Experimental Systems | Thermal & Fluid Hardware | Aerospace R&D
THE CHALLENGE
Develop and validate an ultralight, thin-walled polymer crossflow heat exchanger created through additive manufacturing, parylene deposition, and sacrificial-template removal.
Develop and validate an ultralight, thin-walled polymer crossflow heat exchanger created through additive manufacturing, parylene deposition, and sacrificial-template removal.
MY CONTRIBUTION
I designed, built, and automated air-to-air and air-to-water test systems to characterize heat transfer and pressure loss. I developed the plumbing, instrumentation, sample interfaces, calibration and leak-check procedures, and LabVIEW control architecture using National Instruments hardware. Automated routines detected steady state, executed test matrices, and supported multi-day unattended operation. I analyzed and visualized the resulting data in MATLAB and continually improved the setup, including replacement of leak-prone plumbing with stainless vacuum fittings and quick-change sample connections.
I designed, built, and automated air-to-air and air-to-water test systems to characterize heat transfer and pressure loss. I developed the plumbing, instrumentation, sample interfaces, calibration and leak-check procedures, and LabVIEW control architecture using National Instruments hardware. Automated routines detected steady state, executed test matrices, and supported multi-day unattended operation. I analyzed and visualized the resulting data in MATLAB and continually improved the setup, including replacement of leak-prone plumbing with stainless vacuum fittings and quick-change sample connections.
OUTCOME
The system produced repeatable performance data across a broad operating envelope, supported third-party testing, and helped advance the heat-exchanger concept from laboratory specimens toward larger, application-relevant hardware.
The system produced repeatable performance data across a broad operating envelope, supported third-party testing, and helped advance the heat-exchanger concept from laboratory specimens toward larger, application-relevant hardware.
SELECTED EVIDENCE
Published architecture and sample images; experimental heat-transfer and pressure-loss maps; public patent figures; photographs of the test system and sample fixtures.
Published architecture and sample images; experimental heat-transfer and pressure-loss maps; public patent figures; photographs of the test system and sample fixtures.
SKILLS
Test-system development · LabVIEW · National Instruments · MATLAB · Data acquisition · Thermal systems · Fluid systems · Calibration · Leak testing · Automation · Experimental design · Additive manufacturing
Test-system development · LabVIEW · National Instruments · MATLAB · Data acquisition · Thermal systems · Fluid systems · Calibration · Leak testing · Automation · Experimental design · Additive manufacturing
