Orlando G. Rivera González

Experience

1. Nsf Graduate Researcher

   Cooling Technologies Research Center

   Aug 2021 — Present

   Surface wettabilitty and liquid-vapor phase change• Developed multiple Ultrawhite Radiative Cooling coatings with a tunable wettability spectrum for applications such as condensation and water harvesting.• Discovered the effects of pigment volume concentration (PVC), pigment selection (hBN, CaCO3, BaSO4), and binder selection on wettability and surface morphology, leading to optimized coating/paint performance.• Tuned spectral and surface properties, increasing range of contact angle hysteresis range by up to 50° to enhance desired wettability properties.• Characterized Ultrawhite paints with SEM imaging, UV-Vis spectroscopy, profilometry and sessile drop tests using goniometry.• Designed and manufactured an experimental facility for water condensation studies, integrating thermal management equipment, angle meter, and custom 3D-printed components.• Conducted experiments leveraging ambient environmental data (e.g, RH%, temperature, wind) to evaluate condensation dynamics on hydrophobic and hydrophilic radiative cooling surfaces.• Developed a heat and mass transfer-based condensation model for atmospheric water collection, optimizing surface wettability, subcooling, and cooling power to identify optimal surface properties that maximize water yield.

Education

• Purdue University

  Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

  2021 — 2026

• University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez

  Bachelor of Science - BS

  2015 — 2020