3 Credit Hours

This course prepares students for careers in thermal design for electronics, data centers, and energy systems, especially those seeking internships or careers with leading tech companies such as Google, Apple, Nvidia, Intel, Meta, Tesla, Amazon, etc.
Students will learn the fundamental and advanced concepts of thermal management in systems ranging from data centers and electric vehicles to spacecraft, smartphones, and laptops. The course explores how thermal energy transport and conversion underpin more than 90% of modern energy technologies, influencing performance, efficiency, and reliability.
Through real-world case studies and design-oriented discussions, students will gain practical insight into single- and two-phase cooling, heat pipes and vapor chambers, liquid and immersion cooling, and energy-efficient electronic and data center design. This course bridges fundamental heat transfer principles with cutting-edge applications, preparing graduates to tackle the thermal challenges of next-generation computing and energy systems.

Prerequisites

Undergrad Heat Transfer (MAE 310).

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the course, you will be able to:

• Understand the fundamental transport and interfacial phenomena governing heat transfer in single- and two-phase cooling systems, including boiling, condensation, and capillary-driven flows. These principles will be connected to practical applications in electronic cooling, data center thermal management, electric vehicles, spacecraft, and other energy systems.
• Develop analytical and computational tools for the design and performance assessment of two-phase cooling devices and systems such as heat pipes, vapor chambers, microchannel heat sinks, and immersion cooling systems used in advanced electronics, data centers, and beyond.
• Conduct an elementary analysis and evaluation of two-phase systems, and be prepared to apply more advanced models and methods from current research literature. Students will engage with real-world case studies and design-oriented assignments that illustrate the application of these concepts to state-of-the-art electronics, data center cooling technologies, and beyond.

Textbook

None.

Created: 11/14/2025.