Student Projects
Student projects at IFD are usually closely related to current research projects and are supervised by our doctoral students, lecturers and professors. Some projects are conducted in collaboration with academic and industrial partners.
The Process
At IFD we try to assign the projects according to the students' preferences. To make sure that you get the project of your choice, it is best to contact us as soon as possible and preferably a few weeks before the semester starts. For a list of available projects, see the list below.
On the first Friday of each semester, IFD organizes an information event for students who are starting a project at IFD. The event is a great opportunity to meet other students, IFD faculty members, and supervisors. Moreover, detailed information about how student projects are conducted at IFD is given (Download student project guidelines (PDF, 3.3 MB)). Specifics about the event are provided by student supervisors.
Presentations of Bachelor, semester and CSE seminar thesis projects usually take place during the last week of the semester in the room ML H 51 ("Treibhaus"). Master thesis presentation dates are setup individually depending on the corresponding starting dates. Selected posters of projects are showcased on the H-floor of the ML building (poster templates for Download LaTeX (ZIP, 551 KB) and Download MS Word (DOCX, 353 KB) are available).
Experimental Visualization of Phase Shift in Focused Ultrasound
Keywords
Ultrasound, Phase Shift, Ultrasound Transducers, Acoustics, Wave Physics
Labels
Internship , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
PLEASE LOG IN TO SEE DESCRIPTION
More information
Published since: 2025-09-29 , Earliest start: 2025-09-30 , Latest end: 2026-09-30
Organization Group Supponen
Hosts Fiorini Samuele
Topics Mathematical Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Physics
Acoustic signatures associated with ADV – Influence of drop size and concentration
Acoustic droplet vaporization (ADV) is the phase-change process of superheated micron- and sub-micron-sized droplets into microbubbles under the application of high-frequency, high-amplitude ultrasound. Both optical and acoustic methods have been used to estimate the vaporization threshold, as during ADV the droplets grow multiple times their initial radius with the phase change emitting acoustic waves. However, very little research exists to correlate the optically observed dynamics with their respective acoustic signatures. To address these issues, this project aims to build upon previous work to combine optical and acoustic measurements and correlate the visualized ADV dynamics with the associated acoustic emissions. The goal is to measure the vaporization threshold for single droplet vaporization and study the variation with respect to the droplet size. The student will then proceed to work with multiple droplets to correlate the measured emission with different types of droplet populations and concentrations.
Keywords
Medical ultrasound, physics of fluids, acoustic, droplet vaporization, superheated, phase change
Labels
Master Thesis
PLEASE LOG IN TO SEE DESCRIPTION
More information
Published since: 2025-09-23
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Group Supponen
Hosts Collado Gonzalo
Topics Engineering and Technology , Physics
Settling Modulation of Bi-Dispersed Heavy Particles in Turbulent Air
From rainfall in clouds to microplastic sinking in the ocean, particles of different sizes interact with turbulence in ways that deeply shape both natural and industrial processes. In the atmosphere, turbulence is thought to play a key role in warm rain formation by affecting how droplets move, collide and grow. A simpler yet important approach to studying these interactions is to investigate mixtures of two particle sizes with the same density. In this project, we will investigate the settling dynamics of bi-dispersed particles in air turbulence, focusing on how their settling velocity is affected by turbulence at higher particle densities. The students will track particles settling in the turbulence air chamber at ETH (see Figure below) using a 3D multi-camera system and reconstruct their trajectories with 3D tracking techniques. The acquired data will be used to understand better how turbulence affects the simultaneous settling behaviour of the two particle populations.
Keywords
Turbulence, Rain, Three-Dimensional Particle Tracking, Settling
Labels
Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis
PLEASE LOG IN TO SEE DESCRIPTION
More information
Published since: 2025-09-09 , Earliest start: 2025-09-15 , Latest end: 2025-12-15
Applications limited to EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , Eawag , Empa , ETH Zurich , Paul Scherrer Institute , University of Zurich , Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Coletti Filippo , Gambino Alessandro
Topics Engineering and Technology , Physics
Digital twin of fetal aortic hemodynamics (Collaboration - Aarhus University, Denmark)
Congenital heart defects (CHDs) affect a wide range of society around the globe with a prevalence of 1.0–1.2%. Hemodynamic forces such as the blood flow driven shear stresses are critical parameters that can influence the proper development of the endothelial and endocardial tissues. The hemodynamic development in the left heart is particularly important because the left heart provides the required pumping power for the blood circulation. In this extremely novel and pioneering project, we are employing MRI acquisitions of fetuses at different gestational ages for building digital twins of cardiovascular development. Such a model has the potential to revolutionize diagnostic procedures and provide invaluable tools for personalized medicine.
Keywords
Computational modelling; clinical imaging; hemodynamic modelling
Labels
Semester Project , Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-08-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Coletti Filippo , Li Yinghui
Topics Engineering and Technology
Surgical treatments of heart valve insufficiency: computational optimization through in-vitro and clinical data (Collaboration - Aarhus University, Denmark)
Innovative approaches are needed for understanding and treating complex cardiovascular diseases. In this context, the amalgamation of in-silico methods, flow-loop experiments and 4D imaging emerges as a transformative paradigm in cardiovascular research.
