Contact Information: 2021 ERF Phone: (312) 996-5610 Fax: (312) 413-0447 E-Mail: wworek@uic.edu Laboratory: 2064 ERF Phone: (312) 413-0460

W.M. Worek
Professor

B.S., Mechanical Engineering (1976)
Illinois Institute of Technology

M.S., Mechanical Engineering (1977)
Illinois Institute of Technology

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering (1980)
Illinois Institute of Technology

• Technical Committee, American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE)
• Chairman, ASHRAE's Sorption and Desiccant Technologies Committee
• ASME Vice President of Energy Resources, 2002
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Fellow, 2000
• ASME Vice President of Energy Resources, 2002
• ASME Solar Energy Division Heating and Cooling Committee (1985- )
• ASME Board of the Communications Publications Committee (1996- )
• ASME Board on Energy Resources Publications Committtee (1996-99)
• ASME Board on Energy Resources Solar Energy, Division Representative (1995-96)
• Associate Editor of Heating and Cooling, ASME Journal of Solar Energy Engineering (1993-99)
• ASME Solar Energy Division Executive Committee Chair (1994-95) and Member (1990-95)

Selected Publications

D. Ludovisi, S.S. Cha, N. Ramachandran, W.M. Worek, "Effect of Magnetic Fields on Thermocapillary and Buoyancy Driven Flow of Two Immiscible Liquids," Collection of Technical Papers - 45th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting 13, pp. 9206-9219, 2007.

H.D.M. Hettiarachchi, M. Golubovic, W.M. Worek, “The Effect of Longitudinal Heat Conduction in Cross Flow Indirect Evaporative Air Coolers,” Applied Thermal Engineering 27 (11-12), pp. 1841-1848, 2007.

M. Golubovic, H.D.M. Hettiarachchi and W.M. Worek, “Evaluation of rotary dehumidifier performance with and without heated purge", International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 34, pp. 785-795, 2007.

F. S. K. Warnakulasuriya and W. M. Worek, “Drop Formation of Swirl-Jet Nozzles with High Viscous Solution in Vacuum-New Absorbent in Spray Absorption Refrigeration,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 51 No. 13-14, pp. 3362-3368, 2008.

F. S. K. Warnakulasuriya and W. M. Worek, “Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Properties of High Viscous Solutions in Plate Heat Exchangers,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol 51, Nos. 1-2, pp. 52-67, 2008.

L.A. Sphaier and W.M. Worek, “Parametric Analysis of Heat and Mass Transfer Regenerators using a Generalized Effectiveness-NTU Method,” International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 52, No. 9-10, pp. 2265-2272, 2009.

C.K. Chau and W.M. Worek, “Cosorption Processes of Triethylene Glycol in a Packed Bed Liquid Desiccant Dehumidifier,” HVAC&Research, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp 189-210, 2009.

D. Ludovisi, S.S. Cha, N. Ramachandran and W.M. Worek, “Heat Transfer of Thermocapillary Convection in a Two-layered Fluid System under the Influence of Magnetic Field,” Acta Astronautica, Volume 64, Issue 11-12, pp. 1066-1079, 2009.

M. Golubovic, H.D.M. Hettiarachchi, W.M. Worek and W.J. Minkowycz, “Nanofluids and Critical Heat Flux, Experimental and Analytical Study,” Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 29, No. 7, pp. 1281-1288, 2009.

H.D.M. Hettiarachchi, W.M. Worek, M. Golubovic, W.J. Minkowycz, "Slip-Flow and Conjugate Heat Transfer in Rectangular Microchannels," 2008 Proceedings of the ASME Summer Heat Transfer Conference, HT 2008 3, pp. 547-555, 2009.

Research Interests

Professor Worek is a recognized expert in heat and mass transfer, fluid flow, thermodynamics as applied energy efficient, renewable and sustainable energy systems. This includes single and multicomponent absorption and adsorption processes in liquid and solid desiccants, heating and cooling components and systems. Also, Professor Worek has been recognized in the State of Illinois for the coordination and impacting energy policy that affects energy systems, energy utilization and energy procurement.

China , Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy. This year, he serves on the planning committee for the 2010 Heat Transfer Conference in Italy.

Laboratory

Heat and Mass Transfer Laboratory
2064 ERF, (312) 413-0460

In the Heat and Mass Transfer Laboratory, research is being conducted several areas. In the first area,the heat and mass transfer processes that occur when a solid desiccant material adsorbs moisture is being studied. The objective of this program is to develop a new class of desiccant materials capable of being regenerated directly with natural gas and to design a high-performance, gas-fired cooling system capable of better moisture control than conventional cooling systems. The scope of this work includes the numerical modeling and experimental evaluation of new desiccant materials and systems. The experimental test system is a computer controlled dynamic test channel capable of reproducing conditions encountered in the field and enables the measurement of the local heat and mass transfer rates within the desiccant material. In another area of research, the effect of frost formation on the surface of a heat exchanger element is being evaluated. In this work, the transient, position-dependent rate of frost growth on a heat exchanger surface is being measured using a specially design laser depth gauge. Also, the mechanisms of frost removal and methods to enhance frost removal are being studied. In a third area, the experimental investigation of the combined heat and mass transfer processes that occur when water is absorbed by a flowing, liquid-desiccant film is being investigated. This work aids in the understanding of the flow and transport processes that occur in these systems, enables in the development and validation of mathematical models to describe these processes and has the potential to dramatically improve the performance of thermally activated liquid desiccant dehumidification systems.