Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics News

Category: Research

Andrew Barnard Blogs About Sound, Ships, and Science

Published
By
Andrew Barnard
Andrew Barnard

June 24, 2016

I have begun my journey onto the Great Lakes.

For the next five days, I’ll be on a ship, learning the ins and outs of being a chief scientist with the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), a collaborative program between the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research.

I’ll be aboard the R/V Blue Heron, the only UNOLS research vessel in the Great Lakes. It’s about 20 feet tall, painted navy blue, with “Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota” printed on the bow. This will be my home for the next several days.

Read more at Unscripted, by guest blogger and assistant professor Andrew Barnard.

In the News

Science360, a science news site published by the National Science Foundation (NSF), featured a photo as its Picture of the Day of sunset over Lake Superior, shot by Assistant Professor Andrew Barnard (ME-EM) during a University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System training cruise. See the photo here.

From Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

UNOLS Chief Scientist Training for Andrew Barnard

Published
By
Andrew Barnard
Andrew Barnard

How many sailors does it take to set up an acoustic array? Doesn’t matter if there isn’t a trained acoustics engineer on deck. But clocking time at sea—and knowing how to arrange for experiments aboard a research vessel—is not a straightforward process. To learn more, Andrew Barnard (MEEM) is taking his underwater acoustics research on the R/V Blue Heron next week as part of a Chief Scientist Training Cruise through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).

“The cruise is designed to teach young faculty the ins-and-outs of being a chief scientist on proposals and research expeditions aboard the UNOLS fleet,” Barnard says, adding that he will be conducting some experiments during his trip. The ship will be out from June 25 to 30, traveling from Milwaukee to Duluth.

Michigan Tech partners with UNOLS along with more than 60 other institutions and national laboratories. Learn more here and stay tuned for an Unscripted photo essay and guest blog from Barnard on his experience aboard the R/V Blue Heron.

From Tech Today, by Allison Mills.

Continue Reading →

SAE Presents Award Named for Professor John Johnson

Published
By
SAE 2016
SAE 2016

At the SAE 2016 World Congress in Detroit, SAE International presented the John Johnson Award for Outstanding Research in Diesel Engines to Rolf D. Reitz, a professor in the Engine Research Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The award is named for Michigan Tech Presidential Professor John Johnson (ME-EM), whose expertise in the field of diesel engines spans a wide range of analysis and experimental work related to advanced engine concepts, emissions studies, fuel systems and engine simulation. Johnson is a fellow of SAE International and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Established in 2008, the award recognizes authors of an SAE International outstanding technical paper that addresses research advancements in diesel engines and individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in research and development in the field of diesel engines through a singular accomplishment or lifetime achievement.

SAE International is a global association committed to being the ultimate knowledge source for the engineering profession.

From Tech Today, by Jenn Donovan.

Continue Reading →

Photovoltaics and Solar-Hybrid Energy

Published
By

A new study focused on solar-hybrid energy systems using cogeneration, photovoltaics and battery technology and its potential impact in the Upper Peninsula was picked up by several media outlets including Solar Thermal Magazine, Phys.org and e! Science News.

The research was conducted by Abhilash Katamneni (CS), Richelle Winkler (SS), Joshua Pearce (ECE/MSE) and Lucia Gauchia (ECE/ME).

From Tech Today.

Continue Reading →

New Funding on Autonomous Microgrids

Published
By

Wayne Weaver (ECE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $119,997 research grant from the U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research. Rush Robinett (ME-EM) and Nina Mahmoudian (ME-EM) are Co-PI’s on the project entitled “Autonomous Microgrids: Theory, Control, Flexibility and Scalability.”

This is the first year of a potential four-year project that could total $869,980.

From Tech Today, by Sponsored Programs.

Continue Reading →

ME-EM News Briefs

Published
By

Research Professor John Johnson (ME-EM) chaired a National Academy of Engineering (NAE) committee that has published the NAE Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership, Third Report. Former Michigan Tech President Dale Stein also served on the committee. Johnson has chaired committees that produced several other NAE reports. He also serves on the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards committee.

