Nano-enabled Energy Conversion, Storage and Thermal Management Systems (NEXT) Group

University of Colorado at Boulder

 

Director: Dr. Ronggui Yang, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Office Location: ECME 136, Engineering Center

Post-Doctor Offices: ECME 251A, ECME 251B

Student Offices and Labs: ECME 165, ECME 219, ECME 1B80

Tel: 303-735-1003 (O),  303-735-1763  (Lab);  Fax: 303-492-3498

 

 

People    Research    Publications    Facilities    Open Positions    News

 

 

NEXT Research Team

 

We are recruiting 2-3 post-doc research associates and/or Ph.D students annually! In particular, we are interested in recruiting post-doc research associates or Ph.D students in Fundamentals of Transport Phenomena in Micro/Nano-structures (both Theoretical and Experimental) and Applications of Micro/Nano-structures in Thermal Management and Energy Systems.

 

Director

Dr. Ronggui Yang (Ph.D 02/2006 MIT, MS 2001 UCLA, MS 1999 Tsinghua Univ., BS 1996 Xi’an Jiaotong University)

 

1) Current Research Group Members

Post-Doctoral Research Associates

Dr. Dae Up Ahn (Post-Doc, Jan. 2008 - , Research Area: Copolymer and Colloidal Particle Templated Nanofabrication, Ph.D 12/2007, Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, MS/BS, Polymer Science and Engineering, Seoul National University)

Dr. Wei Wang (Post-Doc, August 2008 - , Research Area: Porous Anodic Alumina Templates, Heterostructured Nanowires for Energy Applications, Ph.D 07/2008, Condensed Matter Physics, University of Science and Technology of China)

Dr. Jun Zhou (Post-Doc, May 2009 - ?, Research Area: Modeling and Simulation of Electron Transport in Nanostructures for Emerging Energy Applications, Ph.D 01/2009 Condensed Matter Physics & B.Sc. 07/2004 Physics , University of Science and Technology of China)

 

Professional Research Associate

Dr. Liew Li-Anne (Professional Research Associate, January 2009 - , 50% appointment with CU and 50% appointment with NIST, Research Area: Micro/Nano- Fabrication, Ph.D 2002 in MEMS at CU-Boulder) 

 

Ph.D Students (All are funded with Research Assistantship)

Mr. Jen-Hau Cheng (Ph.D student, co-advised with Prof. Y.C. Lee, Sep. 2006 - , Research Area: Thermal and Thermoelectric Characterization, Energy Harvesting, and Thermal Management, MS 2003, Mechanical Engineering, National Taiwan University)

Mr. Yadong Zhang (Ph.D student, co-advised with Prof. Y.C. Lee, Sep. 2006 - , Research Area: ALD Hermetic Packaging – Micro/Nanofabrication and Characterization, MS. 2004/ BS. 2001, Material Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China)

Mr. Xiaobo Li (Ph.D student, Sep. 2007 - , Research Area: Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Nonequilibrium Green’s Function Theory, MS 2007, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Science)

Mr. Suraj Joottu Thiagarajan (Ph.D student, June 2008 - , Research Area: Thermoelectrics, Electron Transport in Nanostructured Materials, MS. 2007, Mechanical Engineering, Ohio State University, BS 2005, PSG College of Technology, India)

Mr. Jun Liu (Ph.D student, September 2008 - , Research Area: Nanostructured Thermal Interface Materials, BS 2008 Thermal Engineering, Huangzhong University of Science and Technology, China)

Mr. Dave Makhija (Ph.D student, co-advised with Prof. Kurt Maute in Aerospace Engineering Sciences, September 2008 - , Research Area: Reactive Micro/Nano- Flow and Heat Transfer, BS 2008 Mechanical Engineering, BS 2008 Physics, Kettering University)

Ms. Miao Tian (Ph.D student, September 2009 - , Research Area: Nanostructures for Emerging Energy Applications, MS 2009 & BS 2007 in Applied Physics, Xi’an Jiaotong University)

Mr. Qian Li (September 2009 - ?, Research Area: Micro/Nano-Structures for Phase-Change Heat Transfer, MS. 2009, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, BS 2006, Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China)

 

Undergraduate Students

Mr. Kris Holub (May 2009-August 2010)

Mr. John Goblirsch (September 2009-December 2009)

 

Visiting Scholars

Dr. Jinho Han (February 2009 - February 2011, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Korea Polytechnic University, Ph.D 1996 University of WisconsinMadison)

Mr. Jie Zhu (February 2009-September 2010, Ph.D student 2004-, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, Chinese Academy of Science, BS 2004, Thermal Science and Energy Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China).

