Past Student Design Competitions

ITherm 2025 Competition

Finalists:

ITherm 2024 Competition

The 2024 Student Heat Sink Design Competition challenged student teams to design, analyze, and optimize additively manufactured heat sinks for forced convection cooling. Semi-finalist designs were reviewed with GE engineers, printed by GE, and experimentally tested at the University of Southern Denmark. Finalist teams presented their work at ITherm 2024, where awardees were selected based on measured performance, presentation quality, and effective use of additive manufacturing.

Awardees:

- Winner: Crimson Peak, University of Utah: Eric Montenegro, Zane Frey, Joshua Brodbeck, Oliver Proctor, and Nathan Brown. Advisor: Prof. Sameer Rao.

- Runner-Up: Team ETH, Eidgenossische Technische Hochschule Zurich: Michael Joel Schnetzler, Nico Benz, Giacumin Fark, Irina Ilic, and Fabian Popp.

- Runner-Up: Aero Pro Max, University of Nottingham - Ningbo China: Yang Zhang, Junyuan Jiang, Yiwei Wang, and Luying Xia. Advisors: Dr. Yi Nie and Dr. Shanshan Long.

- Additional finalist: LeoSink, University of North Alabama, placed fourth according to the UNA press release.

Organizers:

- Dr. Joe Alexandersen, Southern Denmark University

- Dr. Sameer Rao, University of Utah

- Dr. Amy Marconnet, Purdue University

- Dr. Jack Maddox, University of Kentucky

- Dr. Naveenan Thiagarajan, GE

- Dr. Ronald Warzoha, US Naval Academy

Sponsors:

- Toyota

- GE

ITherm 2023 Competition

The 2023 Student Heat Sink Design Challenge asked teams to expand the possibilities of heat sink design using additive manufacturing. Teams submitted design white papers and 3D models, semi-finalists were selected for printing, and finalists were selected using experimental figure of merit data. Finalist presentations were held at ITherm 2023 in Orlando, Florida.

Competition format:

- Registration: 6 teams

- Submissions: 5 teams

- Semi-finalists: 4 teams

- Finalists: 3 teams

- Winner selection: 40% experimental cost-based figure of merit, 40% use of additive manufacturing, and 20% presentation skills

Key dates:

- Design guidelines released: September 30, 2022

- White paper and design model due: January 6, 2023

- Semifinalist design revisions: January 21 - February 4, 2023

- Printing and testing: February 5 - April 30, 2023

- Finalist announcement: April 30, 2023

- Finalist presentations at ITherm 2023: May 31, 2023

Organizers:

- Dr. Joe Alexandersen, Southern Denmark University

- Dr. Sameer Rao, University of Utah

- Dr. Amy Marconnet, Purdue University

- Dr. Naveenan Thiagarajan, GE

- Dr. Ronald Warzoha, Northrop Grumman / US Naval Academy

- Dr. Jack Maddox, University of Kentucky

Sponsor:

- GE

ITherm 2022 Competition

The 2022 Student Heat Sink Design Challenge was hosted at ITherm 2022 in San Diego, California. Teams designed additively manufactured heat sinks, submitted white papers and design models, and selected semi-finalist designs were printed by GE. Four finalists presented at ITherm 2022 after experimental testing in the lab of Sameer Rao at the University of Utah, with test equipment partially supported by Valin.

Awardees:

- Winner: Cool Runnings, Technische Universitat Berlin: Eike van Dieken, Diego Montalvo, Lisa Stencel, and Alexander Nicolai.

- Runner-Up: Energy-X, Michigan Technological University: Gracie Brownlow, Kelsey Brinks, Behzad Ahmadi, Masoud Ahmadi, and Behnam Ahmadi.

Other finalists:

- Purdue University

- University of Arkansas

Organizers:

- Dr. Sameer Rao, University of Utah

- Dr. Jack Maddox, University of Kentucky

- Dr. Amy Marconnet, Purdue University

- Dr. Naveenan Thiagarajan, GE

- Dr. Ronald Warzoha, US Naval Academy

- Dr. Joe Alexandersen, Southern Denmark University

- Dr. Joshua Gess, Oregon State University

Sponsor:

- GE

ITherm 2021 Competition

The 2021 competition challenged teams to design additively manufactured aluminum heat sinks for natural convection cooling. Teams submitted white papers and computational analyses, selected semi-finalists had designs printed by GE, and finalists presented virtually at ITherm 2021. The University of Utah team won the competition with the Toposink design.

