Principal Investigator

Mélanie Tétreault-Friend, PhD, ing. jr
Dr. Tétreault-Friend is an Assistant Professor in the department of Mechanical Engineering. Her main research interests are in low carbon and alternative thermal energy technologies. Her most recent research focuses on improving the heat transfer and thermal performance of solar thermal, thermal energy storage, and nuclear energy technologies using advanced experimental thermal diagnostics and computational methods. She recently completed her MS and PhD at MIT. Her research projects focused on radiative heat transfer in molten salts for concentrated solar power technologies, and boiling heat transfer and critical heat flux in nuclear reactor applications. She is the recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Youth Medal, and FQRNT and NSERC Research Scholarships. Dr. Tétreault-Friend also holds an advanced degree in music performance from the Conservatoire de musique de Montréal. In her free time, she enjoys road cycling, hiking, traveling, cooking, Star Trek, and cats.
​Contact: ​​melanie.tetreault-friend@mcgill.ca

Education

Courses
  • PhD Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2018
  • M.Sc. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2014
  • B.Eng. McGill University, Mechanical Engineering, 2012
  • Thermodynamics 1 (MECH 240)
  • Heat Transfer (MECH 346)
  • Radiative Heat Transfer and Solar Energy Technologies  (MECH 501)

Current Students

Muhammad Taha Manzoor

Picture
Mr. Taha hails from Pakistan (Bhakkar, Punjab) and will be joining Thermal Energy Lab as a Ph.D. candidate. He completed his BS in Mechanical Engineering from National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) in 2016, later he moved to Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) where he completed his MS in Mechanical Engineering. He worked on the application of hybrid nanocomposites to magnetorheological fluids and electromechanical actuators.
During his Ph.D. studies, Mr. Taha will focus on the experimental investigation of key properties of molten salts which govern radiation, convection, and volumetric heat generation interactions.
Mr. Taha is an enthusiastic writer, with particular interest in world politics and history. He loves to travel and visit historical places.
Contact: muhammad.t.manzoor@mail.mcgill.ca

Valerie Lamenta

Picture
Valerie Lamenta, a Montreal, QC native, joins the Thermal Energy Lab as part of her Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at McGill. Her undergraduate studies in Mechanical Engineering were completed at the University of Guelph, where she was also a member of the Women’s Varsity Hockey team for five years. Her research in the Thermal Energy Lab will focus on the thermofluid properties of molten salts as solar receivers. She will continue the experimental work being conducted on these fluids using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and couple it with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. When Valerie isn’t working on novel energy storage solutions, she enjoys playing sports, discovering food and tending to her plants. ​
​Contact: valerie.lamenta@mail.mcgill.ca

Noah Le Francois

Picture
Noah LeFrancois is from Cobourg, Ontario and is a Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering. His undergraduate studies in Physics and Math were also completed at McGill, during which he was a member of the Varsity Football team for four years. His research will focus on experimental techniques such as Particle Image Velocimetry and Infrared Thermography for visualizing turbulent natural convection in molten salts. When Noah isn’t in the lab, he enjoys playing music and is a member of the McGill Varsity Rugby team.
Contact: noah.lefrancois@mail.mcgill.ca 

Charles Wetaski

Picture
Charles Wetaski is from Whistler, British Columbia, and is currently an undergraduate student in Honours Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Software Engineering. He has joined the Thermal Energy Lab as a participant in the Summer Undergraduate Research in Engineering (SURE) program. His primary task is to use ray tracing to study the effects of a light attenuating curtain on the radiation distribution of a high-flux solar simulator. After completing the SURE program, he will continue to work with the Thermal Energy Lab for his Honours thesis. An avid skier, Charles is co-president of the SSMU Ski and Snowboard Club. Additionally, he enjoys surfing, playing piano, and the game of poker.  
​Contact: charles.wetaski@mail.mcgill.ca

Laurence Peinturier

Picture
Laurence Peinturier is from Paris, France and has been living in Montreal for the past 10 years. She is currently an undergraduate student in Mechanical Engineering and joined the Thermal Energy Lab as a 2021 SURE program participant. Her project consists of designing a lab-scaled concrete-based high temperature molten salt solar receiver and storage system through experimental work. After graduation, Laurence wishes to pursue her studies in the optimization of renewable energy technologies. As the current VP Conference of the student-run group POWE (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Engineering), her involvement focuses on informing young female students about the many career opportunities available in the field of engineering. Additionally, Laurence is an avid basketball and guitar player, and you will never see her without her bike!
​Contact: laurence.peinturier@mail.mcgill.ca

Previous students

Leah Abou Jaoude

Leah Abou Jaoude is from Lebanon and is joining the Thermal Energy Lab as a Non-Thesis Master’s student in Mechanical Engineering. She earned her BE in Mechanical Engineering from the American University of Beirut prior to moving to Montreal. The goal of her project is to find a cost-effective solution to the thermal losses that take place in molten storage tanks by conducting a detailed thermal analysis in addition to potential numerical simulations. Her interest in renewable energy began during her undergraduate studies and has extended into a desire to use her engineering skills to reduce carbon emissions in the energy sector. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, playing the piano, and dancing. ​

Auran Huang

Auran (Jinbang) Huang, from Yunnan, China, is now an undergraduate student major in Mechanical Engineering at McGill University. Auran currently works for Prof. Melanie Tetreault-Friend as her undergraduate student for the SURE program. The main objective of Auran’s work is to develop a Monte Carlo Ray-Tracing simulation in Matlab to parametrically study related optics for different floating geometries. With a strong belief of the power of engineering, Auran is developing and preparing himself for more knowledge and further academic education. Additionally, Auran is an experienced amateur painter and a professional debater.
​Contact: jinbang.huang@mail.mcgill.ca