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Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Friday, July 15, 2016 / 10:00 AM, Building 3 Auditorium

Brian Iverson

"Surface Topology: Influence and Control of Heat and Mass Transfer"

ABSTRACT -- Surface topology and surface feature aspect ratio can exert a dramatic influence on heat and mass transfer. In the Flux Lab at Brigham Young University, we explore this influence and use it to control or enhance transport in thermal and chemical systems. An overview of several research efforts that exploit aspect ratio will be given, including the following.

1. Chemical reactions can be speeded up by using arrays of channels to carry the reactants to surfaces where the reactions can be catalyzed. We have demonstrated this technique using massively parallel arrays of channels. The channels are fabricated using carbon nanotube based templates. This method could be useful in chemical sensing and in propulsion.

2. We are exploring ways of using superhydrophobic surfaces to improve heat transfer rates between a solid surface and a condensing vapor. Superhydrophobic surfaces can be manufactured with a microscopic surface texture and a hydrophobic coating. We are studying liquid/vapor systems in which vapor condenses on the superhydrophobic surface as individual drops, rather than as a continuous film.

3. We have developed techniques which will allow the use of origami radiators for cubesats and other applications. Our methods allow us to predict and measure the radiative properties of folding, collapsible surfaces.

SPEAKER -- Brian D. Iverson joined the faculty at Brigham Young University (BYU) in 2012. He is the director of BYU’s Flux Lab, which studies the way that surface properties affect heat and mass flow. His interests include heat and mass transfer involving high aspect ratio structures for use in sensors, energy, and thermal management applications.

His degrees are in Mechanical Engineering, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from BYU, as well as an M.S. and Ph.D. from Purdue. His M.S. topic was heat and mass transport in heat pipe wick structures. His Ph.D. topic was traveling-wave electrohydrodynamic micro pumping in a temperature gradient. Applications of his Ph.D. work include cooling of electronics and of biodevices.

After receiving his Ph.D., he stayed at Purdue to work as a post-doc in the NSF Cooling Research Center. He then moved to Sandia National Laboratories. While at Sandia, he studied the use of thermal energy storage for solar and other energy systems. This work included studies of the use of supercritical CO2 in Brayton cycle devices.


Engineering Colloquium home page: https://ecolloq.gsfc.nasa.gov