Ethan giving his presentation at the conference.

Author: Ethan Weems | Major: Mechanical Engineering | Semester: Summer 2023

My name is Ethan Weems, and I am an Honors student majoring in mechanical engineering with minors in mathematics, computer science, and data analytics. I was recently afforded the opportunity to present my research at the 2023 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Summer Heat Transfer Conference in Washington, D.C. The topic of the presentation was the utilization of field-driven design techniques to improve the heat transfer performance of air-cooled heat sinks by modifying the geometry. To summarize, commercially available heat sinks were selected and prescribed a cooling scenario such that its steady state temperature distribution could be identified via numerical simulation. This temperature field was then used to scale the thickness of the existing geometry and the resulting design was evaluated.

The time leading up to my presentation was nerve-racking, to say the least. I was the last to speak during my technical session and I experienced escalating anxiety leading up to my turn. In the end, though, I had to rely on what I had prepared and practiced. My fellow lab mates that attended the presentation assured me afterwards that it went well. Following my twelve-minute presentation, there were three questions from the audience. The first asked me about the potential applications of the work as it relates to reducing the weight of heat sink designs. Another noted the potential concerns with flow bypass and flow departure resulting from a narrowing channel between the heat sink fins. This is something that I was previously aware of. I wanted to replicate the nonidealities of flow bypass in my experimental design because this is how many practical applications implement heat sinks. However, I am glad that an audience member brought this up because what I presented is an unconventional methodology in the realm of literature that my work is currently positioned. The final comment from the audience was from a physicist at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory who suggested that I look into a heat sink design competition that is hosted every year during the IEEE ITherm conference. After the session leader dismissed the group, I reconnected with him to get more details about the event. We spoke for a few minutes about the expectations and timeline. He also gave me his business card. Coincidentally, I met one of the organizers of the competition over lunch. He teaches at the University of Utah and mentioned that teams from our school have participated in the past. From what I gathered between my lunch discussion and the conversation following my presentation, the competition takes place over the span of several months with many deliverables, culminating in the top performing design teams being invited to present their work at the conference. This is an opportunity that I will strongly consider getting involved with in the coming year.

I found the conference to be enormously beneficial to my career planning. I attended countless technical presentations and was introduced to several research topics that I had never been exposed to before. Even outside of this, though, there was value in the trip. For example, one evening of the conference there was a discussion panel specifically for students hosted by three active mechanical engineers. One works as an assistant professor, another as a researcher in a national lab, and the third in industry. They discussed the evolution of each of their careers and gave lots of advice about making career decisions. There was an extensive question and answer session that helped me understand the motivations and expectations of the different paths. They provided many insights, but one takeaway I had that stands out in my mind is this: never look back during your career. Although there will undoubtedly be career decisions made that turn out not to be for the best, continuing to live and work with regret only sets one up for failure.

Going forward, as it relates to my research, I would like to investigate the specific impact of the flow bypass in my upcoming testing, as the commenter noted following my presentation. I will address this in my forthcoming Honors College Research Grant final report. Additionally, the effect of the modified heat sink on the resulting pressure drop across the geometry will be examined, as this was not considered in the presented study. Outside of my research activity directly, the interactions I observed at the conference illuminated the importance of a strong professional network. I will take the University-hosted networking events much more seriously. This is an area that will require particular emphasis for myself as approaching strangers and “selling myself” is not something that I am typically comfortable doing.

I would recommend all students attend a conference within their field of study and/or interest because the work being done is truly remarkable. Even if only participating as an attendee, the experience gives students the opportunity to engage in a professional situation that cannot be replicated on a college campus. If given the chance, make sure to take lots of notes! There is a lot of information presented in a very short amount of time. The conference allowed me to establish new professional connections, listen to world experts present their work, and develop closer relationships with the other members of my lab. All in all, the conference provided me with several inspirations for future work as well as a new perspective from which to consider my career aspirations.