Presenting my poster at the ASEE Midwest Section Conference 2024 at Kansas University, Lawrence.
Author: Joshi Chinmaya | Major: Mechanical Engineering | Semester: Fall 2024
During the summer of 2023, I joined Dr. Han Hu’s Nano Energy Data Driven Discovery Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Arkansas. Since then, I have engaged in research and was awarded the Honors College Research Grant in Spring 2024 to support my work. This project is part of a broader NASA Early-Stage Innovations (ESI) initiative titled High-Temperature Lightweight Radiator Panels with 3D-Printed Titanium Loop Heat Pipes. This collaborative effort involves NASA, the University of Cincinnati, Advanced Cooling Technologies, and the University of Arkansas.
Driven by my long-standing interest in aerospace and thermal-fluid systems, I reached out to Dr. Hu in Spring 2023 regarding potential research opportunities in his lab. Upon joining the Nano Energy Data Driven Discovery Lab, Dr. Hu offered me the opportunity to work on this project due to my prior experience with 3D printing. Through this work, I have gained valuable knowledge in spacecraft technology and project management, particularly in designing systems for cooling high-temperature propulsion systems in space using radiation heat transfer—an essential mechanism in the absence of convective heat transfer.
During Summer 2024, I focused on the thermal characterization of materials such as Titanium, Pyrolytic Graphite, Graphite, PEEK, and Steel. This work involved optimizing and rebuilding a characterization facility initially developed by another lab member, Corbin Russ. Some challenges I encountered included achieving consistent pressure application on samples for better thermal contact and addressing thermal contact resistance in the tester. To resolve these issues, I, along with Clancy Milam, implemented a modified F-clamp for pressure application and used thermal paste and grease to minimize thermal contact resistance. These improvements were validated through calibration tests and comparison with simulations and analytical models.
During Fall 2024, I completed the Thermal Resistance Tester (TRT) and analysed the data. The data obtained from this test facility was within 5% error for both Pyrolytic Graphite and Grade 2 Titanium. I also travelled to the TFAWS (Thermal and Fluids Analysis Workshop) organized by NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, OH to co-present this research, with Parth Agrawal from university of Cincinnati, where I receive important insights and helpful comments from NASA engineers and graduate students from different universities. I also presented my research on the TRT at the ASEE Midwest Section Conference 2024 in Lawrence, Kansas where I received the second-place award for poster presentations. I also took a Machine Learning class with Dr. Han Hu to gain more knowledge and experience with machine learning methods for this project. Using the knowledge from this class, I developed a machine learning model for the class project to predict the in plane thermal conductivity of a material given its surface temperature distribution. Apart from this, I also started working on wrapping up the research on the TRT in the form of a paper that involves thorough uncertainty analysis and documentation of the process to produce reliable and repeatable results. Dr. Hu provided immense support throughout this process by providing resources, reviewing data, and providing important insights into the research process.
Future work involves characterization of materials using infrared imaging methods and improving the machine learning model to thermally characterize different materials under different boundary conditions. Over the next semester, I will wrap up my research on the TRT as a paper and use my research to complete and defend my honours thesis.