Nicholas Roberts

Biography

Nick Roberts is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Utah State University. He directs the Thermal Energy Lab, which is focused on (1) understanding fundamental thermal transport behavior, specifically in nanostructure and composite materials, (2) designing novel materials with enhanced thermophysical properties based on an improved understanding, and (3) applying these materials for improved thermal management. The lab employs computational tools that span the atomistic to macro scales and conducts experiments from the micro to bulk scales for validation. Within ASPIRE, Dr. Roberts’ lab is focused on thermal management challenges in wireless power transfer modules (both in-roadway and on-vehicle) and battery systems. Current project efforts are aimed at understanding the power limits for passive thermal management design, modeling of thermophysical behavior of these systems, and developing testbeds for large-scale model validation.