March 6, 2026 Spring 2026 Faustin-Prinz Research Fellowship Awardees Written By: Kassi Akers Departments: Mechanical Engineering Categories: Research|Students|Undergraduate The Department of Mechanical Engineering is excited to announce the Spring/Fall 2026 Faustin Prinz Fellowship Recipients. This fellowship supports undergraduate Mechanical Engineering and Engineering Mechanics students who want to develop a research project with ME or EM faculty. Over two semesters, fellows gain hands-on experience conducting research in a laboratory setting. At the conclusion of the program, students present their findings at the Senior Design Showcase to peers, alumni, and faculty. Spring/Fall 2026 Faustin Prinz Recipients Peter Backman Student: Peter Backman Research Advisor: Mark Anderson Project: Transient Performance Degradation Due to Failure of Sodium Heat Pipes Liquid-metal heat pipes (LMHPs), particularly those employing sodium, are an emerging technology for high-temperature energy systems. They enable highly efficient heat transfer in industrial processes, advanced power generation, and precise thermal management of components like valves and heat exchangers. LMHPs are integral to applications such as nuclear microreactors, planetary surface power systems, and advanced electronics cooling. Their ability to transfer large amounts of heat with minimal temperature gradients makes them an important piece of energy and thermal management solutions of the future. This study will explore the consequences of failure in an LMHP, specifically breaches in the heat pipe wall, and evaluates any safety and operational risks. Although computational models provide preliminary insights into the consequences of failure [1], physical testing is necessary to characterize transient behavior due to complex physics associated with heat pipe operation. This project investigates gas ingress through pinhole leaks that could potentially result from overheating. Brett Pagel Student: Brett Pagel Research Advisors: Mike Wagner & Greg Nellis Project: Optimizing Heat Exchanger Design for Uniform Spatial Lifetime The main objective of this study is to develop a design methodology that minimizes the material usage in a high temperature heat exchanger (HX) in which the local material lifetime is temperature—and therefore, location—dependent. The optimization will seek uniform life span of the HX with damage factors including creep and fatigue. The study will account for various working fluids, materials, temperatures, and HX design parameters such as wall thickness. The project will build upon previous studies conducted on high-temperature concentrated solar power receivers in which an optimal lifetime and operating region was predicted using a multi-step modeling process that includes thermo-mechanical finite element analysis software [2]. The methodology of the previous study will be expanded beyond concentrating solar applications to more general HX designs. The initial goal is identification of a methodology relevant to fluid-to-fluid heat exchange, but the study is not focusing on a specific configuration. The objective of the proposed work is to develop a methodology to reduce critical material usage and pressure drop while maintaining a local material lifetime that is approximately uniform throughout any high temperature HX. Mason Thomas Student: Mason Thomas Research Advisor: Eric Kazyak Project: Investigating the effects of structural properties of carbon electrodes on the performance of Sodium-Seawater batteries. The implementation of renewable infrastructure will require large scale energy storage to supply the grid in a consistent manner. An attractive option to solve this problem is a battery which uses sodium metal and sea water for the anode and cathode, which are raw materials that are readily available. Carbon electrodes are used in this setup to interface with the seawater, which have various structural properties that are suspected to effect performance. This research investigates the relationship between battery performance and the structural properties of these carbon electrodes. Structural properties being both the thickness and porosity of the electrode, as well as the distance between the electrode and solid electrolyte. How these properties correlate with performance metrics such as efficiency, stability, and impedance will be used in future work to further optimize sodium-seawater batteries in synthesis of electrodes and to find more ways for this solution to go into practice on a large scale. Eleanora Williams Student: Eleanora Williams Research Advisor: Eric Kazyak Project: Mechanical Characterization of LLZO Tubes for Catholyte Electrolyzer Mechanism Supporting Electrical Grid Connectivity The United States’ power system is rapidly growing, but the connectivity of individual electrical grids remains the biggest bottleneck. Of this growth, renewable energy continues to be the fastest developing; however, connecting the low-energy demand areas where renewable energy is generated to high-energy demand population centers dictates this expansion. One of the cheapest proposed solutions is to electrically charge high-energy density catholytes in low-demand areas and ship or pipe them to high-demand areas for discharge. The proposed charging/discharging mechanism or electrolyzer uses lithium metal catholyte and tubes of Li7La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) solid-state electrolytes as a barrier. The design of LLZO tubes and their respective support structures depends on the mechanical properties of the manufactured LLZO materials. This proposal will focus on the testing of LLZO material for its mechanical properties, such as hardness, elastic modulus, and fracture toughness. Three proposed methods of mechanical testing will be detailed: nanoindentation, 4-point bend tests, and biaxial flexure methods. Students interested in participating in the Faustin-Prinz Research Fellowship can find more information about the opportunity on the ME Intranet under research opportunities or can reach out to Mark Anderson, manderson@engr.wisc.edu, with questions.