Heat transfer and thermal sciences have been a traditional strength of the Department of Mechanical Engineering dating back to the arrival of Professor Ernst G. Eckert in Minnesota in 1951. With 4 members of the National Academy of Engineering (Prof. Eckert, Goldstein, Pfender and Sparrow), this area continues to play a major role in the Department. While initially having being focused on heat transfer in thermal mechanical systems, the heat transfer efforts in the Department may now be among the broadest at any University in the US and possibly the world, ranging from heat transfer in mechanical and combustion systems, to heat transfer in biological systems, to heat transfer at ultra-high temperatures, when matter transitions into the plasma phase, sometimes called the 4th phase of matter. Studies in these nontraditional areas are conducted in major centers, including the Center for Biotransport, and the High Temperature and Plasma Laboratory.

Heat Transfer in Mechanical Systems
ME Faculty: Davidson, Goldstein, Kulacki, Simon, Sparrow, Strykowski
Laboratories:
Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Practice
Turbulent Convective Heat Transfer

Combustion and Fluid Flow
ME Faculty: Davidson, Garrick, Kittelson, Simon, Sparrow, Strykowski
Affiliated Graduate Faculty: Arndt, Sotiropoulos
Laboratories:
Center for Diesel Research Facilities
Computational Transport Phenomena Research
Engine Laboratory
Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Practice
Shear Flow Control

Biotransport
ME Faculty: Aksan, Bischof, Hubel
Laboratories:
Biostabilization Laboratory
Biothermodynamics and Biomechanics Laboratory
Center for Biotransport

Plasmas
ME Faculty: Girshick, Heberlein, Kortshagen
Laboratories:
High Temperature and Plasma Laboratory