Energy at Nanoscale Sheng Shen Explores Powerful Nanoscale Technologies


Assistant Professor Sheng Shen is the newest addition to the faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research interests lie at the cutting edge of energy technologies, and he will help the Department to maintain its technology leadership in this critical area


of engineering. Shen recently completed his Ph.D. at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and is conducting post- graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley, before coming to Carnegie Mellon. A native of China, Shen received B.S. (2000) and M.S. (2003) degrees from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in China before emigrating to the United States in 2005. Shen is a recipient of the 2008 Hewlett-Packard Best Paper Award, presented by the Heat Transfer Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the 2008 Best Poster Award, given by the Julius Springer Forum on Applied Physics. At MIT, he was recognized with the Wunsch Founda- tion Silent Hoist and Crane Award for an Outstanding Graduate Student in Mechanical Engineering.


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In his recent research, Shen has demonstrated nanoscale thermal radiation exceeding Planck’s Law by three orders of magnitude, as well as a thermal conduc- tivity of polymer nanofibers that is 300 times higher than that of bulk polymers. “My research interests focus on fundamental and applied research for energy conversion—in particular, solar and thermal energy conversion,” says Shen. “My goal is to explore nanostructured materials and nanoscale designs to increase energy conversion efficiencies. My interests also include the fundamental mechanisms to control energy transfer at the nano scale.”


Professor Shen brings a number


of new strengths to MechE with his background in nanoscale engineer- ing, thermal science, photonics, and materials science. Shen’s research interests include nanoscale energy transfer/conversion, nanophotonics, and renewable energy technologies.


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Leveraging Nanoscale Energy Sources Professor Shen brings a number of new strengths to MechE with his background in nanoscale engineering, thermal science, photonics, and materials science. Shen’s research interests include nanoscale energy transfer/conversion, nanophotonics, and renewable energy technologies. “The energy transport properties of nanostructures


can differ greatly from their bulk counterparts, because the characteristic dimensions of nanostructures are often comparable with the wavelength or the mean free path of energy carriers such as photons, phonons, and elec- trons,” says Shen. “At the nanoscale, the properties of materials can be engineered to increase energy density or energy conversion efficiencies.”


New Job, New City—and Other Life Changes Shen is excited to join the faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and already feels welcome here. “I certainly chose to come to Carnegie Mellon because the engineering programs are so well-known and prestigious throughout the world, particularly the Mechanical Engineering Depart- ment,” says Shen. “But the friendly and collaborative atmosphere was also a major factor in my decision to come here.”


In addition to continuing his innovative energy research at Carnegie Mellon, Shen is looking


forward to teaching young engineers at MechE. “My teaching goal is to advance students’ understanding of fundamental physical principles and teach them necessary techniques to solve real problems,” says Shen. “I hope to teach undergraduate-level courses on thermal sciences/ engineering, as well as graduate-level courses on nanoscale energy transport, radiative heat transfer, and electromagnetic wave theory.” Professor Shen will move to Pittsburgh with his wife Xiang Hao, who holds an M.S. in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts, Boston. In addition to a brand new job in a brand new city, the couple are faced with another exciting life change: they were just blessed by the birth of their first child, a baby boy named Harry.•


CARNEGIE MECH


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