RAHUL SANDUJA
Summary
Dynamic Thermal Engineer with over 6 years of experience specializing in heat exchanger design and model-based system engineering. Proven track record in leading thermal assessments and optimizing component selection to enhance system performance and reliability. Accomplished Thermal Systems Engineer with expertise in thermal modeling and component optimization. At GE Aerospace, led innovative cooling architecture projects, enhancing system reliability and efficiency. Proficient in Python and MATLAB, with strong analytical skills and a collaborative approach. Achieved a 13% COP improvement, demonstrating a commitment to excellence and impactful engineering solutions.
Overview
6
6
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Thermal Systems Engineer
GE Aerospace
11.2022 - Current
- Led end-to-end down-selection of air-cooled oil cooler heat exchangers for New Product Introduction (NPI) engine programs, evaluating thermal effectiveness, pressure losses, weight, packaging, and system-level integration trade-offs
• Performed comparative thermal and architectural assessments to support informed decision-making during early engine configuration and concept definition phases
• Owned the down-selection of under-cowl cooling architecture for NPI engines, ensuring compliance with thermal margin, reliability, and certification requirements
• Defined thermal requirements and boundary conditions to assess cooling architecture robustness across mission profiles and operating envelopes
• Led life-extension and durability assessments for High Pressure Turbine (HPT) and High Pressure Compressor (HPC) hardware to support long-term operability targets
• Translated thermal environments and operational data into actionable inputs for component life and durability evaluations
• Developed and standardized heat exchanger thermal modeling documentation, defining modeling methodology, assumptions, boundary conditions, and validation strategies for reuse across engine programs
• Served as AI focal point for the thermal systems section, driving awareness and adoption of AI-assisted methods for thermal analysis, model efficiency, and engineering decision support
Thermal Systems Engineer
Ecozen Solutions
09.2019 - 11.2022
- Thermal Modeling & System Engineering – Smart IoT-Based 5 MT Solar Cold Storage
• Developed and validated end-to-end refrigeration system thermal models using MATLAB and Python to analyze cold storage performance under grid and solar operation
• Designed and implemented thermal battery charging–discharging models, enabling energy-efficient operation and load shifting for solar-powered applications
• Led system-level thermal analysis to support product development, assessing thermal margins, specification realism, and operational risk using heat transfer and thermal dynamics principles
• Conducted root cause failure analysis of field compressor failures, developed corrective solutions, and successfully implemented them on deployed units
• Optimized system component selection (variable-speed compressor, condenser, heat exchanger, expansion device), achieving 13% COP improvement and ₹10,000 BOM cost reduction
• Planned and executed thermal performance testing, experimentally comparing micro-channel and fin-coil condensers, and leveraged digital-twin models to predict compressor failure and refrigerant leakage from field data
Education
M.Tech - Thermal & Fluid Engineering
IIT Bombay
01.2019
B.Tech - Mechanical Engineering
UIET Kurukshetra University
01.2015
Skills
- Python
- MATLAB
- ANSYS Fluent
- Github - Copilot
- SolidWorks
- UG - NX
- MS Excel
- Thermal modeling
- Heat exchanger design
- Data analysis
- Component optimization
- Model-based system engineering
Certification
- Data Science & Machine Learning with Python, Udemy
- OpenFOAM CFD, Udemy
Extracurricular Activities
Cricket Music Dancing
Academic Technical Projects
- Energy Efficient Heat Pump (M.Tech Thesis, IIT Bombay), Modeled and analyzed a reciprocating compressor-based heat pump system using ANSYS Fluent.
- Unsteady Navier-Stokes Solver, Developed CFD solver for lid-driven cavity flow and validated against benchmark solutions.
Timeline
Thermal Systems Engineer
GE Aerospace
11.2022 - Current
Thermal Systems Engineer
Ecozen Solutions
09.2019 - 11.2022
M.Tech - Thermal & Fluid Engineering
IIT Bombay
B.Tech - Mechanical Engineering
UIET Kurukshetra University