Kripa K. Varanasi

Doherty Chair in Ocean Utilization
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Room 35-209
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge MA 02139-4307
Phone: 617-324-5608
Email: varanasi@mit.edu
Web: http://varanasi.mit.edu

Administrative Contact:
Lauren Wolinsky
Room 35-211
Phone: 617-253-3308
Email: lwolin@mit.edu

Education
Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 2004.
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 2002.
M.S. in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 2002.
B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India,1998.

Research Interests
Surfaces, Interfaces, & Coatings

Nanoengineered Surfaces and their applications to Energy, Water, Oil & Gas, Agriculture, Aviation, Electronics Cooling Systems.

Fluid-Surface and Thermal-Fluid-Surface Interactions; Superhydrophobic, Superhydrophilic, Oleophobic/Oleophilic Surfaces; Biomimetics; Phase-Change Phenomena (Condensation, Boiling, Freezing and Ice formation) on nanoengineered surfaces; Nucleation and Growth; Micro and Nanoscale Heat Transfer; Heat Pipes and Thermal Interfaces; Harsh Environment Coatings and Surface Technologies (Ceramics and Metals); Subsea Separation (fluid-fluid and fluid-gas) and Flow Assurance; Quantum Dots, Plasmonics and Bandgap Engineering; Nanomanufacturing (Ceramics and Metals).

Experience

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 01/2009 – present

Doherty Associate Professor (2012 -- present)

d’Arbeloff Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering (2009 -- 2011)

General Electric Research Center, Niskayuna, NY, 04/2004-12/2008
Lead Research Scientist, Nanotechnology Program, Energy & Propulsion Technology Organization
PI for DARPA Thermal Ground Plane (01/2008-12/2008): Led the joint GE-University of Cincinnati-Air Force Research Labs team on advanced electronics cooling using planar heat pipes.
PI, GE Research: Established research programs on nanoengineered materials at GE Research for Energy, Aviation, Water, Oil and Gas, businesses of GE. Expertise in nanoengineered surfaces (over 25 patents) wetting interactions, thermal-fluids, icing, nucleation and phase change, nanoceramics, nanofabrication, and materials design.

Awards/Honors

Doherty Chair in Ocean Utilization (2011-present)

DARPA Young Faculty Award (2010)

Best Paper Award, IEEE-ASME Itherm Conference (2010)

NSF CAREER Award (2010)

Dupont-MIT Alliance Award (2010)

d’Arbeloff Career Development Chair 2009 – 2011

MIT-Deshpande Center Award (2009)

Charles E. Reed Award, School of Engineering, MIT (2009)
MIT Energy Initiative Seed Grant (2009)
Best Patent Award, GE Global Research (2008)
First Prize, ASME Nanotechnology Symposium (2008)
GE Leadership Award, GE Global Research (2008)
Winner of 2007 NIST ATP Award (2007)
Winner of 2007 DARPA TGP Award (2007)
GE Inventor Award (2007)
GE Excellence Award for contributions to Nanotechnology at GE (2007)
Listed in Who’s Who in the World (2008)
Listed in Who’s Who in America (2007, 2008)
Best Patent Award, GE Global Research (2006)
Best Technology Project of the Year (Superhydrophobic Metal), GE Global Research (2005)
GE Management Award for outstanding research in Nanotechnology (2005)
GE Inventor Award (2005)

Select Patents (see see http://varanasi.mit.edu/ for full list)

Porous Structures with Enhanced Transport Properties and Methods of Making, US 12/470624, 2009.
Oleophilic Hydrophobic Treatments for Oil-Water Separation, US 12/492219, 2009.
Thermal Interface Element and Article Including the Same, US 12/494775, 2009.
High Performance Evaporator for a Heat Pipe, US 12/470553, 2009.
Hybrid Surfaces that Promote Dropwise Condensation Using Capillary Forces, US 12/254561, 2008.
Surface Treatments for Turbine Components to Reduce Particle Accumulation During Use Thereof, US 12/244918, 2008.
Low-flow Oil barrier Sealing using Material with Oleophobic Surface, US 2009066033, 2007.
Articles Having Enhanced Wettability, US 11/612946, 2006.
Surfaces and Articles Resistant to Impacting Liquids, US 11/487023, 2006.
Heat Transfer Enhancement using Textured Hydrophobic and Superhydrophobic Surfaces, US 20070028588, 2005.
Articles Having Low Wettability and Methods for Making, US 20070031639, 2005.

