Applied Fluids Thermal Engineering Research Laboratory (@FTERLab)

The @FTERLab provides experimental and computations fluid dynamics (CFD) solutions for fluid dynamics applications. The research concentrates on problems involving aerodynamics, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and problems in unmanned air vehicle design (UAVs). In the lab research also includes biological fluid flow research for drug delivery and auditory mechanics. The lab contains a 17” test-section subsonic wind tunnel for airfoil design and validation and an HPC cluster for CFD modeling.

Hypersonics

One of the key factors in aerodynamic vehicle design of hypersonic flight vehicles involves the consideration of surface heat loads. The laminar-to-turbulent boundary layer transition is accompanied by large changes in surface heat load. The interaction of instability modes may drive transition in unpredictable ways. This project contributes to understanding the impact of nonlinear interactions these phenomena.

Battery Thermal Management

The @FTERLab has contributed to the design of thermal management systems for lithium-ion battery packs with enhanced heat removal for use in electric vehicles. A computational model of a wavy-designed thermal management system (TMS) for cylindrical lithium-ion battery pack modules incorporating, a phase change composite (PCC) surrounding the cells, a cooling tube, and a pyrolytic graphite sheet (PGS) integrated into the wavy design.  This thermal management system takes advantage of the PCC’s capability to maintain temperature uniformity and PGS’s thermal conductivity to increase the rate of heat removal. In this works an 1S20P battery pack design was simulated at different cell volumetric heat generation rates from normal to uphill conditions to observe cooling capabilities under different thermal loads.

Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS)

The @FTERLab conducts research as a partner in The Power Optimization for Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS) Engineering Research Center (ERC).  This research seek to attack the thermal and electrical challenges surrounding mobile electronics and vehicle design as a single system. The POETS ERC aims to pack more power into less space for electrical technologies on the move by integrating novel 3-D cooling circuitry, power converters and algorithms for smart power management. The results of the research will enable the manufacture of lighter, more compact and more efficient power electronic systems for electric vehicles, airplanes, construction equipment, handheld tools and other mobile applications.

Cryogenics

This project  focuses on evaluation of circuit board materials, connectors and electronic packaging hardware for operations at cryogenic temperatures near that of liquid helium,~4 degrees Kelvin (4K). Methods for cooling an electronics heat load at this temperature as well as for thermally isolating the electronics from a warmer environment are also explored.

 

Selected Recent Publications

  • Reliford, A., Smith S., Myles, L., Schuyler, T., Dumas, E., Lee, T. Buban, M. “Improving Chemical Sensing Methods and Air Quality Monitoring in The Atmospheric Boundary Layer Via Rotary-Winged Platform.” Proceedings of the American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, January 23-27, 2022 (accepted)
  • Jennings, Jr., D., Smith, S.” Comparative Study of Effective Cooling in Microchannel Heat Sinks (MCHS) With Nanofluid and Hydrophobic Nanostructures Using Computational Fluid Dynamics.” Proceedings of the ASME 2020 International Technical Conference and Exhibition on Packaging and Integration of Electronic and Photonic Microsystems (InterPACK2020) October 27-29, 2020, Anaheim, CA, USA. Paper No. IPACK2020-2565.
  • Gresham-Chisolm, D., Smith, S. “Thermal Analysis of Wavy Thermal Management System With Phase Change Composite and Pyrolytic Graphite Sheet for Cylindrical Lithium-Ion Battery Module.” Proceedings of the ASME 2020 International Technical Conference and Exhibition on Packaging and Integration of Electronic and Photonic Microsystems (InterPACK2020) October 27-29, 2020, Anaheim, CA, USA. Paper No. IPACK2020-2527.
  • Lovelace, K., Smith, S.,” Quantitative Characterization of Sapphire and Silicon Nitride for Space Applications Circuit Subassemblies using Cryogenic Cycling.” Proceedings of the ASME 2019 International Technical Conference and Exhibition on Packaging and Integration of Electronic and Photonic Microsystems (InterPACK2019) October 7-9, 2019, Anaheim, CA, USA. Paper No. IPACK2019-6499
  • Whitt, D. Huitink, S. Hudson, B. Nafis, Z. Yuan, B. Narayanasamy, A. Deshpande, F. Luo, A. Imran, Z. Clarke, and S. Smith, “Additive Manufactured, Low EMI, Non-Metallic Convective Heat Spreader Design and Optimization,” Proceedings of the ASME 2019 International Technical Conference and Exhibition on Packaging and Integration of Electronic and Photonic Microsystems (InterPACK2019) October 7-9, 2019, Anaheim, CA, USA. Paper No. IPACK2019-6442
  • Gresham-Chisholm, D., Smith, S. “Cold plate cooling simulation for Lithium-ion semi-passive battery thermal management system” 4th International Workshop on Heat Transfer, IWHT2019. April 14-15, 2019, Las Vegas, NV, USA. Paper No. TFEC-2019-26494
  • Lovelace, K., Smith, S., Norman, N. “Material Property Analysis of Sapphire and Silicon Nitride Using Cryogenic Cycling.” 4th International Workshop on Heat Transfer, IWHT2019. April 14-15, 2019, Las Vegas, NV, USA. Paper No. TFEC-2019-27456
  • Jennings, D., Smith, S. “Feasibility study of effective cooling through Microchannel Heat Sink (MCHS) and nanofluid applications” ASME IMECE Conference 2018 Paper No. IMECE2018-88690
  • Okeke, M., Smith, S. and Graf, W.(2016) “A Computational model of vestibular fluid response to human body rotation.” ASME Paper No. IMECHE 2016-67035.
  • Shirvani, K., Smith, S., and Mosleh, M. (2016) “Role of Particle Size to Channel Thickness Ratio on Performance of Nanofluids in Micro-Channels ASME Paper No. IMECHE 2016-66860.
  • Norman, N., Smith, S., (2015). Reducing Large Viking I based Martian Entry, Descent and Landing Response Surface Methodology Produced Quadratic Models, 66th International Astronautical Congress, Jerusalem, Israel