Tim Fisher
Professor Of Mechanical Engineering
Contact Information:
Phone: (765) 494-5627
E-mail: tsfisher@purdue.edu
Education:
BS, ME/Cornell/1991
PhD, ME/Cornell/1998
Research Interests:
We work on a broad range of problems, primarily involving the transport and conversion of energy carried by electrons, phonons, and photons. We seek to solve problems with high importance to applications in clean energy (e.g., direct energy conversion, hydrogen storage) and in major industrial segments (e.g., micro/nanoelectronics, sensors).
Impact Statement & Explanation of Research:
Our group concentrates on the study of thermal and electrical transport in nanoscale carbon materials (such as carbon nanotubes, or CNTs), whose synthesis is also a subject of intensive study. This research involves theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, and results of this work proffer the possibility of dramatic improvements in thermal and electrical conductance at interfaces, new CNT-based nanoelectronic device structures with unique performance, electron emission devices that enhance energy conversion and ionization processes, and enhanced cooling of semiconductor devices through the use of nanoscale materials. We are also conducting research that addresses thermal issues in hydrogen storage systems, modeling of heat transfer at the atomistic scale, and enhanced bioanalytic functionality in devices that combine nanomaterials and microfluidics. In the latter area, a recent paper from our group was featured on the cover of the Jan. 2009 issue of ACS Nano. This body of research from Fisher’s group has been reported consistently in leading technical journals in heat transfer, materials, applied physics, chemistry, and other disciplines, and the work has been sponsored by a broad range funding agencies.
Current Projects
The India-US Joint Networked Centre on Nanomaterials for Energy, IUSSTF $82,590, 3/1/09 to 2/28/11, with T. Sands, P. Sharma
Nanoscale Thermal Interface Materials Development, DARPA/Raytheon, $862,000, 3/15/09 to 9/15/10, with X. Xu, J. Murthy, S. Garimella
Thermal and Electrical Characterization of CNT Vias Cooling Technologies Research Center, $80,000, 1/1/08 to 12/31/09, with T. Sands
qHUB : Cyberinfrastructure for Community-Driven Research and Learning in Heat Transfer, NSF, $190,000, 10/1/07 to 9/30/09, with C.Grigoropoulos, J. Lukes, J. Murthy, G. Walker
High-Resolution Laser Diagnostics and Modeling of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube Synthesis by Plasma-Enhanced CVD, NSF, $400,578, 9/1/08 to 8/31/11, PI: R. Lucht
Heat Transfer Characterization of Metal Organic Frameworks for Cryo-adsorption of Hydrogen Gas, General Motors, $150,874, 3/31/08 to 3/30/09, PI: T. Pourpoint
Optically Modulated Radiative Surface Coatings Using Ordered Array of Vertical Carbon Nanotubes, AFOSR, $421,786, 3/15/08 to 11/30/10, PI: X. Ruan
Links:
https://engineering.purdue.edu/~tsfisher/
https://engineering.purdue.edu/NTRG/
Recent publications
nanoHUB Contributions
Research Links