Thermofluids Research Laboratory

The Thermofluids research laboratory is managed by Dr Stefano Landini, Dr Jack Panter and Dr Mohammad Arqam. 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:
•BINDER Climatic chamber MKF-115
•BINDER FD 56 Drying & Heating Chamber (Model 9110-0303 FD-230V)
•BINDER KT 53 Thermal Chamber (KT053-230V)
•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)
•Labogene Scanvac CoolSafe FreezeDryer System
•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