Sustainable Energy   

Renewable energy is the future. Purdue researchers dive deep into marine energy, wind, solar, and every other energy-generating possibility out there. They also tackle the energy storage technology of today, making batteries and fuel cells function longer and more safely in all of our devices. We believe engineering has the answers to many of the environmental issues of today, and we won't stop until we find them!

Faculty in Sustainable Energy

  • Fluid dynamics
  • Biomaterial
  • Multiphase flows
  • Non-Newtonian fluid dynamics
  • Microfluidics
  • Complex fluids
  • Soft matter
  • Renewable Energy Materials (physics-based energy yield predictions, sustainable PV and energy storage materials, recycling)
  • Electro-Optical-Thermo-Mechanical Reliability (in-situ and in-operando accelerated stress tests)
  • Heterogeneous Integration & Advanced Packaging (sub-10 μm pitch interconnects, low-loss interposers)
  • Harsh Environment Electronics Integration (high temperature Pb-free solders and nano-thermal interfaces)
  • Modeling and Analysis of Thermal Systems
  • Heat Pumping, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technologies
  • High Performance Buildings
  • Refrigerant and Lubricant Properties
  • Thermal Physics ... Heat Moving Energy
  • Spectroscopy ... "Seeing" energy with light
  • Nanophotonics ... Pushing light to see more
  • 2D Materials ... Creating functionality by losing dimension
  • Modeling, analysis, and control of thermal systems
  • Modeling, Experiments and Simulations of turbulent boundary layers: role of initial conditions and bio-inspired micro-surfaces on evolution of velocity/thermal fields.
  • Importance of turbulence and complex topography on wind energy.
  • Integration of renewable with water and thermal storage.
  • Translational research focus on renewable energy & society
  • Wall interaction (e.g., bio-inspired micro surfaces) in respiratory flows
  • Big data in turbulence, renewable energy and biomedical engineering.
  • Energy and social equality
  • Experimental fluid dynamics
  • Development of flow diagnostic techniques
  • Flow dynamics in stratified environment
  • Turbulent flow measurements and modeling
  • Identify interactions and design spaces at the intersection of energy technologies, economics, and decision-making process to minimize the cost of transitioning to new, decarbonized energy systems
  • Laser-absorption spectroscopy, laser-induced fluorescence, & IR imaging sensors for gas temperature, pressure, velocity, and chemical species
  • Molecular spectroscopy, photophysics, & energy transfer in gases
  • Energetic materials (e.g., explosives & propellants) detection & combustion
  • Combustion and propulsion systems (small and large scale)
  • Biomedical sensing
  • Sustainable energy and environment
  • Combustion and turbulent reacting flows
  • Combustion and heat transfer in materials
  • Biomedical flows and heat transfer
  • Global policy research
  • Thermal sciences as applied to HVAC&R systems and equipment
  • Dynamic modeling and optimal control; model predictive control; decentralized control
  • Thermodynamics-based optimization; entropy generation minimization; exergy analysis
  • Integrated energy management and storage in distributed energy systems, building systems
  • Building electrification, flexibility, and efficiency
  • Integrating flexible loads, energy storage, and distributed solar into power grids
  • Optimization and control under uncertainty
  • Energy policy
  • Renewable Energy
  • Catalysts
  • Aerosol Pollution
  • Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry
  • Electrical Propulsion
  • Polymer Characterization
  • Protein and Biomolecule Characterization
  • Energy Transfer
  • Molecular Dynamic coupling at the molecular Scale
  • Multiscale Multichemistry Plasma Modeling
  • Acoustic tweezers
  • Acoustofluidics
  • Acoustic metamaterials
  • Ultrasound control
  • Underwater communication
  • Ultrasound imaging
  • Multiphysics wave propagation theory
  • Noise control and energy harvesting
  • Naturally nanostructured materials
  • Energy, water, and wearable technology
  • Manufacturing
  • Sustainable manufacturing
  • Environmental life cycle assessment
  • Mechanics of multilayered systems
  • Adhesion in paints and coatings
  • Lightweighting strategies for transportation
  • Transport Phenomena in Multi-Scale, Heterogeneous Materials & Systems
  • Fundamentals of Nanoscale Thermal Transport
  • Heat Transfer in Natural and Synthetic Fiber Systems
  • Thermofluids Interactions
  • Multi-Physics Metrology Design
  • Electronics Cooling and Thermal Management
  • Boiling
  • Condensation
  • Two-phase Flow
  • High heat flux
  • Thermal management systems
  • Cryogenic systems
  • Space vehicles
  • Lunar and Martian environments
  • Microgravity
  • Experiments on International Space Station
  • Electronic cooling
  • Energy storage and conversion (batteries, fuel cells)
  • Mesoscale physics and stochastics
  • Reactive transport, materials, processing, and microstructure interactions
  • Gas turbine combustion
  • Internal combustion engines
  • Laser-based spectroscopy
  • Scalable nanomanufacturing: lithography and imaging
  • Optical and magnetic data storage
  • Nanoscale energy conversion, transfer and storage for alternative energy
  • Simulations of nanoscale thermal transport
  • Machine learning, optimization, and high throughput design
  • Thermal management in electronics, space, and battery applications
  • Transport phenomena in additive manufacturing
  • Nanomaterials and devices for sustainable energy
  • Model-based system and control design of commercial vehicle power trains
  • Connected and automated commercial vehicles
  • Internal combustion engine & after-treatment system design and controls
  • Flexible valve actuation in diesel and natural gas engines
  • Multiphase combustion, particularly related to propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics
  • Nanoscale composite energetic materials
  • Advanced energetic materials
  • Microscale combustion
  • Modeling and simulation of hydraulic systems
  • Modeling and testing of pumps and motors for fluid power applications
  • Hydraulic valves modeling and testing
  • Reduction of noise emissions in fluid power systems
  • Two-Phase Flows and Heat Transfer
  • High-Heat-Flux Thermal Management Systems for Several Applications, e.g., Outer Space Missions, Electric Vehicles, Ultra-Fast Charging Systems, Electronics Cooling, Avionics, Nuclear Reactors, Metal Manufacturing, Superconductors, Data Centers, etc.
  • Gravitational Effects
  • Experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS)
  • Two-Phase Flow Instabilities
  • Fluid-Structure Interactions & Non-Newtonian Fluids in Biological Systems
  • Desalination & Water Treatment
  • Water-Food-Energy Nexus
  • Thermofluids
  • Nanotechnology
  • Membrane Science
  • Electronics cooling and packaging
  • Phase-change transport phenomena
  • Microscale and nanoscale surface engineering for enhanced thermal transport
  • Energy efficiency in thermal systems
  • Transport in porous materials
  • Microscale diagnostics and sensing
  • Heat transfer, particularly nano-scale and ultrafast heat transfer
  • Ultrafast laser materials processing and diagnostics
  • Nano-optics and laser-based nano-lithography
  • Environment friendly design and life cycle engineering
  • Applications of bio-based materials in manufacturing
  • Fast and low-cost detection of pathogenic microorganisms
  • Biomass thermo-chemical upgrading for liquid and gaseous fuel
  • Deformation, stress, plasticity, fracture
  • Multiscale modeling, first-principles, molecular dynamics simulations, and finite element modeling
  • In-situ experiments
  • Mechanics of redox active materials - Li-ion batteries, Na-ion batteries, all-solid-state batteries
  • Mechanics of polymeric materials - organic electrochromics, superelastic organic semiconductors
  • Advanced Heat Pumps and Refrigeration Systems
  • Deep Space Habitats and Systems
  • Thermal Management Systems