Michigan Tech Mobile Lab Helps Engineers Design for Human Comfort: Michigan Tech’s mobile lab will travel to Novi, Mich., on Oct. 28 to serve as the site for a one-day workshop on the use of specially designed human manikins and software to measure air velocity, temperature, radiant heat flux and relative humidity in vehicles. Engineers have been invited to participate in the “Manikinalysis” workshop hosted by Michigan Tech, Thermetrics and ThermoAnalytics. Thermetrics makes the HVAC Manikin and ThermoAnalytics produces the human thermal software.

Michigan Tech alumnus Gregory Hardy has received the Steve Thorne Leadership Award, funded by the GE African American Forum. The award recognizes outstanding leadership in the National Society of Black Engineers.
Hardy graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech and is currently a mechanical science and engineering graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Regarding the award, Hardy told the NSBE, “This fuels my fire to do more and inspire others to do the same.”

“Michigan Technological Engineering is known for its space related research and education – aerospace and mechanical engineering” – featured in USA Today special edition “NASA – Beyond Earth” on page 25

Nina Mahmoudian (MEEM) has received a $57,708 grant from the Office of Naval Research for her research project titled, “Toward Undersea Persistence.”

Channel 2, KTVN in Reno, Nevada reported on SAE International’s expansion of its SAE John Johnson Award for Outstanding Research in Diesel Engines to honor individual leaders in the field. Established in 2008, the award traditionally recognized authors of an SAE International outstanding technical paper that addresses research advancements in diesel engines regarding efficiency and low emissions achieved by innovative experimental and modeling research of the engine, fuel and/or after treatment systems.
This prestigious award honors John H. Johnson, a Presidential Professor with Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering Mechanics. Read the story.

Dr. Hussein Zbib received the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture’s 2015 Anjan Bose Outstanding Researcher Award. Professor Hussein earned his BSME, MSME, and PhD in ME-EM all from MIchigan Tech and is a member of our EAB. He is a professor and former head of the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering at Washington State University.

Research Professor John Johnson (ME-EM) chaired a National Academy of Engineering (NAE) committee that just published the Review of the 21st Century Truck Partnership Third Report. Former Michigan Tech President Dale Stein also served on the NAE committee.

Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Consortium Partner Meeting: The Department of Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics will host a Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Consortium Partner meeting September 16 in MEEM 1021. Industrial partner representatives from Cummins, John Deere, Daimler-Detroit, Corning, Johnson Matthey and Tenneco will be on campus all day to review research progress during the second year of three year consortium. The focus of the consortium is on experimental and modeling research of advanced diesel after treatment systems and is a part of the APS Labs. John Johnson, Jeff Naber and Gordon Parker are the faculty associated with the Consortium.

Continue Reading →

Nina Mahmoudian Receives a Young Investigator Program Award from Office of Naval Research

Published
By

image123120-horizOnly 36 faculty across the US were invited to join the Young Investigator Program (YIP) from the Office of Naval Research this year; additionally, only a small percent of faculty receive the CAREER Award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Nina Mahmoudian, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering-engineering mechanics at Michigan Technological University, is one of a select few to receive both in the same year.

Read More

Continue Reading →

Bioprinting in 3D: Looks Like Candy, Could Regenerate Nerve Cells

Published
By

image121814-horizThe printer looks like a toaster oven with the front and sides removed. Its metal frame is built up around a stainless steel circle lit by an ultraviolet light. Stainless steel hydraulics and thin black tubes line the back edge, which lead to an inner, topside box made of red plastic. In front, the metal is etched with the red Bio Bot logo. All together, the gray metal frame is small enough to fit on top of an old-fashioned school desk, but nothing about this 3D printer is old school. In fact, the tissue-printing machine is more like a sci-fi future in the flesh—and it has very real medical applications.
Read More

Continue Reading →