Welcome!

Villanova’s Thermal Management Laboratory, NovaTherm, established in 2004, addresses issues of research and development in the thermal-fluids field as applied to both thermal management of electronic devices and to the development and implementation of sustainable energy technologies.

The development and implementation of sustainable energy systems is perhaps one of the most important challenges facing the world. Recent NovaTherm research has focused on sustainable design in energy systems and power electronics. Projects have focused on thermal management for smart grid power electronics and battery systems, on solar thermal storage in phase change materials, and  on the development of energy efficient building materials.

Thermal simulation of a 50 μm resonating ring laser.

The thermal management of electronics is critical for increased device performance as advanced designs create higher heat loads in smaller device footprints. Insufficient heat removal leads directly to elevated operating temperatures which in turn leads to reliability issues including catastrophic failure of the device. Research is ongoing in various areas including data center thermal management and waste heat utilization, thermal management for portable electronics and the development of graphite nanofiber thermal interface materials.

The Novatherm Team

Dr. Amy Fleischer, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, is the Director of the Novatherm Laboratory. The Novatherm team is comprised of Ph.D. and M.S. candidates assisted by many undergraduate research assistants and works in frequent collaboration with researchers at both Villanova and other renowned institutions.