Thermofluids and Energy 

The thermofluids and energy research super group studies coupled fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics problems with the goal of developing sustainable propulsion and power generation systems. These systems feature external and internal aerodynamic flows, two-phase heat transfer, combustion instability, and propellants and energetics, to name a few examples. Specific research thrusts include: 

• Increasing efficiency while reducing the size of gas turbine engines important to novel and new turbine architectures including hybrid electric propulsion systems 
• Leveraging advanced manufacturing techniques, including metal additive manufacturing, to create new and efficient cooling methods 
• Developing novel diagnostics (using high-speed lasers and cameras and minimally-invasive probes) as well as signal processing strategies (using statistical, machine learning, and physics-informed techniques) to study complex fluid and energy systems like swirl-stabilized combustors, supersonic jets, high-speed inlets, and more 

Sample Projects

• Reducing the Turbine Fuel Burn through Double-Wall Cooling Made Possible by Additive Manufacturing
  Sponsor: Federal Aviation Administration 
  Faculty PIs: K. A. Thole and S. P. Lynch 

• Computing flame transfer functions from multi-fidelity measurements and simulations 
  Sponsor: Solar Turbines Inc. 
  Faculty PIs: Y. Xuan and S. J. Grauer 

• Physics-informed background-oriented schlieren for wildfire-relevant combustion 
  Sponsor: National Science Foundation 
  Faculty PI: S. J. Grauer 

• ARTHUR (Advanced Reflood Thermal Hydraulics Uncertainties Resolution) 
  Sponsor: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 
  Faculty PI: F. B. Cheung 

• Piezoenergetics – Coupled Piezoelectric and Nanoenergetic Materials with Tailorable and Switchable Reactivity 
  Sponsor: Air Force Office of Scientific Research and Purdue 
  Faculty PIs: Richard Yetter and Eric Boyer 
  
• Enhancing CMC Temperature Performance in High Hydrogen Environments using Field Assisted Sintering Technology 
  Sponsor: Department of Energy—National Energy Technology Laboratory 
  Faculty PIs: S. Lynch, J. O’Connor, D. Wolfe (Applied Research Lab)