Our group research lies within the fields of heat transfer and thermodynamics and their application to the design, modeling and optimization of advanced energy systems. The group conducts research in constructal theory, entropy generation minimization, and thermodynamic optimization. Specific areas of research include solar thermal systems, ship system-level thermal modeling and management, modeling and optimization of fuel cells and fuel cell systems, combined heat and power, photobioreactors for microalgae growth, electromagnetic launchers.

In the area of heat transfer enhancement, there are opportunities everywhere to perform optimization of shapes, structures, sizes and arrangements, which leads to better device performance. Using concepts from thermodynamic optimization, constructal theory and modern optimization tools we are finding optimal features for problems arising on the fields of solar energy, cooling of electronics, heat exchangers, refrigeration and microfluidics.

Ongoing projects include: Study of effects of asymmetric bifurcation on constructal dendritic geometry; Designed porous media; Entropy generation minimization of systems that propel themselves; Fuel Cells Internal and External; Ship System-level Thermal Management; Thermodynamic optimization of solar thermal systems.