Project Solar and thermal radiation energy engineering Program Mechanical Engineering Undergraduate Research Program Term Summer 2025 Status Closed Research Area nanotechnology, sustainable energy Description The sun delivers an enormous amount of light and heat to the Earth, serving as our primary energy source. In contrast, deep space acts as an extremely cold heat sink, enabling sky radiative cooling. This passive cooling technology works by reflecting sunlight and emitting infrared heat into deep space, offering the potential for free air conditioning for buildings and other infrastructures. Recently, our group has developed ultrawhite paints that can cool surfaces below ambient temperatures under sunlight, without consuming any power. Supervisor Xiulin Ruan Mentor Type of work required In this project, undergraduate students will assist postdoctoral fellows and PhD students in designing, modeling, fabricating, and measuring nanocomposites for high-performance radiative cooling, solar heating, and/or dynamic switching between cooling and heating as needed. Websites https://engineering.purdue.edu/NANOENERGY/ Qualifications A GPA of 3.5 or above is preferred. Junior or senior standing. Credit Hours 2 Weekly Hours 7 (estimated)