Summer 2021: Tribological (frictional force) study of Micro-fluids or lubricants for electric vehicles

Affiliations:

Project Leader:

Kailash Arole
kailash_arole@tamu.edu

Faculty Mentor:

Dr. Hong Liang and Dr. Micah Green

Meeting Times:

Friday 3 pm to 4 pm

Team Size:

Open Spots:

Special Opportunities:

Getting trained on instruments such as wear and coefficient of friction characterization (Tribometer, Interferometer and Atomic Force Microscopy, Optical Microscope, Four Point Probe Conductivity Measurement), sample preparation methods, hardness testing, scanning electron microscopy, data analysis, fabrication of in-house experimental setups. Potential opportunities: gain experience in writing publication-quality journal articles, receiving co-authorship on paper(s) or patents and get a chance to interact with research gig minds.

Team Needs:

Science and engineering majors are preferred, willing to learn new things, adaptable, hardworking (willing to work 5-10 hours a week), desire for hands on experience (experimentation, characterization, research article writing for publication), able to meet deadlines/have good time management skills. Applicant should demonstrate capability for pursuing independent research and applicants must be able to communicate effectively verbally and in writing, self-motivation.

Description:

Students will design and fabricate novel recipe of oil or water-based lubricants or micro-fluids for electric vehicles and perform tribological or surface study. Primary focus will be on, friction study wear, hardness, and impact resistance. Potential applications include the electric and hybrid vehicles in automotive and aerospace industry. Project also includes nanomaterial (MXene, graphene etc.) synthesis and modification or functionalization of it.