• Thermal signature of air bubble entrapment during droplet impact on a smooth heated surface
  • impact on heated bi-phobic surfaces
  • thermal signature of a water droplet impacting a hot surface
  • metallic melt pool during additive manufacturing
  • Ice particle dynamics and melting after impacting a heated bath
  • water droplet impact on superhydrophobic, elastic substrate
  • “tulip” splashing of a water droplet impacting on a vibrating superhydrophobic surface
  • image of the same area during dropwise condensation on a lubricant-infused surface using a) interferometry and b) brightfield microscope objectives
  • Microdroplet self-propulsion on LIS
  • Optical image of dropwise condensation on lubricant-infused surfaces
  • Environmental SEM image of dropwise condensation on a nanoparticle coating
  • oil (blue) and water (red) droplets on omniphobic nanoparticle coated surface
  • water droplets on “NeverWet” surface
  • water (back) and IPA (front) droplets on steel micro-mushroom surface
  • SEM of micro-mushroom fabricated with mEDM for metallic oleophobic surfaces
  • 3D height image of a NeverWet surface for macroscale roughness characterization

Welcome!

In this research group, our focus lies on understanding the interplay of fluid dynamics and heat transfer of droplets and other multi-phase systems. Practical applications of interest are additive manufacturing, phase change heat transfer for thermal management and thermal storage, and droplet interactions with biological systems. To fundamentally study these thermal-fluidic interactions, we combine multiple experimental techniques, such as high-speed optical and infrared (IR) imaging, interferometry, confocal fluorescence microscopy, and conventional heat transfer measurements.

Current projects include the characterization of melt pool dynamics during metallic 3D printing, dropwise condensation heat transfer on lubricant-infused surfaces (LIS), droplet impact and heat transfer dynamics on various engineered surfaces, and the development of a thermal heat switch. For more information on projects, please see here.

Something fun – “sock survey”

Something fun – “sock survey”

July 11, 2024
Engineering communications recently ran a survey on whose socks were shown in this picture; apparently Patty’s affinity to animal-themed and other fun socks isn’t a very well known fact yet… let’s change that!
Time to celebrate!

Time to celebrate!

July 1, 2024
Great times in the Thermal Fluids Group: 1) Minrak passed his Qualifying Exams and is now officially a PhD candidate – congratulations!! 2) Patty got promoted to Associate Professor with tenure
Patty receives AFOSR YIP award

Patty receives AFOSR YIP award

January 25, 2024
Patty received a 3-year AFOSR (Air Force) YIP award on the topic “Laser-based additive manufacturing of compositionally graded polyether ether ketone (PEEK) nano-composites“. For more information, see here (AFOSR) or here (McKelvey).
We welcome six new lab members

We welcome six new lab members

August 26, 2023
We have six new lab members join this Fall: Minrak (PhD), Ruikang (MS), Alejandro, Lilly, Mark, and Ranch (UGs) – WELCOME!!! Also welcome back to Abenezer and Kiersten!
4 lab members presenting at ASME SHTC

4 lab members presenting at ASME SHTC

July 13, 2023
Four lab members, including 1st year PhD student Kiersten, recently graduated undergraduate Steve, former PhD student Jianxing, and PI Patty, gave oral presentations at this year’s ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference, which was held in Washington DC. Congratulations on a successful conference!

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