Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering - Thermal Fluid Sciences

The Mechanical Engineering (ME) profession is dedicated to applying principles of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics in the analysis, design, manufacturing and maintenance of mechanical components, devices, and systems. Oregon State's graduate program in ME is designed to educate leaders who will develop and improve systems for transforming energy, health, materials, and information to meet the needs of society.

To be eligible for graduate studies, a baccalaureate or master's degree in science, mathematics, or engineering is required.

The ThermalFluid Sciences (TFS) involve the application of basic fundamental laws of fluid flow, heat transfer and thermodynamics to the development and understanding of many engineering and naturally occurring systems. Current work being done by Oregon State TFS faculty encompasses the following areas:

Advanced Energy Systems
MIME TFS faculty are working in the areas of solar thermal systems, development of solar based fuels, development of alternative fuels, wind energy conversion and small scale hydropower system development. These studies include model development, experimental proof of concept, computational simulations and system integration.
Thermal Management
Power systems for applications such as advanced computer systems, high power laser devices, and concentrated energy sources require the ability to control, extract and efficiently use thermal energy. In working to develop new thermal management methods, MIME TFS faculty are conducting experimental and computational studies using single and multiphase flow systems with phase change. Applications include high heat flux cooling using controlled phase change, microscale devices for solar concentration, hydrogen storage systems and passive heat transfer enhancement techniques.