Nicholas Fette

PhD Student, Mechanical Engineering
Tempe Campus, Arizona State University

Research

Solar thermal cooling vs solar PV cooling: what are the advantages and disadvantages of different methods of solar cooling, and what are the effects of system capacity on relative costs of cooling? Also, what are likely changes in cost and market share of these technologies?
Open source and educational modeling tools: modeling tools for solar thermal systems and thermal powered equipment are available, but many are only commercial, limiting access for students and startups or developing markets. Let's make practical tools for system designers and students that integrate CAD design compatible with CAM and advanced manufacturing, and support ray tracing and thermal analysis.
Thermal chiller dynamics and control: Where are opportunities for integrating dynamic models of thermal chillers together with solar thermal and thermal storage subsystems to optimize control of cooling operation?
Industry outreach: engineer practical solutions for LDC markets to supply electricity and other energy services from waste heat, including cooling.
Other low power cooling: Indirect evaporative cooling technology applied to cooling towers and effects on cooling system efficiency and water consumption.

With AORA Solar, Ltd. waste heat utilization for solar turbine exhaust.
With Andrey Gunawan et al. Thermogalvanic heat to power conversion.
With Southwest Solar Technology, LLC. (a) Concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) system design, analysis, fabrication, and testing. Emphasis on optical design and analysis tools for custom optics requirements and secondary concentrators. (b) Thermal systems design and analysis. Applications in cooling, crop drying, and cooking.
With Jon Sherbeck et al. Sponsored by DoE, Max Tech and Beyond Competition. Recuperated evaporative cooling tower prototype and testing.

May 2014, "Recuperated evaporative cooling tower prototype and testing", Max Tech and Beyond Competition final webinar.
2015-03-28, "Solar thermal (and other low power) cooling", at 2nd Annual Arizona ASME Student Oral Competition, University of Arizona, Tucson.
2015-11-02, "Lab group update" | PDF | Prospectus