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We conduct research to advance the body of knowledge, enhance student and faculty learning, and build our reputation in the scientific and technical communities while providing positive returns to our sponsoring partners.
Research News
Research Highlight
Row 1:(from left to right) Dr. Navalgund Rao, Julian Peters, Jacqueline Sergi, Dr. Satish Kandlikar, Dr. Zijie Lu, Matthew Benedict, Perry Young
Row 2: (from left to right) Sean Ashman, Andrew White, Dr. Thomas Trabold (General Motors), Tim Brackbill, Jon Owejan (General Motors), Joaquin Pelaez, Charles Schillberg
Thermal Analysis and Microfluidics Laboratory
RIT’s Thermal Analysis and Microfluidics laboratory, founded in 1991, is dedicated
to fundamental research in the areas of
flow boiling and single-phase liquid flow
at the microscale. The laboratory is run by
Dr. Satish Kandlikar, from the Kate Gleason College of Engineering’s department of mechanical engineering. Dr. Kandlikar’s efforts over the last 17 years have resulted in strong research teams with faculty and students from different disciplines, other academic institutes, and our industrial partners. The laboratory also serves as the backbone of a number of international activities, including workshops and conferences held in Mexico, Ireland, Canada and other global research centers.
A major research focus in the last 10 years has been microchannels, which are typically small diameter channels in the range of 10 to 200 micrometers (a human hair is approximately 100 micrometers in diameter). The microchannels are supplied with water or a boiling refrigerant to remove heat fluxes in excess
of 1 kW/cm2. Such high heat flux rates are expected to occur in computer chips and laser diode arrays within the next three to five years. IBM and the National Science Foundation have been major supporters of this work.
Water management in automotive fuel cells is another major research focus. Removal
of water from the gas diffusion medium into gas flow channels is studied using advanced visualization techniques. This work has been supported by General Motors for the last seven years. Recently, the laboratory received a $2.7 million grant from the Department of Energy to study the effect
of freezing on fuel cell operation in partnership with General Motors and Michigan Technological University.
Although the laboratory is dedicated to fundamental research needs emerging
from industry, the primary focus continues
to be students and their education through participation in the advanced research projects. Graduate students pursuing their Ph.D., MS and BS/MS degrees work with undergraduate co-op students. Since the lab was established, 46 students have completed their MS or Ph.D. work in the laboratory, and an equal number of undergraduate students have participated in ongoing research as co-op students
working in the laboratory.
