Thermofluidics
Thermofluidics research is the application of experimental and/or modelling techniques with the aim of understanding the interactions between thermodynamics, heat transfer and fluids. It is the basis for many everyday technologies and physical phenomena and governs numerous activities where energy is converted, exchanged or changes form. Through multi-disciplined areas of expertise for group members, our research interests include energy conversion systems, alternate fuels, fluidic behaviour as well as physical process modelling and optimisation.
Meet the Researchers
 Associate Professor Hung Yew Mun | Dr. Hung Yew Mun heads the Micro/Nanoscale Heat Transfer research team in the Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory. His main research areas focus on micro-scale heat transfer, phase-change heat transfer, electronics cooling and interfacial phenomena of carbon and graphene nanostructures. Research Lab Micro/Nanoscale Heat Transfer 4-1-09E Projects Thermal enhancement of microscale heat transfer devices using carbon nanostructures Ultrafast water permeation mechanism of graphene-based materials Microscale electronics cooling devices |
 Associate Professor Ir Dr Tan Boon Thong | Dr. Tan Boon Thong heads the Computational Fluids Dynamics lab. His work focuses on computational modelling of nanoparticle transport enhancing heat transfer, galloping excitation and fluid structure interaction, NRW water piping material and thermal energy storage for air conditioning systems. Research Lab Mechanical Engineering Computation Laboratory 3-8-03 (Design) Projects Computational Modelling of nano-fluids Fluid Structure Interaction / Galloping NRW Water Pipes Thermal Energy Storage Tank |
 Adjunct Assoc. Prof. Ir. Dr. Tan Ming Kwang | Dr. Tan Ming Kwang heads the Microfluidic lab. His work focuses on utilising high frequency acoustic waves in various microfluidic applications, such as micro-cooling, greywater treatment, seed germination, surface disinfection and etc. Research Lab Microfluidics 4-1-09G Projects Levitation of small objects Cooling enhancement via MHz vibrations |
 Dr. Foo Ji Jinn | Dr. Foo heads the Anisotropic and Inhomogeneous Turbulence Management Team of the Thermofluidics & Energetics Group. His research mainly focuses on the attempts to work on a novel fluid flow perturbation on heat transfer, i.e. to experimentally and numerically employ multilength-scale insert(s)-induced fluid flow fluctuation as a mean of thermal dissipation via forced convective or natural convective heat transfer. Research Lab Turbulence Laboratory (In collaboration with DAIKIN R&D MALAYSIA) 4-1-09C Wind Tunnel Laboratory
Projects Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) on multilength-scale insert(s)-induced fluid flow fluctuation Large Eddy Simulation (LES) on multilength-scale insert(s)-induced fluid flow fluctuation Low Reynolds number Lattice Boltzmann Modelling (LBM) on fluid flow perturbation within Micro-channel |
 Ir Dr Mohd Zulhilmi Paiz | Dr. Mohd Zulhilmi heads the Mixing and Separation Dynamics team of the Thermofluidics research. His work focuses investigating into geomimetic inspired bladeless rotor for efficient mixing while developing efficient multiphase separator design. He is also actively involved in engagement with local industrial partners. Research Lab Mechanical Research Workshop 5-1-01 Projects Mixing dynamics of Geomimetism-inspired bladeless reactor Numerical Study on Near Wall Treatment of Bladeless Reactor High throughput separation mechanism for low density solid-liquid variance mixture |
| Dr. Oon heads the Thermofluids team of the Thermofluidics group. His work mainly focuses on the enhancement of heat transfer media to improve the turbulent convective heat transfer performance. His secondary research interests are to use mathematical and computational modelling to investigate the heat transfer enhancement and application in heat exchanger. He also worked on fouling/anti-fouling research of heat exchanger using carbon-based materials.
Research Lab Fluid Mechanics Laboratory 9-6-01
Projects Synthesis of colloidal aqueous suspensions for heat transfer enhancement and application in a unique annular configuration flow passage Numerical simulation of heat transfer to separation colloidal suspensions flow in different geometry conduit |
 Dr. Kueh Tze Cheng | Dr. Kueh Tze Cheng conducts research in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of liquid transport through graphene-based materials. His work focuses on the unique interactions between graphene nanostructures and liquids, with the aim of enhancing heat transfer performance for advanced thermal management applications. His research interests also extend to convective cooling and thermal management studies. Projects Molecular Dynamics and Experimental Investigation of Liquid Permeation, Evaporation, and Leidenfrost Phenomenon on Graphene-Based interfaces. |
 Dr Yeoh Chin Vern | Dr. Yeoh heads the ALBUMS (Advancing Lattice-Boltzmann for Universal Multiphysics Simulations) team. His research focuses on computational fluid dynamics, with an emphasis on the lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM) for multiphase and multiphysics flow problems. The work centres on developing, validating, and improving LBM frameworks to model complex multiphase transport and phase-change phenomena, including heat transfer and turbulent mixing, while also drawing on ideas from nonlinear and chaotic dynamics. The overarching goal is to strengthen the robustness, generality, and predictive capability of LBM-based solvers, supporting their wider future adoption in both fundamental research and industry-relevant applications. Research Lab Multiphase & Multiphysics Transport Processes (Room No. 4-1-09H) Projects Modelling and quantifying how non-quiescent turbulent background flows influence canonical multiphase problems and phase-change heat transfer. Enhancing the stability and convergence of lattice-Boltzmann methods via pressure-wave tuning and information-theoretic approaches. |
