Traditional Thermal and Fluids Engineering aimed to enhance (or reduce) heat transfer, reduce pressure drop in fluid flow, and in general obtain enhanced efficiency from power producing devices (hydropower plants, gas and steam power plants, automobile engines) as well as refrigeration devices. A knowledge of thermodynamics and combustion was also key towards this goal. In modern times, research in this field has become more fundamental and includes fields that are at the borderline of Physics. As manufacturing has become miniaturized, study of fluid flow and heat transfer at the micro and nanoscale have become extremely important.  The quest for enhanced heat removal leads researchers to two-phase flow and specialized surface modifications to enhance boiling without leading to a pressure penalty. At the other end of the scale, research in thermal and fluids engineering is at the geo-spatial scales (weather modelling, modelling of tsunamis) and scales involving giant stars and planets.

The intimate relation of the field with energy production has led to significant research in solar and wind energy, while also exploring the use of waste heat for refrigeration and industrial process implementation. Improving combustion processes and utilizing biofuels is a major thrust area in the field of internal combustion engines, while research in refrigeration also includes cryogenic temperatures that are an absolute must in superconductivity and space research. Our department has researchers working at the nano-micro scale, the geo-spatial scale as well as the traditional fields of refrigeration, air conditioning, combustion and heat transfer enhancement, and students can expect to work on the most contemporary problems in each of these fields.

 Laboratories of Interest