Insight to Innovation: An Overview of Research Journey of Dr. Satish Kandlikar

Professor Satish G. Kandlikar has been an outstanding researcher in the field of heat transfer having published some of the most widely cited publications over the last 30 years. Through the years he has co-authored 212 journal paper in various areas of heat transfer. The present paper provides a compressive look at Professor Kandlikar’s research work over the years. The research work has been broadly categorized into 1) flow boiling correlations, 2) fluid flow and heat transfer in microchannels, 3) roughness effect at microscale, 4) pool boiling heat transfer and CHF modeling, 5) surface enhancements for pool boiling, 6) numerical modeling of bubble growth in boiling, 7) modeling liquid-vapor and liquid-liquid interfaces, 8) water transport in PEM fuel cells and 9) infrared imaging to detect breast cancer. The research conducted in each of these areas has produced some landmark findings, some of the most widely used theoretical models and an abundance of high quality experimental data. The focus of this paper is to collate major finding and highlights some of the common themes that guided the research in Professor Kandlikar’s group. This will help the readers gain a comprehensive understanding of each of the areas of study in Professor Kandlikar’s group and place the findings of the paper in a larger context.