Thermodynamics
Energy utilization. Combustion. Thermal systems. All of these fall under the fundamental area of Thermodynamics, one of the basic principles that underlies everything else in physics. Purdue researchers put thermodynamics to work in numerous ways: from the efficient combustion of an engine, to the efficient heating and cooling of a home or office building. They also drill down the nanoscale, exploring how thermodynamics affect lithium-ion batteries, biological processes, and much more.
Faculty in Thermodynamics
- Fluid dynamics
- Biomaterial
- Multiphase flows
- Non-Newtonian fluid dynamics
- Microfluidics
- Complex fluids
- Soft matter
- Modeling and Analysis of Thermal Systems
- Heat Pumping, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technologies
- High Performance Buildings
- Refrigerant and Lubricant Properties
- Thermal Physics ... Heat Moving Energy
- Spectroscopy ... "Seeing" energy with light
- Nanophotonics ... Pushing light to see more
- 2D Materials ... Creating functionality by losing dimension
- Modeling, Experiments and Simulations of turbulent boundary layers: role of initial conditions and bio-inspired micro-surfaces on evolution of velocity/thermal fields.
- Importance of turbulence and complex topography on wind energy.
- Integration of renewable with water and thermal storage.
- Translational research focus on renewable energy & society
- Wall interaction (e.g., bio-inspired micro surfaces) in respiratory flows
- Big data in turbulence, renewable energy and biomedical engineering.
- Energy and social equality
- Advanced materials
- Bioinspired design and manufacturing
- Nanomachines
- Identify interactions and design spaces at the intersection of energy technologies, economics, and decision-making process to minimize the cost of transitioning to new, decarbonized energy systems
- Laser absorption spectroscopy diagnostics for gas temperature, pressure, velocity, and chemical species
- Laser-induced fluorescence and photophysics
- Non-equilibrium gases and reaction kinetics
- Hypersonic flows, shock waves, and detonation waves
- Combustion and propulsion
- Sustainable energy and environment
- Combustion and turbulent reacting flows
- Combustion and heat transfer in materials
- Biomedical flows and heat transfer
- Global policy research
- Thermal sciences as applied to HVAC&R systems and equipment
- Multiphase flows
- Laser and high-speed imaging diagnostics
- Energetic materials (e.g., explosives & propellants) hydrodynamics, combustion, and model validation
- Sprays and atomization
- High-speed fluid mechanics
- Physics-based and data-driven modeling of dynamical systems
- Control theory, analysis, and design
- Control co-design
- Applications: human-machine teaming, multi-phase thermal-fluid systems, manufacturing processes, vehicle electrification
- Building electrification, flexibility, and efficiency
- Integrating flexible loads, energy storage, and distributed solar into power grids
- Optimization and control under uncertainty
- Energy policy
- Renewable Energy
- Catalysts
- Aerosol Pollution
- Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
- Electrical Propulsion
- Polymer Characterization
- Protein and Biomolecule Characterization
- Energy Transfer
- Molecular Dynamic coupling at the molecular Scale
- Multiscale Multichemistry Plasma Modeling
- Optical tweezers and optical manipulation
- Nanophotonics
- Photothermal conversion and applications
- Optical and optoelectronic materials
- Nanoscale energy transfer
- Laser processing and diagnosis
- Naturally nanostructured materials
- Energy, water, and wearable technology
- Manufacturing
- Laser diagnostics
- Diode-laser-based sensors
- Gas turbine and internal engine combustion
- Materials processing and synthesis
- Combustion science
- Fluid mechanics and heat transfer
- Dissimilar material 3D printing
- Additive manufacturing of energetic materials
- Additive manufacturing of materials for high temperature applications
- Quality control in additive manufacturing
- Application Areas: Advancement of high-speed flow and propulsion systems, including high-enthalpy flow tunnels, rotating detonation engines, ramjets, high-speed gas turbine and combined cycle engines, and bench-scale supersonic flight test rigs
- Fundamental Studies: Experimental investigation and detailed understanding of multiphysics thermal-fluid transport in high-speed, turbulent, and multiphase reacting flow environments
- Measurement Specialties: Development and implementation of ultra-highspeed imaging and spectroscopy for a wide range of temperatures, pressures, fluid phases, flow velocities, chemical species, and physical states.
