Ettore Saetta

Experience

  • Assistant Professor (RTDa)
    • Period: February 2025 – now
    • Affiliation: University of Naples Federico II (Naples, IT)
  • Post-doc
    • Period: February 2024 – January 2025
    • Affiliation: University of Naples Federico II (Naples, IT)
  • Visiting Researcher
    • Period: October 2023 – January 2024
    • Affiliation: Stanford University (Stanford, CA, USA)
  • Research fellow
    • Employer: DII – University of Naples Federico II
    • Period: June 2020 – July 2020

Education

  • PhD (Industrial Engineering)
    • Period: November 2020 – February 2024
    • Affiliation: University of Naples Federico II (Naples, IT)
    • Research Field: Machine Learning, Aerodynamics
    • Thesis Title: Machine Learning in Aerodynamics: Clustering and Autoencoders for CFD Applications
  • Master’s Degree (Aerospace Engineering)
    • Date: March 2020
    • Affiliation: University of Naples Federico II (Naples, IT)
    • Field of Study: Fluid Dynamics
    • Final Grade: 110/110 with honors
    • Thesis Title: Implementation and validation of a new actuator disk model in SU2

Awards

  • Research Award 23-24: AI and Machine Learning (ICME, Stanford University).
  • The Foundation Blanceflor Award (2023).

