Dr Mark Alston's Outputs (14)

The Effect of Honeycomb-Structured Hydrophilic–Hydrophobic Mixed Surfaces on the Spreading Process of Liquid Droplets (2025)
Journal Article
Zhu, C., Alston, M., & Yan, Y. (2025). The Effect of Honeycomb-Structured Hydrophilic–Hydrophobic Mixed Surfaces on the Spreading Process of Liquid Droplets. Biomimetics, 10(4), Article 209. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10040209

Honeycomb-structured, mixed-wettability surfaces have attracted significant attention due to their potential for tailoring surface properties and controlling fluid dynamics at the nanoscale. However, the underlying mechanisms governing droplet spread... Read More about The Effect of Honeycomb-Structured Hydrophilic–Hydrophobic Mixed Surfaces on the Spreading Process of Liquid Droplets.

A New Model for Capillary Imbibition With Asymmetric Wettability Walls (2024)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Zhu, C., Yan, Y., & Alston, M. (2024, August). A New Model for Capillary Imbibition With Asymmetric Wettability Walls. Presented at ASME 2024 7th International Conference on Micro/Nanoscale Heat and Mass Transfer, Nottingham, UK

The imbibition dynamics is controlled by energy dissipation mechanisms and influenced by asymmetric wettability in a nanochannel. This work proposes a new theoretical model for capillary imbibition while the imbibition dynamics are described by a com... Read More about A New Model for Capillary Imbibition With Asymmetric Wettability Walls.

Comparative study on heat transfer enhancement of metal foam and fins in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit (2023)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Li, Z., Yan, Y., Alston, M., & Tian, L. (2023). Comparative study on heat transfer enhancement of metal foam and fins in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit. Energy Storage and Saving, 2(3), 487-494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enss.2023.03.004

Metal foam and fins are two popular structures that are employed to enhance the heat transfer of phase change materials in shell-and-tube heat storage units. However, it remains unclear which structure is better in terms of energy storage performance... Read More about Comparative study on heat transfer enhancement of metal foam and fins in a shell-and-tube latent heat thermal energy storage unit.

Fluidic circuits as a kinetic system for modulation of multiple hot spots as a thermally functional reactor (2022)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Alston, M., & Barber, R. Fluidic circuits as a kinetic system for modulation of multiple hot spots as a thermally functional reactor. Presented at TechConnect World Innovation Conference & Expo 2022, Washington D.C., USA

The challenge in material science is our ability to evaluate heat flow within a material and monitor temperature with time. This research studies fluidic geometry aligned to elevated temperatures for enhanced cooling to specific multiple hot spot reg... Read More about Fluidic circuits as a kinetic system for modulation of multiple hot spots as a thermally functional reactor.

A multi-vector community energy system integrating a heating network, electricity grid and PV production to manage an electrified community (2022)
Journal Article
Han, M. E., Alston, M., & Gillott, M. (2022). A multi-vector community energy system integrating a heating network, electricity grid and PV production to manage an electrified community. Energy and Buildings, 266, Article 112105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2022.112105

Electrification in energy supply–demand plays a critical role in domestic heating and road transport, delivering an electrified community to reduce carbon emissions. This solution, however, places a significant power demand increase on the distributi... Read More about A multi-vector community energy system integrating a heating network, electricity grid and PV production to manage an electrified community.

Component-dependent thermal properties of molten salt eutectics for solar thermal energy storage: Experiments, molecular simulation and applications (2022)
Journal Article
Zhang, S., Li, Z., Wang, H., Tian, L., Jin, Y., Alston, M., & Yan, Y. (2022). Component-dependent thermal properties of molten salt eutectics for solar thermal energy storage: Experiments, molecular simulation and applications. Applied Thermal Engineering, 209, Article 118333. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2022.118333

Molten salts have been used in solar thermal energy storage due to their high energy storage density, low cost and excellent chemical stability. However, their application is limited by “bad days” such as cloudy days and winter because the weak conce... Read More about Component-dependent thermal properties of molten salt eutectics for solar thermal energy storage: Experiments, molecular simulation and applications.

Novelty and Convergence in Adaptation to Whole Genome Duplication (2021)
Journal Article
Bohutínská, M., Alston, M., Monnahan, P., Mandáková, T., Bray, S., Paajanen, P., Kolář, F., & Yant, L. (2021). Novelty and Convergence in Adaptation to Whole Genome Duplication. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 38(9), 3910-3924. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab096

Whole genome duplication (WGD) can promote adaptation but is disruptive to conserved processes, especially meiosis. Studies in Arabidopsis arenosa revealed a coordinated evolutionary response to WGD involving interacting proteins controlling meiotic... Read More about Novelty and Convergence in Adaptation to Whole Genome Duplication.