- Boiling
- Condensation
- Two-phase Flow
- High heat flux
- Thermal management systems
- Cryogenic systems
- Space vehicles
- Lunar and Martian environments
- Microgravity
- Experiments on International Space Station
- Electronic cooling
- Energy storage and conversion (batteries, fuel cells)
- Mesoscale physics and stochastics
- Reactive transport, materials, processing, and microstructure interactions
- Gas turbine combustion
- Internal combustion engines
- Laser-based spectroscopy
- Synthesis of energetic materials
- Chemistry of nitrogen-rich compounds
- Characterization of explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics
- Electrochemical synthesis
- Thermochemistry of energetic material synthesis
- Reactive and agent defeat materials
- Simulations of nanoscale thermal transport
- Machine learning, optimization, and high throughput design
- Thermal management in electronics, space, and battery applications
- Transport phenomena in additive manufacturing
- Nanomaterials and devices for sustainable energy
- Large eddy and direct simulations
- Turbulent Combustion
- Thermoacoustics
- Non-linear acoustics
- Heat-and-mass transfer
- Physical oceanography and limnology
- Numerical methods for complex geometries
- Model-based system and control design of commercial vehicle power trains
- Connected and automated commercial vehicles
- Internal combustion engine & after-treatment system design and controls
- Flexible valve actuation in diesel and natural gas engines
- Electrochemistry, mechanics, interfacial chemistry, and kinetics in energy storage systems
- Advanced synthesis, processing, and characterization techniques for energy storage materials
- Atomistic-scale modeling of chemical and mechanical properties in energy storage materials
- Multi-scale and multi-physics based modeling of Li-ion batteries and fuel cells
- Multiphase combustion, particularly related to propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics
- Nanoscale composite energetic materials
- Advanced energetic materials
- Microscale combustion
- Two-Phase Flows and Heat Transfer
- High-Heat-Flux Thermal Management Systems for Several Applications, e.g., Outer Space Missions, Electric Vehicles, Ultra-Fast Charging Systems, Electronics Cooling, Avionics, Nuclear Reactors, Metal Manufacturing, Superconductors, Data Centers, etc.
- Gravitational Effects
- Experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS)
- Two-Phase Flow Instabilities
- Fluid-Structure Interactions & Non-Newtonian Fluids in Biological Systems
- Desalination & Water Treatment
- Water-Food-Energy Nexus
- Thermofluids
- Nanotechnology
- Membrane Science
- Discrete element method (DEM) modeling for particulate systems
- -- model development, e.g., fibrous particles, particle breakage, particle shapes
- -- application to manufacturing, e.g., storage and flow, blending, segregation, drying, coating, wet granulation
- Finite element method (FEM) modeling of powder compaction
- -- e.g., roll compaction, tableting, picking and sticking
- Multi-scale modeling (FEM combined with DEM) of powder dynamics
- -- model development and application to hopper flow, blending, and segregation
- Biomanufacturing and biopreservation
- Microfluidics
- Biotransport
- Micro/nano biomedical devices
- Diagnostics
- Environment friendly design and life cycle engineering
- Applications of bio-based materials in manufacturing
- Fast and low-cost detection of pathogenic microorganisms
- Biomass thermo-chemical upgrading for liquid and gaseous fuel
- Lithium-ion batteries
- Solid-state batteries
- In situ and operando characterization
- Modeling, simulation, and optimization of battery systems
- Micro/nano fabrication
- Micro/nano fluidics
- Advanced Heat Pumps and Refrigeration Systems
- Deep Space Habitats and Systems
- Thermal Management Systems