"Nanoengineered Surfaces for Efficiency Enhancements in Energy and Water", Professor Kripa Varansi, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Thermal-fluid-surface interactions are ubiquitous in multiple industries including Energy, Water, Agriculture, Transportation, Electronics Cooling, Buildings, etc. Over the years, these systems have been designed for increasingly higher efficiency using incremental engineering approaches that utilize system-level design trade-offs. These system-level approaches are, however, bound by the fundamental constraint of the nature of the thermal-fluid-surface interactions, where the largest inefficiencies occur. In this talk, we show how surface/interface morphology and chemistry can be engineered to fundamentally alter these interactions in a wide range of processes including condensation, boiling, drop dynamics, ice and clathrate hydrate mitigation, separation, catalysis, durable materials and nanomanufacturing. Applications of these nanoengineered surfaces for dramatic efficiency enhancements in various energy, water, and transportation systems including oil & gas (flow assurance and energy efficiency), aircraft, turbines, engines, power and desalination plants, and electronics cooling will be highlighted.