe (T.U), the doctors Javier Vázquez del Real (C.D) and Javier de las Morenas de la Flor (Ay. Doctor).The research fields are design, fabrication, characterization and MEMS and NEMS microsystems applications and miniaturized systems including sensors, actuators, conditioning electronics, instrumentation, control and communications. Another part of the team focuses on the design, development and/or implementation of traceability and automation systems in general for production and logistics. The group's activities range from the design, assembly, wiring and programming of PLC-based systems, to the development of control hardware and/or custom-made communications, related firmware and management software, where appropriate. We also provide consultancy services for the implementation of systems, including measurements and analysis of installations. In addition, we work on the development of electrical energy storage systems for renewable energy and electric vehicle grid integration applications. Finally, the team addresses solutions for the improvement of power quality, as well as reactive power compensation in photovoltaic and wind energy systems.
RESEARCH TEAM: RENEWABLE ENERGIES AND ENERGETIC EFICIENCY.
The Renewable Energies and Energetic Efficiency team is formed by professors from different research teams at UCLM:
-
The research team of Renewable Energies develops its research activity at the Institute in Research of Renewable Energies, specifically in the Wind Energy and Power Systems Section. It is composed by the following professors: Emilio Gómez Lázaro (C.U), Miguel Cañas Carretón (C.D), Andrés Honrubia Escribano (C.D), Sergio Martín Martínez (ASO), y Estefanía Artigao Andicoberry (ASO).
-
The research group Energy Efficiency and Thermal Systems (ENERSYS) develops its research work in the facilities of the Solar and Energy Efficiency section of the Renewable Energy Research Institute. It is composed of the following professors: Antonio Molina Navarro (T.U), José Antonio Almendros Ibáñez (T.U), Juan Ignacio Córcoles Tendero (C.D.I) and Juan Francisco Belmonte Toledo (C.D.I).
-
The SOFC research group develops its research work in the facilities of the Fuel Cells section of the Renewable Energy Research Institute. Professor Jesús Canales Vázquez (T.U) belongs to this group.
-
The Research Group on Energy and Environmental Processes (G.P.E.M) develops its research work mainly in the facilities of the Laboratory on Generation, Transmission and Control of Energy in the School of Industrial Engineering in Toledo. This group, with a multidisciplinary composition, is integrated, among others, by Octavio Armas Vergel (C.U), José Ignacio Nogueira Goriba (C.U), María Arantzazu Gómez Esteban (C.D), María Carmen Mata Montes (C.D.I) and María Reyes García Contreras (C.D.I).
RESEARCH TEAM: AUTOMATICS AND ROBOTICS.
This team is composed of teachers from the area of knowledge of Systems and Automatic Engineering from the university and includes teachers from the School of Industrial Engineering of Ciudad Real, the School of Computer Science of Ciudad Real, the School of Industrial Engineering of Toledo and the School of Industrial Engineering of Albacete. In addition to the professors listed below, the team is formed by the following professors: Luis Sánchez Rodríguez (T.U), Rafael Morales Herrera (T.U), Ismael Payo Gutiérrez (T.U), Fernando José Castillo García (T.U), Francisco Ramos de la Flor and Andrés Vázquez Fdez-Pacheco, (temporary C.D).
RESEARCH TEAM: APPLIED ELECTROMAGNETISM.
The Applied Electromagnetics team is mainly composed of professors and researchers from the area of Signal Theory and Communications and also professors from the areas of Fluid Mechanics and Applied Physics. The team is integrated by the following PhDs: Joaquín Cascon López (C.E.U), Ángel Belenguer Martínez, Marcos David Fernández Berlanga (T.U), Osvaldo Daniel Cortázar Pérez (C.D), Alejandro Lucas Borja (C.D.I) and José Antonio Ballesteros Garrido (C.D.I).
All the members of this group collaborate actively in the open research lines managed by the group. The research team has a consolidated experience in the development of passive microwave devices, both for space telecommunication and other applications, as well as in industrial microwave heating applications, as evidenced by the 9 research projects and 2 collaboration contracts with companies in which some or all members of this research group have participated directly. Of all these projects and collaboration contracts, 2 collaboration contracts and 4 of the research projects (2 national projects and 2 regional projects) have been directly managed by this research group. In this field, this team has become a reference at international level, as demonstrated by the 27 publications in impact journals and 22 national and international congresses in the last 5 years. On the other hand, the Ion Sources Laboratory of the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) in Ciudad Real, has developed a 2.45 GHz microwave plasma generation equipment of the ECR type. This source can be used both continuously and pulsed with different gases, producing different types of plasmas for study and evaluation as possible active media for ion sources. This work platform has allowed the development of novel diagnostic methods that have been recently published due to their methodological originality and the quality and interest of the results obtained.
A series of highly complex and precise instruments are available, which allow us to carry out original research plans. In addition, this research team shares, with another team of the PhD program, the Nanostructures and Scanning Microscopy and Microanalysis laboratories [at the Regional Institute for Applied Scientific Research (IRICA)], the Magnetic Materials Laboratory (in the Multipurpose Laboratories Building) and the X-Ray Diffraction Laboratory (in the Polytechnic Building). The magnetic nanoparticle systems studied in these laboratories (with typical diameters of the order of 1-10 nm) are of great interest due to their multiple applications, especially in biomedicine and information storage. The magnetic stability of these nanomagnets is determined by their size, anisotropy and interactions with other particles (in addition to possible internal interactions in particles with core-shell heterostructures of two different materials).
In our team we work with two main types of nanoparticle systems: (a) nanogranular films fabricated (in our laboratory) by co-deposition of a beam of particles (pre-formed in a "cluster source") with a "matrix" material evaporated by sputtering in the deposition chamber, and (b) bulk systems of very uniform nanoparticles of iron oxides provided by IBN, Singapore (see collaborations in section 1.4). In the former the combination of materials for the NPs and the matrix is virtually free, allowing the exploitation of this technique by the network for studies beyond nanomagnetism. The second type of system has allowed the recent preparation of a replica of the spin-glass state by replacing atoms with nanoparticles.