Keywords
Computational modelling; MRI 4D-flow validation; fluid dynamic flow-loop; biofluid dynamics
Labels
Semester Project , Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-08-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Coletti Filippo
Topics Engineering and Technology
Fluid-structure interaction (FSI) modelling of tri-leaflet valves in cardiovascular applications (Collaboration - Aarhus University, Denmark)
In-silico approaches such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analyses, offer a comprehensive platform for predicting disease progression and designing medical devices, reducing the reliance on costly and invasive experiments. In this translational project, we aim at developing complex numerical models of tri-leaflet aortic valves, and at validating them with clinical measurements provided by collaborators at AUH.
Keywords
Computational modelling; cardiovascular engineering; 4D magnetic resonance imaging
Labels
Semester Project , Master Thesis
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-08-20 , Earliest start: 2025-09-01
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Coletti Filippo
Topics Engineering and Technology
Snow Saltation Measurements in the Field
Saltating snow is an important phenomenon of mass transport over the snow cover, impacting various processes governing the snowpack evolution. Key to the accurate modelling of snow saltation is the mass flux of snow and shear distribution under drifting and blowing snow conditions. This project will consider field measurements of snow saltation outdoors in the Swiss Alps. The student will build and reproduce an existing snow saltation tracking system using available camera equipment and collocate measurements with a new outdoor holography setup to perform airborne particle characterization. This will acquire novel field data to study mechanisms of snow saltation coupled to sublimation in the near-ground surface layer.
Keywords
Snow Saltation, Drifting and Blowing Snow, Sublimation, Holography, Particle Tracking, Field Measurements
Labels
Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-08-08 , Earliest start: 2025-08-08 , Latest end: 2026-05-31
Applications limited to ETH Zurich , EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Muller Koen , Coletti Filippo
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Earth Sciences , Physics
Volumetric Imaging of Natural Snowfall Clustering Dynamics in the Field
The interaction between natural snowfall and atmospheric wind conditions can lead to complex snow clustering dynamics mediated by turbulence. For example, the formation of columnar structures such as those present in particle-laden flows, and gusting waves in case of extreme weather conditions. How do such complex systems composed of millions of snowflakes lead to structure in the presence of a large variety of (chaotic) atmospheric turbulence conditions? What is the role of polydispersity at the start of a snowfall event? What kind of structures form depending on the snow mass loading, the types of frozen hydrometeors present, and the atmospheric turbulence intensity levels? This project will perform field imaging experiments over a 10x10x10m volume using a novel developed 16-camera outdoor imaging system that can track individual snowflakes over large distances. Measurements will be performed at a professional field site in Davos, where a holography setup will co-locate snowflake characterization. During the project, the student will join forces at the DLR in Göttingen and track snowflakes using state-of-the-art ‘Shake-the-Box’ Lagrangian particle tracking methodology.
Keywords
Natural Snowfall, Three-dimensional Tracking, Clustering Dynamics, UAVs, Field Experiments
Labels
Semester Project , Internship , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-08-04 , Earliest start: 2025-08-01 , Latest end: 2026-05-31
Applications limited to EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , ETH Zurich
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Coletti Filippo , Muller Koen
Topics Information, Computing and Communication Sciences , Engineering and Technology , Earth Sciences , Physics
Development of an Auto-calibrating PIV System
Planar particle image velocimetry is among the most widespread methods for quantitative flow field measurements. This method uses a laser sheet which illuminates seeding particles in a cross section of the flow. Therefore, knowledge of the exact scaling factor inside the imaging plane is paramount to achieve quantitative accuracy. This is commonly achieved by imaging a calibration target inside the laser sheet with known dimensions. However, in some cases, e.g. measurements in confined geometries or closed systems, calibration targets cannot be placed into the laser sheet. Hence, the goal of this project is to develop and build a device, which projects parallel laser beams into the laser sheet to allow for automatic calibration without the need for placing calibration targets. This project is a cooperation between ETH Zürich and Optolution Messtechnik GmbH. The student will be co-supervised by Prof. Filippo Coletti (institute of fluid dynamics, ETH) and William Thielicke (development engineer, Optolution Messtechnik GmbH, https://PIVlab.de ).
Keywords
particle image velocimetry, planar calibration, laser sheet, fluid dynamics, optics, electronics
Labels
Bachelor Thesis
PLEASE LOG IN TO SEE DESCRIPTION
More information
Published since: 2025-07-25
Applications limited to EPFL - Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne , ETH Zurich
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Roth Bernhard
Topics Engineering and Technology
Settling and flow coupling of particles in turbulence
Understanding the settling of heavy particles in turbulent flows is relevant to many environmental and engineering applications. Relevant examples include the dispersion of pollutants and dust particles, volcanic eruptions, sedimentation in riverbeds and the formation of raindrops. It is known that turbulence can significantly enhance or reduce particle settling and several phenomenological mechanisms have been identified to explain these two regimes. However, the conditions under which these individual mechanisms emerge are not well understood, making it difficult to predict the correct regime in turbulence. In this project, we aim to experimentally investigate the settling of particles in air turbulence, a fundamental setup for understanding how particles behave and interact with turbulence in a controlled laboratory environment. The student will track simultaneously particles settling in turbulent and the flow field around them by laser imaging. The acquired data will be used to better understand how turbulence affects the behaviour of heavy particles and the mechanisms that lead to enhanced or reduced settling.
Keywords
Particle Laden Flow, Turbulence, Settling, Particle Tracking
Labels
Semester Project , Bachelor Thesis , Master Thesis , ETH Zurich (ETHZ)
Description
Goal
Contact Details
More information
Published since: 2025-06-30 , Earliest start: 2025-09-08
Organization Group Coletti
Hosts Gambino Alessandro , Clementi Matteo
Topics Engineering and Technology , Physics