The research focus of Multiscale Thermal Transport Research Laboratory is to gain insights into the flow and heat transport at multiple length scales with applications towards developing novel cooling techniques. Efficient active phase change cooling techniques such as spray cooling and Flow boiling and passive techniques using Heat Pipes and Vapour Chamber-Thermosyphon are studied in our Lab. Single phase cooling techniques based on wall jets and impinging jets with potential application to combustor liner cooling are also being currently explored. Single phase and two phase cooling techniques are also being investigated for battery thermal management in our lab.
To comprehend the spray cooling process, the interpretation of relevant basic processes such as single droplet impact, drop coalescence and drop-on-drop collisions, etc., are being studied using experimental techniques involving Infrared Thermography and High speed Imaging. Performance improvement of cooling devices involve the use of wettability modifications to Pulsating Heat pipes and Vapour Chambers.
CFD simulations are also being conducted using In-house multiphase solver incorporated into Open-source CFD solver OpenFOAM. In addition to CFD simulations, Machine Learning techniques are being explored to study multi-phase flows.