Thermal/Fluid Systems is a critical research area within the Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering with a focus on the disciplines of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, heat transfer and combustion. Research and teaching within this area is very diverse, targeting the areas of energy, healthcare, materials, environmental protection and manufacturing.

Specific topics include micro/nanoscale thermal/fluid transport, energy conversion, energy-water nexus, gas turbine cooling, phase change heat transfer, nanomaterials, laser spectroscopy, fire characterization, laser assisted biophotonics, tissue engineering, turbulence modeling, computational mathematics, combustion and IC engines.

Faculty members have strong collaborations and partnerships with other colleges at the University of Texas, in addition to federal agencies, national labs, industry and nonprofit foundations.

Research Facilities and Other Resources

Texas Materials Institute

Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences

Energy Institute