Energy and Environmental Engineering
Faculty: Branch, Daily, Greenberg, Hannigan, Henze, Hertzberg, Kassoy, Kreith, S-H Lee, Y. C. Lee, Milford, Miller, Pawlas, Peterson, Raj, Stoldt, Vasilyev, Weidman, Yang
Research in this thrust area involves two threads: the application of fluid and thermal sciences disciplinary strength to modern problems in i) various energy applications, and ii) air-quality engineering. Activities are carried out within the Center for Combustion and Environmental Research (CCER), the Collaborative for Fluid and Energy Sciences (CFES), and the Collaborative for Air Quality Research (CAQR). Experimental, theoretical, and modeling expertise is applied to combustion and heat transfer for propulsion and power generation, computational fluid dynamics, multi-phase heat transfer, nanoscale and ultrafast thermal sciences, aerosol mechanics, atmospheric chemistry, and air-quality modeling.
Recent energy projects include:
- Photonic crystal fiber based micro heat pipe arrays and capillary pumped loops
- Thermal transport in nanofluids and nanolaminates by femtosecond photo-thermal imaging using extreme ultraviolet (EUV)
- Biomass pyrolosis
- MEMS scale combustors for power generation applications
- Turbulence in planar jets under the influence of micro-actuators
Recent air quality engineering projects include:
- Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for inactivating airborne bacteria and fungi
- Filtration of airborne particulate matter
- Manufacturing of inhalable drug particles
- Air pollution health effects
- Atmospheric aerosols from biogenic hydrocarbon oxidation