Winner:

- Toposink, University of Utah: Travis Allen, Michael Alverson, Carter Cocke, Bence Csontos, Hunter Scott, and Erik Steenburgh. Advisors: Dr. Keunhan Park and Dr. Sameer Rao.

Known finalist and semi-finalist teams from local files:

- Toposink, University of Utah

- Happy Valley, Pennsylvania State University

- Hot Hogs, University of Arkansas

- Team Turbulence, University of Leeds

- OSU Overclocking, Oregon State University

- HogSink, University of Arkansas

- Badger Engineers, University of Wisconsin

- K-State Snowcats, Kansas State University

- Ingeniators, Virginia Tech

- GoCards, University of Louisville

- 298K, University of Wisconsin - Madison

- The Airboat, University of the District of Columbia

Organizers:

- Dr. Joshua Gess, Oregon State University

- Dr. Amy Marconnet, Purdue University

- Dr. Sameer Rao, University of Utah

- Dr. Naveenan Thiagarajan, GE

- Dr. Ronald Warzoha, US Naval Academy

- Dr. Jack Maddox, University of Kentucky

- Dr. Joe Alexandersen, Southern Denmark University

Sponsor:

- GE

The 2021 competition challenged teams to design additively manufactured aluminum heat sinks for natural convection cooling. Teams submitted white papers and computational analyses, selected semi-finalists had designs printed by GE, and finalists presented virtually at ITherm 2021. The University of Utah team won the competition with the Toposink design.

Winner:

- Toposink, University of Utah: Travis Allen, Michael Alverson, Carter Cocke, Bence Csontos, Hunter Scott, and Erik Steenburgh. Advisors: Dr. Keunhan Park and Dr. Sameer Rao.

Known finalist and semi-finalist teams from local files:

- Toposink, University of Utah

- Happy Valley, Pennsylvania State University

- Hot Hogs, University of Arkansas

- Team Turbulence, University of Leeds

- OSU Overclocking, Oregon State University

- HogSink, University of Arkansas

- Badger Engineers, University of Wisconsin

- K-State Snowcats, Kansas State University

- Ingeniators, Virginia Tech

- GoCards, University of Louisville

- 298K, University of Wisconsin - Madison

- The Airboat, University of the District of Columbia

Organizers:

- Dr. Joshua Gess, Oregon State University

- Dr. Amy Marconnet, Purdue University

- Dr. Sameer Rao, University of Utah

- Dr. Naveenan Thiagarajan, GE

- Dr. Ronald Warzoha, US Naval Academy

- Dr. Jack Maddox, University of Kentucky

- Dr. Joe Alexandersen, Southern Denmark University

Sponsor:

- GE

ITherm 2020 Competition

The 2020 Virtual Student Heat Sink Design Challenge asked teams to design 3D printable heat sinks for cooling a power electronics module while minimizing temperature, cost, and material use. The top six teams had designs printed in aluminum by GE Additive and tested at Oregon State University. Final presentations were held virtually as part of ITherm 2020.

Winner:

- Purdue Panthers, Purdue University: Soumya Bandyopadhyay, Saeel Pai, Julia Meyer, and Adeline Naon.

Known finalist teams from local testing and results files:

- Purdue Panthers, Purdue University

- UTA Biomimetic, University of Texas at Arlington

- Oregon State University

- Penn State

- Georgia Tech

- UTA Wavy, University of Texas at Arlington

Organizers:

- Dr. Joshua Gess, Oregon State University

- Dr. Amy Marconnet, Purdue University

- Dr. Sameer Rao, University of Utah

- Dr. Naveenan Thiagarajan, GE

- Dr. Ronald Warzoha, US Naval Academy

- Dr. Jack Maddox, University of Kentucky

- Dr. Joe Alexandersen, Southern Denmark University

Sponsor:

- GE

ITherm 2019 Competition

The 2019 Student Design Challenge continued the additively manufactured heat sink competition at ITherm 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Teams designed and analyzed heat sinks, submitted white papers, and finalist designs were printed and experimentally tested before final presentations at ITherm.

Awardees and rankings from the local results workbook:

- First Place: Happy Valley, Penn State

- Second Place: University of Maryland

- Third Place: ASU 3D Devils

- Fourth Place: Trinity College Dublin

- Fifth Place: Purdue Heat Sink Makers

Finalist teams:

- ASU 3D Devils

- Happy Valley, Penn State

- Trinity College Dublin

- Purdue Heat Sink Makers

- University of Maryland

Sponsor:

- GE