Ms. Dan Li (September 2009-November 2010, Ph.D student 2008- , Institute of Microelectronics, Peking University)

 

2). Alumni

Dr. Xiaofeng Peng (Visiting Professor, June 2009 – August 2009, Professor of Thermal Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, deceased, in Memorial)

Dr. Weixue Tian (Post-Doc, Jan. 2006 – Sep. 2007, Research Area: Monte Carlo Simulation of Phonon Transport,  Ph.D 12/2005, Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, MS. 2000 / BS. 1997, Shanghai Jiaotong University.)

Dr. Bin Li (Post-Doc, Nov 2006-Dec. 2007, Research Area: Pump and Probe Experiments, Ph.D 08/2006, Physics, University of Pittsburgh, BS. 1999 Physics, Peking University.)

Dr. Xiaochun Wang (Post-Doc, Oct. 2007- , Research Area: First Principle Simulations and Electron Transport in Nanostructures, Ph.D 07/2007, Physics, Xiamen University)

Mr. Li’an Tian (Ph.D student, 08/2006-05/2007, Currently a Ph.D student in Bioengineering Program at CU-Boulder.)

Ms. Liang-Chun Liu (Visiting Ph.D student from Taiwan University, Sep. 2007-Sep. 2008, Research Area: Phonon Transport and Nanoscale Thermal Characterization)

Mr. Scott Johnson (Research Assistant & UROP 05/2006-05/2007, Research Area: Micro Heat Pipe, BS/MS. 2007 in Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder.).

Mr. Charles Oclassen (NSF EUV ERC REU 05/2006-05/2007, Research Area: Thermal Probes for Nanofluids, BS/MS. 2007 in Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder.)

Mr. Brian Rhode (Summer Research for 04/2006-08/2006, Research Area: Thermal Characterization, BS. 2006 Mechanical Engineering, CU-Boulder)

Mr. Mindong Bian (Summer Research for 05/2007-08/2007, Research Area: Programming for Automatic Instrumentation, Electrical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder)

 

3). Awards Received by Advisees

1.      Wei Wang, Dae Up Ahn, Chen Li, Victor Bright, Y. C. Lee and Ronggui Yang, Fabrications of Nanowire Arrays for Emerging Energy Application, DARPA/iMINT Center First Prize Best Poster Award (1 out of 2 from a total of 30), March 2009

2.      Chris Oshman, Bo Shi, Chen Li, Ronggui Yang, Y. C. Lee and Victor Bright, A New Direction in Cooling Photovoltaics, DARPA/iMINT Center Second Prize Best Poster Award (1 out of 3 from a total of 30), March 2009

3.      Jun Liu, Best Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA) award of 2008-2009 academic year, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

4.      Dave Makhija, Best Presentation of the First Year Graduate Students, 9th GEARS Conference, Department of Mechanical Engineering.

5.      Suraj Joottu Thiagarajan, Engineering Dean’s Research Assistantship (RA paid by the Dean for a semester, 1 out of 7 total awarded in 2008 in the college.), 2008

6.      Dave Makhija, Engineering Dean’s Research Assistantship (RA paid by the Dean for a semester, 1 out of 7 total awarded in 2008 in the college.), 2008

7.      Yadong Zhang, Travel Fellowship for attending the 2008 SID Display Seminar and Exhibition, Society for Information Display, May 2008

8.      Yadong Zhang, David miller, J. Bertrand, Ronggui Yang, Martin L. Dunn, Steven M. George, and Y.C. Lee,  et al, ‘Visualization of Defects and Cracks in Atomic Layer Deposition-base Barrier Coatings,” DARPA/iMINT Center Best Poster Award (1 out of 3 from a total of 30), March 2008

9.      Bo Shi, Victor M. Bright, Ronggui Yang, G.P. Peterson, Keith Peterson, and Chen Li, “Thermal Modeling and Design of Flexible Thermal Ground Plane,” DARPA/iMINT Center Best Poster Award (1 out of 3 from a total of 30), March 2008

10.  Weixue Tian, Jen-Hau.Cheng, Scott R. Johnson, Y.C. Lee, Victor Bright,and Ronggui Yang, ‘Photonic Crystal enabled Micro Heat Pipe Arrays and Micro Capillary Pumped Loops,” DARPA/iMINT Center Best Poster Award (1 out of 3 from a total of 25), March 2007

 

3). Some Recent Pictures of the Group

 

(Welcome Party in Ronggui’s House, August 2006)

 

(Lunch in Boulder, Spring 2007)

 

(Thanksgiving Party in Ronggui’s House, 2007)

 

(Prof. Dresselhaus’ Visit in April 2008)

 

(Welcoming Party in Ronggui’s House, September 2009)