Dr. Seamus O'Shaughnessy

I am a Mechanical Engineer with almost 20 years research experience in the field of fluid mechanics and heat transfer. I graduated with first class honours from the Dept. of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering in Trinity College Dublin in 2006 before pursuing a PhD, during which I studied a form of natural convection termed thermocapillary or Marangoni convection. I used a combination of analytical, numerical, experimental and computational techniques to validate my research findings, which have been published in several peer-reviewed journals. In 2010 I was appointed to the role of Research Fellow in TCD, and over the next few years I worked on a variety of research projects, many of which involved collaborations with industry partners on interdisciplinary topics, such as an investigation of novel methods of cooling biomedical grade polymers during machining processes, new thermal interface materials, and valve design for industrial fuel pipelines. From 2011 to 2016, my main research focus was on energy and sustainable international development. My research team was involved in a project in Malawi which aimed to bring off-grid electricity to those in the developing world by using the waste heat produced during cooking. In September 2016 I was appointed as the Ussher Assistant Professor in Energy & Sustainable International Development. I established new international development energy-related projects in countries such as Benin and Tanzania. A key focus of my current research is the thermal management of electronics, and particularly the batteries used in electric vehicles, which is investigated through the use of dual jets, pulsed liquid flows, and two-phase mechanisms of boiling and condensation. Additionally, I have active collaborations with various industry partners in this field.

  Applied thermodynamics and energy   BIOMASS ENERGY   Boundary Layer Control   Boundary Layers   Combined Heat and Power Systems   Composite materials   Computer aided engineering   Computer-Aided Engineering   Control Engineering   convective heat transfer   COOLING   Cooling of Manufacturing Processes   Design Engineering   Development economics   Direct Energy Conversion   Electric Powered Systems   Electromagnetism   Electronic circuit design   Electronic Cooling Techniques   Electronics Cooling   Emission   Energy and Climate Change   Energy Conservation   Energy Education   Energy from biomass (see Forestry also)   Energy from waste   Energy management system   Energy Materials Sciences   Energy/Environmental Studies--Developing Coun   Engineering Design   Environmental engineering   EVAPORATIVE COOLING   Flow Control   Fluid Dynamics   Fluid Mechanics   Fluid Physics   Fluid/Magnetohydrodynamic Physics   Fluids and Heat Transfer   Heat Transfer   Imaging, image processing   Industrial Engineering   Information technology in education   INFRARED, GENERAL   Innovation in learning   Integration of Renewable Energy Systems   Interfaces   International development   JET IMPINGEMENT HEAT TRANSFER   Laminar Flow   Magnetic Materials   Magnetohydrodynamic Generators   Magnetohydrodynamics   Manufacturing engineering   Materials Sciences   Materials technology, engineering   Materials, Physical Properties   Materials, Preparation/Fabrication   Materials, Structure and Phase   Mechanical Properties, Materials   Nanotechnology   Numerical Analysis   Optical materials   Photovoltaic Materials   Plastics   Polymers   Renewable energies   Renewable Energy Sources   Software Engineering   Solar   SOLAR ENERGY   Solar, Biomass Conversion   Solar, Photovoltaic Conversion   Solar, Thermoelectric Conversion   Solid/Liquid Interfaces   Solid/Solid Interfaces   Space technology   Surface and interface physics   Surfaces and Interfaces   Sustainable Development   Telecommunication Engineering   THERMAL ENERGY   Thermal Engineering   Thermodynamics   Thermodynamics Engineering   Thermoelectric Generators   Thermoelectricity   THERMOELECTRIC-POWER   Thermosciences Engineering   TRANSIENT AND UNSTEADY HEAT TRANSFER   Two-phase Flow and Heat Transfer   Virtual learning environments   WATER-IMMERSION COOLING

My research focusses on energy and sustainability, topics with application across many fields. I study the fundamental physics of fluid flows to better understand how to optimise heat transfer processes. My research can be categorised into 3 areas: (i) Improved thermal management of electronics The biggest obstacle facing the development of next generation of electronics is the efficient removal of heat. This topic underpins most engagements with industry (see Section 3.9). Moreover, there is growing demand to achieve component operating temperature targets passively, i.e., without consuming electrical power. Passive cooling is challenging technically, and often requires an interdisciplinary approach involving thermal-fluid science, additive manufacturing, and materials science. Much of my funded research focusses on the study and application of enhanced natural connection and two-phase heat transfer processes like evaporation, boiling, condensation to real-world electronics. (ii) sustainable energy usage Particularly interested in the development/improvement of sustainable and renewable energy processes, my related research projects include the development of more efficient solar photovoltaic panels (SFI Zero Emissions 2020), off-grid electricity generation from biomass cooking stoves in Malawi (Irish Aid & Concern Universal), clean cooking stove usage analysis in Benin (CO2Logic & Proximus), body heat harvesting for thermoelectrically powered wearable sensor technology, and the development of innovative mechanical ventilation heat recovery units for domestic homes (Enterprise Ireland & Magnitherm Ltd). (iii) space related research I have a growing interest in space related research, as the absence of gravitational effects enables a deeper understanding of underlying physics. I have participated in 2 European Space Agency parabolic campaigns (droplet evaporation), and in 2025 my experiment on colloidal suspensions will use the soft matter dynamics platform onboard the International Space Station. In 2026 we expect to send our experiment on droplet thermocapillary effects on Virgin Galactic sub-orbital flight with Dr Norah Patten (see https://press.virgingalactic.com/virgin-galactic-announces-new-research-flight-contract-with-repeat-customer or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16Nr6jOPh0U).