Prof. Evelyn N Wang

The Device Research Lab (DRL) is under the direction of Dr. Evelyn N. Wang in the Mechanical Engineering Department at MIT. The DRL aims to address energy and water challenges facing the world. The lab probes fundamental heat and mass transport processes, leverage novel materials engineering, and build high-performance prototypes and devices to realize impactful technologies. Specifically, our research areas comprises phase-change, solar, thermal, and water.

(*) Phase Change -- Liquid-to-vapor phase change is a ubiquitous phenomenon found in nature and widely used in industry. We are interested in the underlying physics of phase change and their broad applications in power generation, thermal management, seawater desalination, natural gas processing, among others. At the DRL, we are investigating the multiscale and multidisciplinary nature of condensation, boiling and evaporation combining mechanistic modeling with advanced characterizations. By leveraging fundamental understanding along with novel nanoengineered surface designs, we can significantly enhance heat transfer processes for high-efficiency power cycles, desalination devices, and thermal management strategies.

(*) Solar Energy -- Solar energy remains a vastly unexploited renewable energy source on Earth and beyond. In just one hour, our Earth receives enough energy in the form of sunlight to meet all of humanity’s energy needs for a whole year. While photovoltaic (PV), i.e., solar cells, has received interest, it can be expensive when considering the need for energy storage to enable dispatchability. At the DRL, we are working on three alternative solar-related projects to meet our future global energy needs at low cost: 1) Solar thermophotovoltaics (STPV) for high-efficiency baseload power generation; 2) Solar transparent silica aerogels for solar-thermal applications; and 3) Radiative cooling for passive building cooling and refrigeration.

(*) Thermal Management -- Thermal management, which regulates heat dissipation and temperature rise, is of critical importance at multiple scales. For example, thermal management is essential in advanced microelectronics to mitigate reliability concerns associated with highly localized heat generation and the associated significant temperature rise. Meanwhile, thermal management is needed to enhance the energy efficiency space heating and cooling systems as well as power plants. At the DRL, we are addressing thermal management challenges at multiple scales: 1) We develop advanced thermal characterization techniques based on spectroscopy and atomistic modeling tools to understand thermal transport mechanisms in electronic devices; 2) We design microchannels integrated with nanoengineered materials to enhance two-phase flows; 3) We develop thermal batteries to recycle waste heat for efficient space cooling and heating.

(*) Water Sustainability -- Water scarcity and access to potable water are critical global challenges. Depending on the region and availability of water sources, different technologies need to be pursued to produce clean water. At the DRL, 1) We design innovative solar distillation devices with optimized heat and mass transfer to achieve a higher solar-to-vapor efficiency; 2) We use advanced materials and micro/nanostructures to improve various desalination technologies; 3) We develop atmospheric water harvesting devices that utilize adsorbent materials to capture water vapor from the air.