Thermofluids Research Laboratory

The Thermofluids research laboratory is managed by Dr Stefano Landini and Dr Jack Panter. The principal mission is the joint experimental and computational investigation of phase-change phenomena in heating and cooling, thermal management of electronics/batteries, and thermal energy storage applications. Example projects include: exploring and optimising systems which are thermally regulated by solid-liquid phase change materials, development of novel composites and hybrid phase change materials, and microstructure design and optimisation for liquid-vapour cooling. Our facilities also support a broad range of adjacent projects, from thermal characterisation, electrochemical batteries thermo-electric testing, to the investigation of capillary phenomena.

Our experimental equipment includes:
• Climatic chamber BINDER MKF-115
• Arbitrary Power Supply for battery testing - EA-PSB 9080-120 80V 120A 2.5kW
• Thermal Baths Grant LTC4
• National Instruments DAQ systems (cDAQ) including multiple thermocouples, universal-input, relay, voltage modules
• Edwards High-Vacuum T-Station 300D Dry ISO100
• AVE Acrylic Vacuum Chamber ACB64-PT combined with Edwards XDD1 Mk2
• Thermal Conductivity Meter – TA Instruments FOX50
• Thermal Conductivity Meter - Linseis Transient Hot Bridge (THB)
• Resin 3D printing for microstructure fabrication.
• Custom capillary force sensing rig.
• Contact angle tensiometer
• Laboratory Fume Hoods
• Access to UEA Faculty of Science facilities including TA Instruments DSC, TGA, DSC/TGA (SDT), Raman Spectroscopy, SME, XDS