Principal Investigator: Ethan Languri, PhD, PE, CEM
Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Director, Industrial Assessment Center (IAC)
Director, Thermal and Energy Systems Laboratory (TESLab)
Tennessee Tech University, Cookeville, Tennessee, USA
ELanguri@tntech.edu | (931) 372-6790
Current PhD Students
Miles Nevills
PhD Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Fall 2021- present.
TOPIC: Phonon Transfer in Nanodiamond Fluids
Spencer Jones
PhD Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Fall 2021- present.
TOPIC: Energy Modeling in Industrial Settings
Patrick Swiecichowski
PhD Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Fall 2021- present.
TOPIC: Imaging Techniques for Industrial Energy Modeling
Rajendra Tadakhe
PhD Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Spring 2023- present.
TOPIC: Thermal Energy Storage
Mohsen Pourfallah
PhD Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Fall 2023- present.
TOPIC: Electronics Thermal Management
Current Master Students
Jared Oliver
MSc. Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Spring 2022- December 2023 - Graduated.
TOPIC: Functionalized Nanodiamonds in Heat Transfer Fluids
Toby Tomlin
MSc. Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Duration: Spring 2024- present.
TOPIC: Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Facilities - Industrial Assessment Center (IAC)
Current Undergraduate Student Researchers
Ashlyn Davidson
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: January 2023-present.
TOPIC: Functionalized Nanodiamonds for Enhanced Heat Transfer Fluids
Lucas Crawford
Undergraduate Researcher, Electrical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: March 2021-present.
TOPIC: Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Facilites - Industrial Assessment Center (IAC)
Carlos Salvatierra
Undergraduate Researcher, Electrical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Spring 2023-present.
TOPIC: Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Facilites - Industrial Assessment Center (IAC)
Alumni - Graduate Studies
Vinit V. Prabhu
Ph.D. Student - Graduated in December 2023
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Spring 2017- 2023.
TOPIC: Latent Thermal Energy Storage Systems & Functionalized Nanodiamond-Enhanced Medium
Divya Susmitha Jaladi
Ph.D. Student - Graduated in December 2021
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2017- December 2021.
TOPIC: High-rate and Sustainable Evaporation Methods for Industry.
Joshua Hooper
M.Sc. Student - Graduated in May 2021
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2019- 2021.
TOPIC: Industrial Cooling Tower Simulation.
Abby Mink
MSc. Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Spring 2022- Fall 2023.
TOPIC: Image Processing for High-Pressure Steam Flow Calculation
Laurie Messerschmidt
MSc. Student
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Fall 2021- present.
TOPIC: GHG and Carbon Footprint Modeling in Manufacturing Companies
Farzin Mashali
M.Sc. Student - Graduated in 2019
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2017- 2019.
TOPIC: Thermal Management in Electronic Systems using Diamond Nanofluids.
Aaron Bain
Graduate Student Researcher
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2019- 2020.
TOPIC: Phonon Transport at Nanoscale in Heat Transfer Fluids.
Dr. Milad Rabbani Esfahani
Postdoctoral Researcher, Co-Advised by Dr. Laura Chavez. - Graduated in 2021
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2015-2017.
TOPIC: Flow through Nano-Membrane in Forward Osmosis Water Treatment - A CFD Study.
Current Position: Faculty at University of Alabama
Pallavi Patil
M.Sc. Student - Graduated in May 2017.
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2015- 2017.
TOPIC: Cooling Tower Water and Energy Efficiency Enhancement. Link to Thesis.
Aaron Bain
Master of Engineering Student
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2018- 2019.
TOPIC: Electronics Thermal Management using Diamond Nanomaterials.
Vinit V Prabhu
M.Sc. Student - Graduated in May 2017.
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2015- 2017.
TOPIC: Buoyancy Driven Airflow in Irregular Air Spaces and Its Roles in Energy Consumption Reduction of Facilities. Link to Thesis.
Suresh Vempati
M.Sc. Student - Graduated in May 2017.
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2015- 2017.
TOPIC: Dynamic Modeling of Solar Water Heater with Latent Thermal Energy Storage system. Link to Thesis.
Maheshwar Rao Nunna
M.Sc. Student - Graduated in May 2016.
Mechanical Engineering
Duration: 2014- 2016.
TOPIC: Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics of Graphene Oxide Nanofluids in a Horizontal Tube. Thesis Abstract Link to Thesis.
Hamidreza Ghasemi Bahraseman
Ph.D. Student - Graduated in May 2017
Mechanical Engineering Department
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2014-2017.
Thesis Title: Heat and Mass Transfer in Thermal Energy Systems: Evaporation and Energy Storage Applications. Link to Thesis
Alumni - Undergraduate Studies
Toby Tomlin
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Spring 2023- December 2024 - Graduated.
TOPIC: Energy Efficiency in Manufacturing Facilities - Industrial Assessment Center (IAC)
Abdel Zaro
Undergraduate Researcher through National Science Foundation (NSF) Research for Undergraduate (REU), Mechanical Engineering, from Canada College, Engineering Associate, San Mateo, California
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Summer 2021
TOPIC: Hi-rate sustainable evaporation for industrial wastewater management
Leland Goldston
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Fall 2021-2022.
TOPIC: Combined Heat and Power for Industrial Energy Resiliency and Efficiency Improvement
Pedro Garza-Ramos
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Summer 2019 - 2020.
TOPIC: Experimental Heat Transfer Fluid Enhancement.
Spencer Hammons
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: February 2019 - present.
TOPIC: Bio-Inspired Thermal Energy Storage Systems - An Experimental Study.
Joshua Brinegar
Undergraduate Researcher through National Science Foundation (NSF) Research for Undergraduate (REU), Mechanical Engineering, from Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: Summer 2018.
TOPIC: Distillation Experimental Testing using Evaporation in Porous Media.
Evan Kixmiller
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: February 2019 - present.
TOPIC: Mushy Zone Parameter Characterization using an Experimental-Numerical Method in Thermal Energy Storage Systems.
Fahad Alkhaldi
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2017 - 2018.
TOPIC: Experimental Analysis of Diamond Nanofluid in Heat Transfer Loop
Téa S Phillips
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2017-2018.
TOPIC: Evaporation in Porous Media.
Roya Eatebarian
Undergraduate Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2016-2017.
TOPIC: Diamond Nanofluid Characterization.
Isaac Baird
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2016-2017.
TOPIC: Thermal Energy Storage Systems.
Joshua East
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2015-2016.
TOPIC: Thermal Energy Storage Systems.
Hossein Derakhshandeh
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2014-2016.
TOPIC: Shelter Redesign System.
Current Position: PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Will Duke
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2014-2016.
TOPIC: An Experimental Heat Transfer Study.
Robert Payne
Undergraduate Student Researcher, Mechanical Engineering
Tennessee Tech University
Duration: 2014-2015.
TOPIC: An Experimental Heat Transfer Study.