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Geoff Wehmeyer

Geoff Wehmeyer

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

CONTACT

geoff.wehmeyer@rice.edu

WEBSITE(S)| http://wehmeyerlab.rice.edu/

SURF Mentoring

Potential projects/topics: The Nanoscale Heat Transfer Lab (http://wehmeyerlab.rice.edu/) focuses on building thermal devices and studying heat transfer in nanomaterials. Our research is motivated by thermal challenges in the energy, aerospace, and semiconductor industries. Typical undergraduate student projects include building and characterizing a new thermal device, using finite-element models to predict thermal performance, or collaborating with a graduate student to perform thermal measurements of new nanomaterials.

Potential skills gained: High level skills include the ability to plan and evaluate individual steps in a long-term project, learn about cutting-edge problems in thermal engineering, and learn about graduate school. Detailed skills include precision thermal experiments; finite-element thermal modeling; and research communication skills.

Required qualifications: Students should be planning to obtain a B.S. in engineering or physics.

Direct mentor: Faculty/P.I., Graduate Student

Student Project Titles List

Optimization of Additive Manufactured Heat Sinks Based on the Performance of a Unit Cell Structure

Modelling an Oscillating Gadolinium Heat Switch with Time Dependent Heating

Research Areas

Dr. Wehmeyer uses experimental and theoretical techniques to study heat transfer, with an emphasis on nanoscale heat conduction. This research is motivated by applications such as microelectronic thermal management, solid-state energy conversion, and heat-assisted magnetic recording, all of which require a detailed understanding of how heat is conducted through nanostructures and across interfaces. Dr. Wehmeyer seeks to first understand the mechanisms of heat transfer at small lengthscales, and then to use this fundamental knowledge in the design of macroscopic thermal management and energy conversion technologies. Research projects of current interest include developing ultra-high spatial resolution temperature mapping tools, measuring thermal properties of anisotropic thin films, modeling heat transport in superlattices, and building active and nonlinear thermal systems for improved thermal control.