Bio-inspired Transparent Microfluidic Platform as Transformable Networks for Solar Modulation (2019)
Journal Article
Alston, M. E., Pottgiesser, U., & Knaack, U. (2019). Bio-inspired Transparent Microfluidic Platform as Transformable Networks for Solar Modulation. Journal of Facade Design and Engineering, 7(1), 89-100. https://doi.org/10.7480/jfde.2019.1.2785

The glazed envelopes on buildings play a major role in operational energy consumption as they define the boundary conditions between climate and thermal comfort. Such a façade is viewed as an uncontrolled load that sets the operational performance re... Read More about Bio-inspired Transparent Microfluidic Platform as Transformable Networks for Solar Modulation.

Possible benefits of capillary flow glazing in translucent wall elements (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Nestle, N., Pulbere, S., & Alston, M. (2018, November). Possible benefits of capillary flow glazing in translucent wall elements. Presented at FAÇADE 2018 Final conference of COST TU1403 “Adaptive Facades Network”

In many cases, artificial lighting and cooling are the two main factors for energy consumption in office buildings. This is even true for fully glazed buildings where directly transmitted natural light often needs to be controlled by shading in order... Read More about Possible benefits of capillary flow glazing in translucent wall elements.

Passive adaptive façades: examples from COST TU1403 Working Group 1 (2018)
Presentation / Conference Contribution
Mazzucchelli, E. S., Romano, R., Aelenei, L., Da, M., Gomes, G., Karlessi, T., Alston, M., & Aelenei, D. (2018, November). Passive adaptive façades: examples from COST TU1403 Working Group 1. Presented at FAÇADE 2018 Final conference of COST TU1403 “Adaptive Facades Network”

Buildings often adopt strategies based on the integration of solutions and technologies in façades capable of changing their behaviour in time to improve energy efficiency and comfort. Considering that the envelope is the main parameter that influenc... Read More about Passive adaptive façades: examples from COST TU1403 Working Group 1.

Study of a BIPV adaptive system: combining timber and photovoltaic technologies (2018)
Journal Article
Mazzucchelli, E. S., Alston, M., Brzezicki, M., & Doniacovo, L. (2018). Study of a BIPV adaptive system: combining timber and photovoltaic technologies. Journal of Facade Design and Engineering, 6(3), 149-162. https://doi.org/10.7480/jfde.2018.3.2602

© 2018 TU Delft. All rights reserved. The paper presents the first results of research that was partly conducted within the framework of European COST Action TU1403 - Adaptive Façades Network, on the development of an adaptive BIPV (Building Integrat... Read More about Study of a BIPV adaptive system: combining timber and photovoltaic technologies.

Temperature-dependent polymer absorber as a switchable state NIR reactor (2018)
Journal Article
Alston, M. E., & Barber, R. (2018). Temperature-dependent polymer absorber as a switchable state NIR reactor. Scientific Reports, 8(1), Article 15866. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33485-w

This research studies a lower down transition temperature composite polymer, modulated by multi microchannel fluidic flows to advance a thermally controllable material. Through modulating volumetric flow rates to manipulate fluid-material interface f... Read More about Temperature-dependent polymer absorber as a switchable state NIR reactor.

Optimal microchannel planar reactor as a switchable infrared absorber (2017)
Journal Article
Alston, M. E. (in press). Optimal microchannel planar reactor as a switchable infrared absorber. MRS Advances, 2(14), https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2017.112

This paper will propose methods to use leaf vasculature formations to advance a material to act as an infrared block. The research shows the use of microfluidics based flows to direct the structural assembly of a polymer into a thermally functional m... Read More about Optimal microchannel planar reactor as a switchable infrared absorber.

Leaf venation, as a resistor, to optimize a switchable IR absorber (2016)
Journal Article
Alston, M. E., & Barber, R. (2016). Leaf venation, as a resistor, to optimize a switchable IR absorber. Scientific Reports, 6(1), Article 31611. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep31611

Leaf vascular patterns are the mechanisms and mechanical support for the transportation of fluidics for photosynthesis and leaf development properties. Vascular hierarchical networks in leaves have far-reaching functions in optimal transport efficien... Read More about Leaf venation, as a resistor, to optimize a switchable IR absorber.