MMET Faculty Research Publications

Aluminum OCMFs with different pore sizes and porosities. Photo credit: MMET Associate Professor Sunil Mehendale

Heat transfer and fluid flow in metal foams. Energy modeling and efficiency opportunities for a Public Library Building in the UP. Here’s a quick update on MMET faculty research.

Dr. John Irwin co-authored with Dr. Laura Kasson Fiss (Pavlis Honors College) and Dr. Sarah Tan (Engineering Fundamentals) a paper published and presented in the 2021 ASEE virtual conference proceedings, “S-STEM Student Reflections and IDP Process.”  

Dr. Irwin also co-authored with Dr. David Labyak and Dr. David Wanless, published and presented in the 2021 ATMAE conference proceedings titled “Manufacturing Engineering Certificate and MS Degree for the Working Professional.” Presented in Orlando, Florida at the ATMAE Annual Conference on November 4, 2021. 

Dr. Sunil Mehendale co-authored “Research on the Phase Transition Process of Sessile Droplet on Carbon Fiber Cold Surface,” an article published in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering. The study provides data and ideas for designing anti/de-icing carbon fiber equipment while operating in low-temperature environments, such as industrial refrigeration, aerospace, and more. 

Dr. Mehendale also co-authored, with ME-EM graduate student Amarnath Warty, “Energy Modeling and Energy Efficiency Opportunities for a Public Library Building in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.” The paper was published and presented n at the 2021 Purdue High-Performance Buildings conference. The research found that natural gas consumption of the building could be lowered by up to 20% using the furnace units alone (for instance, by dispensing with the boilers), while still meeting the building’s heating requirements.

Last but not least, Dr. Mehendale’s research was published in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Journal of Heat Transfer: “Thermal-Hydraulic Optimization of Open Cell Metallic Foams Used as Extended Surfaces.” His work investigates heat transfer and fluid flow in metal foams, encountered in a broad range of natural and industrial processes, which includes such diverse fields as compact heat exchangers, fuel cell technology, filtration, and physiological processes.