Publications

Journal Articles
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Uncertainty Quantification in Autoencoders Predictions: Applications in Aerodynamics”, Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 506, (2024) 112951.
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcp.2024.112951
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Machine Learning to Predict Aerodynamic Stall”, International Journal of Computational Fluid Dynamics, 36:7, 641-654 (2023).
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10618562.2023.2171021
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini. “Identification of Flowfield Regions by Machine Learning”, AIAA Journal, 61:4, 1503-1518 (2023).
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/1.J061907
  • L. Russo, E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Dacome, L. Demasi. “Aerodynamic Analysis of a Box Winglet: Viscous and Compressible Flow Predictions”,
    Aerotecnica Missili & Spazio, 101, 321–334 (2022).
    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42496-022-00125-6
Conference Proceedings
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “AbbottAE: An Autoencoder for Airfoil Aerodynamics”, AIAA AVIATION 2023 FORUM, 12–16 June 2023, San Diego, CA (USA). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-4364
  • B. Mele, E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini. “Analysis of riblets modeling for aeronautical applications”, AIAA AVIATION 2023 FORUM, 12–16 June 2023, San Diego, CA (USA). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-3748
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini. “Identification of flow field regions by Machine Learning”, AIAA 2022-0457, AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum, 3-7 January 2022. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-0457
  • L. Russo, E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Dacome, L. Demasi. “Best Winglet of Minimum Induced Drag: Viscous and Compressible Flow Predictions”, AIAA 2021-2544, AIAA AVIATION 2021 FORUM, 2-6 August 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-2544
  • R. Tognaccini, E. Saetta, B. Mele. “Aerodynamic force breakdown: Thermodynamic vs Vortex-force methods”, AIAA 2021-2553, AIAA AVIATION 2021 FORUM, 2-6 August 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2021-2553
Conference Presentations
  • E. Saetta, A. Paolino, R. Tognaccini, D. Pucci, G. Iaccarino. “Mapping CFD Simulations to ML Convolutions”, Società Italiana di Matematica Applicata e Industriale (SIMAI) 2025, 1-5 September 2025, Trieste, Italy.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Autoencoders: towards a physical interpretation of the latent space”, Mathematical and Scientific Machine Learning (MSML) 2025, August 4-8, 2025, Naples, Italy.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Autoencoders for multi-fidelity data: applications in aerodynamics”, 18th U.S. National congress on computational mechanics, July 20-24, 2025, Chicago, Illinois.
  • E. Saetta, M. Massa, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Multi-fidelity Autoencoders: RANS-LES jet flow predictions”, ERCOFTAC-EuroMech Colloquium 629, Data-Driven Fluid Mechanics, 2-4 April 2025, London, UK.
  • T. Zahtila, E. Saetta, D. Rossinelli, G. Iaccarino. “Learning Unsteady Trajectories in a Latent Space for Studying Ignition in Rocket Combustors”, DTE-AICOMAS 2025 February 17-21, 2025, Paris, France.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Autoencoders for Aerodynamic Predictions”, GNCS-SIAM Chapters Meeting for Young Researchers in Numerical Analysis and Applied Mathematics, February 10–11, 2025, Pavia, Italy.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Sequentially Trained Autoencoder for efficient Latent Decomposition”, 1st European Fluid Dynamics Conference (EFDC1), 16-20 September 2024, Aachen, Germany.
  • R. Tognaccini, E. Saetta, Gianluca Iaccarino. “Can autoencoders derive airfoil theory?”, 1st European Fluid Dynamics Conference (EFDC1), 6 16-20 September 2024, Aachen, Germany.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, Gianluca Iaccarino. “Multi-fidelity Autoencoders in Aerodynamics”, XXVI AIMETA Congress, 2-6 September 2024, Napoli, Italy.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, Gianluca Iaccarino. “Aerodynamic predictions under uncertainty using Autoencoders”, 9th ECCOMAS Congress, 3-7 June 2024, Lisbon, Portugal.
  • E. Saetta and R. Tognaccini. “Towards a ”headache-free” flow region selection”, 57th 3AF International Conference on Applied Aerodynamics (AERO2023), 29-31 March 2023, Bordeaux, France.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Towards Predicting Dynamic Stall using Machine Learning Tools”, 14th European Fluid Mechanics Conference, 13-16 September 2022, Athens, Greece.
    URL: https://www.efmc14.org/EFMC14 ABSTRACT BOOK.pdf.
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini, G. Iaccarino. “Can autoencoders predict airfoil stall?”, IUTAM Symposium on Data-driven modeling and optimization in fluid mechanics, 15-17 June 2022, Aarhus C, Denmark.
    URL: https://conferences.au.dk/iutam.
  • E. Saetta and R. Tognaccini. “Drag breakdown of SU2 solutions around aircraft”, SU2 2nd Annual Conference, Virtual event, 12-14 July 2021.
  • E. Saetta and R. Tognaccini. “Aerodynamic Force Breakdown: State-of-the-art of Far Field Methods”, XXVI International Congress AIDAA – Virtual Event, August 31st – September 3rd, 2021.
  • E. Saetta, L. Russo and R. Tognaccini. “Implementation and validation of a new actuator disk model in SU2” , SU2 1st Annual Conference, Virtual event, 10-12 June 2020.
    URL: https://su2foundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/SU2 paper UniNa withHeader-1.pdf.
Seminars
  • 08/11/2024 – SISSA (International School of Advanced Studies), Trieste, Italy – “Autoencoders for predicting Aerodynamic phenomena”.
  • 06/09/2024 – Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Online) – “Multi-fidelity Autoencoders for Aerodynamic analyses”.
  • 08/08/2024 – University of Melbourne (Online) – “Multi-fidelity Autoencoders for Aerodynamic analyses”.
  • 19/07/2024 – Politecnico di Torino, Torino, Italy – “Autoencoder for Aerodynamic predictions”.
  • 07/03/2024 – CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Center), Capua, Italy – “Machine Learning in Aerodynamics: Clustering and Autoencoders for CFD Applications”.
  • 20/01/2023 – Imperial College London (Online) – “Towards predicting the underlying physics of phenomena using autoencoders”.
  • 26/02/2020 – CIRA (Italian Aerospace Research Center), Capua, Italy – “Implementation and validation of a new actuator disk model in SU2”.
Miscellaneous
  • T. Zahtila, E. Saetta, D. Brouzet, M. Cutforth, D. Rossinelli AND G. Iaccarino, “Neural ordinary differential equation based representation of unsteady laser-deposited energy kernels“, Annual Research Brief, Center for Turbulence Research, Stanford University (2024).
  • E. Saetta, R. Tognaccini and G. Iaccarino. “AutoEncoders with Sequential Training and Adaptive Resolution“, pre-print SSRN http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4898782 , (2024).
  • M. Benjamin, E. Saetta, C. Ivey, S. Bose, F. Ham and G. Iaccarino. “Parametric representation and surrogate modeling of drag for a realistic automotive geometry“, Annual Research Brief, Center for Turbulence Research, Stanford University (2023).

Contacts

e-mail: ettore.saetta@unina.it

University of Naples Federico II
Department of Industrial Engineering
Piazzale V. Tecchio 80
80125, Napoli, ITALIA
Tel: 0817682184