Abstract : Widespread environmental concerns have created a need for advanced electric-vehicle batteries. One of the promising candidates is the lithium-ion battery due to its high energy density. The optimal operating region of the battery is between -10 and 50 ; hence, it is important to have an effective thermal management strategy.

This project aims to study (i) the effect of temperature on the performance of Li-ion batteries and (ii) a thermal management system for batteries in electric vehicles. Modelling and simulations will be carried out in easy-to-use yet versatile numerical software .

Abstract : The polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) is a promising candidate for power generation in vehicles, portable and stationary applications. For the PEFC, humidification and thermal management are two key factors that affect the overall cost of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell. This project therefore seeks to investigated the behaviour of forced-air-convection cooling for PEFC stack with the following designs: (i) open-cathode manifold; (ii) specially designed cooling plates; (iii) edge-cooling; and (iv) combination of three above. The modelling will be carried out in the commercial solver Fluent and customized with user-defined functions. A strong interest in programming is a prerequisite.  

This project is suitable for Energy & Thermal Process Engineering specialization.

Abstract : A hydrogel is a unique material that has the ability to absorb large amounts of water; it has a wide range of applications: dietary pills, artificial muscles, drug delivery, and flow control, to name but a few. In order to design a hydrogel for practical applications, a thorough understanding of the transport phenomena and swelling behaviour is important. 

The objective of this study is therefore to investigate the deformation behaviour and transport phenomena that occur in a hydrogel as it swells and shrinks. We will carry out experiments as well as computer simulations.

This project is suitable for Materials Engineering in Design specialization..

Abstract : Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) have in recent years emerged as one of the potential solutions for application of renewable energy sources. In this project, we start with a simplified 1D analytical model for various components of PEMFC, such as membrane, catalyst layer, gas diffusion layer and flow structure. This will be carried out using MATLAB. If time permits, the project can be extended to 2Dnumerical modelling using commercial CFD codes such as COMSOL or FLUENT. Ultimately, we hope to propose and develop a novel design for the enhanced PEMFC performance via the mathematical modelling approach which is cost-effective.

This project is suitable for Energy & Thermal Process Engineering specialization.

Abstract : Impinging jet flows of various geometric designs are commonly used in industrial drying applications for drying of paper, coatings, textiles etc. In pulsating impinging jets, the reduced resistance of boundary layer growth on the impingement surface could potentially enhance heat and mass transfer. To further confirm this postulate, computational fluid dynamic simulations will be carried out over wide ranges of parameters of industrial interest (e.g. frequency ranges, amplitude of pulsation, temperature difference between jet and targeted surface, flow Reynolds number etc). Ultimately, we hope to develop a novel method for enhanced heat and mass transfer array of pulsating jet impingement.

This project is suitable for Energy & Thermal Process Engineering specialization

Abstract : Heat transfer enhancement plays an instrumental role in many engineering applications. Among the techniques, dimple cavity has emerged as a feasible passive design for heat transfer augmentation. The objective of this study is to characterize the heat transfer performance of a dimpled surface in both channel and impingement flows. The effects of dimple spacing, depth, diameters and flow pulsation will be studied and compared to the smooth plate heat transfer. A suitable simulation tool (FLUENT or COMSOL) will be used to perform the analysis. It is hoped that the proposed design is able to increase the heat transfer without increasing the pressure drop. Comparison will be made with published results for selected cases. The objective is to arrive at innovative designs based on mathematical modeling approach.

This project is suitable for Energy & Thermal Process Engineering specialization.