Grad student researching heat transfer on surfaces

With assistance from MechSE professor William King, Eduardo Torrealba III works on heat transfer improvement using micro-textured surfaces. According to Torrealba, when water meets a surface, it tends to either spread out or bead up, depending on the hydrophobicity of the surface

"Think about a waxed car. If you put water on the waxed car you get water droplets," Torrealba said. "But if you put water on an unwaxed car, it will spread out everywhere."

Torrealba believes that hydrophobic surfaces like that of a waxed car might help improve heat transfer.

Today, his research is funded by his National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship, which he earned after previous winners and professors helped him edit his application.

"I was able to talk to several professors at my undergraduate institution that were really helpful in just editing the document," Torrealba said. "Nobody is going to write it for you, but if you have the right team of editors, it will make your writing a lot stronger."

Overall, he recommends future applicants focus on the technical merit of their work as an undergraduate and explain what their plans are as a graduate student. He also suggests students begin their applications early, as he said the funding from the fellowship made a big difference in his graduate career.

"Even if you don’t think you are going to get it you should still apply," Torrealba said. "I learned so much through the experience of writing my essays."

Research experience was also an element which Torrealba acquired prior to applying for the NSF Fellowship, as heat transfer improvement was not his first research endeavor.

As an undergraduate student, Torrealba conducted research in the lab with natural fiber composite material as a way to reduce CO2 emissions. Torrealba worked with a professor who envisioned natural fiber composite materials—based on coconut fibers, then combined with synthetic fibers—as a material for use in variety of car parts like trunk-liners or door panels.

"You would use those natural fibers to reduce the CO2 emissions from producing and then heating up all of this synthetic material," Torrealba said. "We were going to source all the coconut from developing countries, so there would be a positive societal impact as well."

Beyond his academic research, Torrealba participated in Engineers with a Mission, which took large impact projects abroad. Torrealaba traveled to Honduras to aid with the development of a hydroelectric generator.

"Working on developing technologies that have impacts abroad is something that I am very passionate about," said Torrealba

In the next three years, Torrealba hopes to attain his master's degree and begin his PhD research.