Thermal Engineer

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate candidate refrigerants based on thermodynamic properties, saturation temperature, safety classification, material compatibility, and regulatory requirements for integration into two-phase cooling designs.
• Design and optimize evaporator cold plates including channel geometry selection, inlet restriction sizing and exit vapor quality targeting.
• Develop enhanced boiling surfaces to improve nucleation site density and increase critical heat flux margins.
• Construct thermal test vehicles to evaluate cold plate performance under control and representative heat flux conditions.
• Operate two-phase test loops to characterize flow, generate boiling curves and CHF data.
• Translate experimental findings into design rules and validated simulation inputs.
• Perform system-level thermodynamic analyses: pressure-enthalpy cycle mapping, charge optimization, subcooling control, and component sizing for two-phase flow.
• Use or direct CFD or other modeling tools to evaluate cold plate designs, flow distribution in manifolds and thermal stresses in assemblies.
• Build or contribute to system-level models for cycle analysis, parametric studies and impact of fluid properties on total performance.
• Contribute to Orbital’s proprietary fluid development efforts by contributing to compatibility testing, accelerated aging studies, and performance characterization.
• Specify materials, bonding processes, and manufacturing methods for prototype and production cold plate units.

Miscellaneous Support

• Support Orbital’s proprietary fluid development efforts by contributing to compatibility testing, accelerated aging studies, and performance characterization.
• Contribute to system-level models for cycle analysis, parametric studies and impact of fluid properties on total performance.
• Specify materials, bonding processes, and manufacturing methods for prototype and production cold plate units.

What We're Looking For

• Degree in mechanical engineering, chemical engineering or a closely related discipline with 5+ years of experience.
• Demonstrated experience in single or two-phase heat transfer, boiling phenomena or refrigeration system design.
• Proficiency in conducting thermodynamic analysis to optimize cooling system performance, energy efficiency and heat transfer.
• Hands-on prototyping and lab experience: ability to design test fixtures, build flow loops, select and install instrumentation, and run experiments independently.
• Experience with or strong aptitude for CAD for test fixture design.
• Ability to interpret experimental data and translate findings into design improvements.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Background in chemistry, materials science, or chemical engineering as it relates to refrigerant behavior, surface treatments, or coating processes is a strong plus.
• Experience with relevant simulation software (e.g. CFD, FEA) for thermal and fluid dynamics is an asset.
• Familiarity or experience with cold plate manufacturing processes (CNC machining, brazing, sintering, skiving) is an asset.