Comparing ANSYS Simulations and Experimental data using MATLAB

Author: Chinmaya Joshi | Major: Mechanical Engineering | Semester: Summer 2024

I am Chinmaya Joshi, an international undergraduate student from India majoring in Mechanical Engineering. During the summer of 2023 I joined Dr. Han Hu’s Nano Energy Data Driven Discovery Lab within the Mechanical Engineering Department. Since then, I have been actively engaged in research. In Spring 2024, I was awarded the Honors College Research Grant to support my work and intend to continue this project as part of a broader NASA-ESI (Early-Stage Innovations) project, High-Temperature Lightweight Radiator Panels with 3D-Printed Titanium Loop Heat Pipes, a collaborative project with NASA, University of Cincinnati, Advanced Cooling Technologies, and University of Arkansas.

I had always been interested in aerospace and thermal-fluid systems for a very long time due to which I contacted Dr. Han Hu regarding research with him in Spring 2023. When I joined Dr. Hu’s lab, Nano Energy Data Driven Discovery Lab, he offered me the opportunity to work on this project given my previous experience with 3D printing, to which I agreed and have learnt a lot from this project.

The NASA project requirements and previous work provided a lot of resources and context for this project that not only allowed me to understand the applications of this project but also taught me a lot of project management skills. My role in the research involves exploring the broader application of the project, which focuses on advancing spacecraft technology by cooling high temperature propulsion systems through radiation heat transfer in space. This approach aims to conduct heat away from critical components to maintain their temperature below a certain threshold, as convective heat transfer is not possible in space due to the lack of a convective fluid (air on ground, water in the sea, etc.). Additionally, I have gained valuable insights into how I manage challenges and meet deadlines, enhancing my personal and professional growth.

During Summer 2024 I worked on thermal characterization of materials like Titanium, Pyrolytic Graphite, Graphite, PEEK, Steel, etc. The development characterization facility for this was initialized by Corbin Russ, a member of the lab, and I optimized and rebuilt the facility. Some challenges that I faced while I was developing this facility were the application of pressure on the sample to allow for better thermal contact and the thermal contact resistance in the tester. The pressure application challenge was overcome by using a modified F-clamp. The thermal contact resistance challenge required calibration tests and was only found once the data was thoroughly looked over and compared to simulations and analytical models of the tester. Once this issue was found, thermal paste and grease was used to address this issue which also allowed for equal heat fluxes on the tester. Dr. Hu was extremely helpful in providing ideas and new approach methods to address the challenges faced while developing this facility. He also helped with reviewing data and providing important insights into the challenges which eventually allowed for overcoming them. Clancy Milam, another member of the lab, helped immensely with the challenges by introducing a low-cost alternative for applying pressure onto the sample using an F-clamp.

I will be travelling to the TFAWS (Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop) organized by NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH to present this research. I will also be presenting this research at the ASEE Midwest Section Conference 2024 in Lawrence, Kansas. Future works involves characterization of materials using infrared imaging methods and using these with machine learning methods to thermally characterize graphite. I will be taking a Machine Learning class with Dr. Han Hu in the Fall 2024 semester to gain more knowledge and experience with machine learning methods. Over the next semester,  I will use the completed facility and new knowledge to characterize more materials and get feedback on my processes.