What are the interview questions expected for a PHD interview in thermal engineering in IIT Madras?

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Ranjini Banerjee Posted On - Apr 6, 2023

Research Scholar at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

The specific interview questions asked during a Ph.D. interview in thermal engineering at IIT Madras may vary based on the particular research interests of the applicant and the research interests of the faculty members conducting the interview. However, some possible general interview questions that may be asked in a Ph.D. interview in thermal engineering at IIT Madras are:

What motivated you to pursue a Ph.D. in thermal engineering at IIT Madras, and how do your background and experience prepare you for this program?
What is your research interest in thermal engineering, and what research projects have you undertaken in this field?
Can you describe your knowledge and experience in the use of simulation and experimental techniques in thermal engineering?
What do you think are the major challenges in thermal engineering, and how do you plan to address them through your research?
Can you discuss a paper or project that you have done in thermal engineering and explain its significance in the field?
Can you describe a time when you encountered a problem in your research, and how did you go about solving it?
What are your future career goals, and how do you think a Ph.D. in thermal engineering from IIT Madras will help you achieve them?

It is important for the applicant to thoroughly research the specific research interests of the faculty members they are interested in working with, as well as the current research being conducted in the department, to prepare for the interview

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Sudipta Ghose Posted On - Jul 30, 2021

P.HD. Mechanical Design Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (2020)

A friend of mine recently had his interview for PhD. in Thermal Engineering at IIT Madras. Because of the second wave of Covid-19, all the interview meetings were conducted through the google meet app. Here are some snippets of his experience.

The panel had a copy of his application form and research proposal with them, and they were familiar with his project. My friend's project topic was Waste Heat Utilization.
My friend mentioned that he prepared for his LBM himself along with advection-diffusion via D2Q4, D2Q9, D2Q5, and general solves for diffusion. He was totally involved in coding, numerical methods, heat transfer analysis, developing solvers, and was not that well prepared for the interview. So, he hoped the questions were from his thesis.
But the panel wanted my friend to talk about the 2 subjects he was most confident about. And since their concern was around fundamentals, he mentioned fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
He was asked to solve the 1D heat equation, using Dirichlet boundary conditions. Then he was asked to do the same for thermal conductivity. My friend updated the panel about his approach and all that was going on in his mind.
Fluid dynamics was the next topic the panel approached.

The panel was impressed with his approach to the problems. My friend's interview was 30 minutes long.

His advice regarding the interview is to stay calm and prepare two topics beforehand.