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UC Riverside
M-LEFT LAB

WE ENGINEER EXCELLENCE

Welcome to UCR M-LEFT Lab — Microfluidics Lab for Energy & Fluid Transport

Velocity and vorticity fields during CO2 drainage experiment
Velocity and vorticity fields during drainage by ScCO₂
2D micromodel for multiphase flow study in porous media
2D micromodel used for the study of multiphase flow in porous media
Test cell used for the study of evaporative heat transfer films
Test cell used for the study of evaporative heat transfer films
Flow patterns as water is displaced by supercritical CO2 at various capillary numbers
Flow patterns and regime as water is displaced by ScCO₂ at various capillary numbers

About Us

The Microfluidics Lab for Energy & Fluid Transport (M-LEFT at the University of California, Riverside investigates thermal-fluid problems at small scales with broad applications in energy, water treatment, and environmental systems. Led by Dr. Yaofa Li in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, our research leverages non-intrusive optical diagnostics to study microscale heat and mass transport. We are located at Bourns Hall Room Number 136.

Research Highlights

Our work spans fundamental micro/nanoscale transport phenomena, novel experimental technique development, and engineering-scale applications. Active projects include thin film evaporation, multiphase flow in porous media, CO₂ sequestration microfluidics, and microscale sensor fabrication.

Interested in Joining?

We welcome motivated graduate and undergraduate students. Please visit our Research and People pages to learn more, or contact Dr. Li directly.