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Thermofluid Engineering Lab
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The Thermofluid Engineering Lab researches how to generate electricity from vibration, heat, and combustion.
AboutAbout the lab
New energy technologies and ultra-small power generation.
The Thermofluid Engineering Lab researches energy technologies that contribute to carbon neutrality, as well as ultra-small power generation technologies for battery-free IoT devices.
To this end, the lab develops entirely new devices and equipment, and conducts the fundamental research that underlies them.
The lab works on energy harvesting that extracts electricity from ambient vibration, combustion of ammonia and hydrogen, and compact power sources that use combustion.
The lab has a wide range of equipment for fabricating MEMS.
Key terms
- Energy harvesting
- A technology that extracts small amounts of electric power from energy such as vibration and heat, which exists thinly and widely in our surroundings
- Electret
- An insulator into which electric charge has been injected semi-permanently. It continues to produce an electric field outside itself
- Binary power generation
- A system in which heat evaporates a liquid with a low boiling point, and the resulting vapor drives a turbine to generate electricity
ResearchResearch themes
The lab develops new devices and equipment and conducts fundamental research, aiming to realize energy technologies that contribute to carbon neutrality and ultra-small power generation technologies for battery-free IoT devices. Its research themes fall into two areas: "micro energy and energy harvesting" and "understanding and controlling heat and fluid flow and heat transfer phenomena."
*Illustrative imageElectrets that generate electricity from vibration
For battery-free IoT devices, the lab studies generators that extract electricity from ambient vibration. These generators work on the principle of using an electret, an insulator in which electric charge is trapped.
*Illustrative imageHow flames burn near walls
In engines and small combustors, when a flame approaches a wall, the way it burns changes because of the effects of heat and chemical reactions. The lab uses laser measurement and numerical analysis to clarify this mechanism.
*Illustrative imageCompact power sources that use combustion
Because chemical fuels can store far more energy than batteries, the lab is developing compact power sources that generate electricity by burning fuel. The goal is power sources for drones and robots.
*Illustrative imageBinary power generation using hot spring heat
Aiming at binary power generation, which uses relatively low-temperature heat such as that from hot springs, the lab works on developing working fluids with a low environmental impact and proposing high-performance heat exchangers.
MembersFaculty
The Thermofluid Engineering Lab consists of faculty members; technical specialists, project specialists, and administrative assistants; project researchers; doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students; graduate internship research students; and external collaborators.As of 2026
- ProfessorYuji SuzukiPublications ↗
- LecturerMinhyeok LeePublications ↗
- Assistant ProfessorTakaki AkibaPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Bunsen burner ( )” Jason Woodhead / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Electrets that generate electricity from vibration: “CSIRO ScienceImage 3876 A remote sensing node part of CSIROs Fleck wireless sensor network technology” Stephan Brosnan, CSIRO / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- How flames burn near walls: “Flame from the burner of a gas stove” BogTar201213 / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Compact power sources that use combustion: “Quadcopter camera drone in flight” Josh Sorenson / CC0 (cropped)
- Binary power generation using hot spring heat: “Onogawa onsen Geothermal power plant” 妖精書士 / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (鹿園研究室): “Solid oxide electrolyser cell 2x60cell stack” EERE / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (山崎研究室): “Close-up of an engine extracted from a car, with many disassembled parts ( )” Ivan Radic / CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (宮内研究室(機能物性工学研究分野)): “Carbon nanotube (8,8) 3D ball” Jynto / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (千足研究室): “Carbon nanotube (8,8) 3D ball” Jynto / CC0 (cropped)
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