Joseph Nonso Orakwe, a PhD candidate in MME, was the winner of the 2024/2025 and Student , along with a student at the University of Alberta, and their supervisors, which included Dr. Ehsan Toyserkani within the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and director of the .ÌýÌýÌý
Out of 15 student designs submitted across the world, only four teams were selected as finalists, with the top prize going to Joseph’s team, which is an amazing feat. The finalists presented their solution at the this past spring and were awarded at the conference as well.ÌýÌýÌý
Heat sinks are commonly found in electronic devices, and they help to ensure optimal performance by whisking away heat from sensitive electronic parts to prevent overheating. The winning team’s project focused on creating an efficient, lightweight heat sink by using advanced design methods, while ensuring 3D-printability via the trail-blazing ’ Electrochemical Additive Manufacturing (ECAM) technology. The solution used a hybrid design technique that employs topology optimization to selectively guide heat transfer enhancing 3D-printable lattices along optimal flow paths, within a simulation- informed iterative procedure. Leveraging design complexity, performance-efficiency and high-level design for additive manufacturing. Â
These lattices are patterns made up of connected lines, beams, or surfaces that form open spaces—kind of like a honeycomb. Joseph employed a version of smooth lattices that are ideal for novel cooling applications. This methodology allowed the team to make design decisions that would end in a manufacturable solution. These lattices were sent for experimental testing by as a competition sponsor, and the company also reported excellent performance of the printed heat sink.Â
The competition itself asks students to design, build, and validate a liquid-cooled copper cold plate made with additive manufacturing techniques. The supplies were made available by , a partner in this competition. The cold plates that the students created were sent for testing to determine the top designs, and then the finalists were selected based on the use of those additive manufacturing techniques, predicted design performance, and the quality of the white papers submitted.Â
Congratulations, Joseph and your team on this incredible achievement! Â