Select Publications (see http://varanasi.mit.edu/ for full list)

C. J. Love, J. D. Smith, Y. Cui, K. K. Varanasi, "Size-dependent Thermal Oxidation of Copper -- Single-Step Synthesis of Hierarchical Nanostructures," Nanoscale, accepted, 2011.
H. Kwon, A. Paxson, K. K. Varanasi, N. Patankar, "Rapid Deceleration Driven Wetting Transition During Pendant Drop Deposition on Superhydrophobic Surfaces," Physical Review Letters, accepted, 2011.
K. K. Varanasi, T. Deng, J. D. Smith, M. Hsu, N. Bhate, "Frost Formation and Ice Adhesion on Superhydrophobic Surfaces," Applied Physics Letters, 97, 234102, 2010.
A. J. Meuler, J. D. Smith, K. K. Varanasi, J. Mabry, G. H. McKinley, R. E. Cohen, "Relationships between Water Wettability and Ice Adhesion," ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2, 3100, 2010
K. K. Varanasi, M. Hsu, N. Bhate, W. Yang, T. Deng, “Spatial Control in the Heterogeneous Nucleation of Water,” Applied Physics Letters, 95, 094101, 2009.
T. Deng, K. K. Varanasi, M. Hsu, N. Bhate, C. Keimel, J. Stein, M. Blohm “Nonwetting of Impinging Droplets on Textured Surfaces” Applied Physics Letters, 94, 133109, 2009.
K. K. Varanasi, T.Deng, P. Chamarthy, S. Chauhan, P. DeBock, A. Kulkarni, G. Mandrusiak, B. Rush, B.Russ, L. Denault, S. Weaver, F. Gerner, Q. Leland, K. Yerkes, “Engineered Nanostructures for High Thermal Conductivity Substrates,” Proceedings of the Nano Science and Technology Institute, Nanotech Conference and Expo, Paper No. 870, Houston, TX, May 2009.
K. K. Varanasi, T.Deng, M. Hsu, N. Bhate, “Hierarchical Nanostructures Resist Water Droplet Impact,” Proceedings of the Nano Science and Technology Institute, Nanotech Conference and Expo, Paper No. 761, Houston, TX, May 2009.
K.K. Varanasi, T. Deng, M. Hsu, N. Bhate, “Design of Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Droplet Impact Resistance and Optimum Roll-off Behavior,” Proceedings of ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress, IMECE2008-67808, Boston, MA, 2008.
P. deBock, K. K. Varanasi, P. Chamarthy, T. Deng, A. Kulkarni, B. Rush, B. Russ, S. Weaver, “Experimental Investigation of Micro-Nano Heat Pipe Wick Structures” Proceedings of ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress, IMECE2008-67288, Boston, MA, 2008.
X-H Peng, A. Alizadeh, K.K. Varanasi, N. Bhate, S.K. Kumar, and S.K. Nayak, “First-Principles Study of the Effects of Polytype and Size on Energy Gaps in SiC Nanoclusters,” Journal of Applied Physics, 102, 024304, 2007.
X-H Peng, A. Alizadeh, K.K. Varanasi, N. Bhate, S.K. Kumar, and S.K. Nayak, “First-Principles Investigation of Strain Effects on the Energy Gaps in Silicon Nanoclusters,” Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, v19, 266212, 2007.