Thermofluid Research and Design Lab

Welcome to the Thermofluid Research and Design Lab at California State University, Northridge! Our lab is dedicated to the exploration of fundamental and applied thermofluid research, where we employ a diverse range of computational, experimental, and analytical techniques. Within our research facility, we focus on the design and development of cutting-edge heat management devices with practical applications in fields such as electronic cooling, biomedical devices, and renewable energy systems.

Our research areas encompass a wide array of topics, including:

• Investigation of thermal transport through porous media
• Exploration of multiphase flow and phase change phenomena
• Study of bioheat transfer
• Advancements in electronics cooling
• Innovations in renewable energy and energy recovery systems
• Development of highly efficient heat exchangers
• Techniques for gas turbine cooling
• Fan design and rotor aerodynamics
• Research on wind and gas turbines
• Jet mixing and film cooling

We invite you to explore our research and stay updated on the exciting developments in thermofluid science taking place right here in our lab.

Visit the Thermofluid Research & Design Lab Website

Research Projects

Turbomachinery and Gas Turbine Cooling Techniques

Our lab explores the transport of gas within turbomachinery systems and cooling methods for these devices. This includes the simulation and development of components like fans, stators, wind turbine blades, and turbine blades. Gas turbines find applications in a wide range of settings, from jet engines to power plants. In gas turbines, the blades are exposed to high-temperature exhaust gases from the combustion chamber and require effective cooling systems. Enhancing the cooling process leads to more efficient gas turbines. Some of the techniques used for cooling involve internal convection and external film cooling. Key factors for gas turbine cooling include the rate of jet injection, the shape, size, spacing, and orientation of the injected jets, the use of conductive porous inserts, jet injection angles, channel design for internal cooling, material selection, and coolant properties.

Thermal Management of Electric Vehicle Batteries

Global warming and its harmful effects have emphasized the need for better vehicles and cooling systems. Regular cars that use fossil fuels create pollution when they burn fuel, leading to problems like smog and global warming. This endangers people, animals, and plants. To tackle this issue, electric cars that run on lithium-ion batteries have become more popular. They're better for the environment and help combat climate change.

But there's a challenge with these batteries: they generate heat when they work and recharge. This can make them too hot, and the cooling methods used so far have limitations. That's why there's a growing demand for better and more sustainable ways to keep these batteries cool. Scientists are working on both active and passive cooling methods using different types of liquids and air to make lithium-ion batteries more efficient and safer.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Multiphase flow and Phase Change

Both in experiments and with computer simulations, we're looking at how heat moves in heat pipes and thermosiphons. Heat pipes are handy devices for transferring heat in various applications, like cooling electronics and biomedical equipment, geothermal systems, food processing, solar panels, and fuel cells. They have three main parts: the evaporator, an adiabatic section, and the condenser.

A thermosiphon is a type of heat pipe without a wick, and it relies on gravity to move the liquid from the condenser back to the evaporator. In our research, we study things like how the temperature changes over time, the pressure inside the heat pipes, and how the fluid flows inside them. We do this with different designs and pipe materials, various special liquids, and a wide range of heat amounts. We're also looking at how bubbles form and grow in tiny channels and how to improve the cooling in these channels.