Category: Research

Research and publication are part of the culture in the MMET Department, especially for tenure track and tenured faculty. Teaching, as well as assessment and curriculum development, are strengths in the department that have led to scholarly articles on pedagogy and innovations in teaching. 

Two of the organizations that support STEM education research in engineering and engineering technology are the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) and the International Association of Journals and Conferences (IAJC). Each holds annual conferences and workshops, and publishes several academic journals.

Assistant Professor David Labyak in particular has published and presented in this area of engineering education. Department Chair John Irwin conducts research on methods used to improve student learning and engagement in STEM subjects. Together they co-authored and presented the paper, Industry 4.0 Integration in a Manufacturing Engineering Graduate Certificate and MS Degree, at the 2022 IAJC Annual Conference in Orlando, Florida. The paper was accepted in the Technology Interface International Journal (TIIJ), a highly-selective, peer-reviewed journal covering broad topics in various branches of engineering technology. 

Their paper outlines the topics and assessment results of learning outcomes from an online graduate course at Michigan Tech, taken mainly by working professionals. The course had two homework assignments on machine learning using MATLAB, which has built-in functions specifically tailored for machine learning applications. 

Some face-to-face interaction was indicated as being important, even though it was offered as an online course. These and other suggestions will help steer future course structure, to improve learning outcomes. 

Irwin also co-authored a paper published in the 2022 ASEE Annual Conference, Four Pillars of Manufacturing Knowledge Revision and Validation Process.

Additional conference proceedings papers have been accepted for presentation in 2023 by MMET faculty members include:

• Dr. Irwin has a paper accepted for presentation at the ASEE Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC) titled, Michigan Learning and Education Advancement Program (MiLEAP), which describes the MMET department workforce development training initiatives in Fluid Power Training. 
• Dr. Irwin and Research Assistant Professor Sarah Tan (Engineering Fundamentals) Sarah Tan wrote a paper titled Examining the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on S-STEM Financially Supported Students’ Change-Readiness and Self-Efficacy. 
• Dr. Labyak and Associate Professor Scott Wagner wrote a paper titled Industry 4.0 and Holistic Safety Programs Industry Collaboration in Manufacturing Engineering. 
• Dr. Labyak will present a conference proceedings paper at the ASEE Engineering Design Graphics Division (EDGD) Midyear Conference titled Teaching Vibration and Modal Analysis Concepts in Traditional Subtractive Machining to Mechanical Engineering Technology Students.
• Associate Professor Sunil Mehendale has a co-authored paper, Visualization Research of Droplet Freezing on Inclined Titanium Surface, accepted in the Journal of Heat Transfer Research. More information on Dr. Mehendale’s paper can be found in Tech Today.

Sunil Mehendale (MMET) has co-authored an article accepted for publication in the Journal of Heat Transfer Research.

The article is titled “Visual Study of the Freezing Process of a Water Droplet on a Horizontal Copper Plate.”

In this study, based on the droplet shape analyzer, the freezing process of droplets has been studied experimentally. The effects of the substrate temperature, ambient relative humidity, and volume of droplets on the freezing process were analyzed. The ambient relative humidity and substrate temperature influenced the degree of supercooling. With decreasing substrate temperature, a critical value of supercooling was found to exist. The effect of droplet volume on supercooling time was found to be non-monotonic. With increasing droplet volume, the supercooling time first decreased first and then increased.

This research has potential applications to ice control and mitigation, and de-icing technologies.

DOI: 10.1615/HeatTransRes.2022040980

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. 

Sunil Mehendale (MMET) co-authored a research article titled “Research on the phase transition process of sessile droplet on carbon fiber cold surface,” which has been accepted for publication in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ Journal of Thermal Science and Engineering.

The article describes how the droplet phase transition process on the cold surface of a carbon fiber substrate was studied by observing the droplet freezing process. The experiments involved visualizing and measuring the progression of the solid-liquid interface during the phase transition process and the droplet deformation rate. The phase interface presented an irregular wave shape early on and a smooth concave shape later in the freezing process.

This study provides good data and ideas for designing anti/de-icing of carbon fiber equipment operating in low-temperature environments in industrial refrigeration, aerospace and other situations.

A research paper by Sunil Mehendale (MMET), has been accepted for publication in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Journal of Heat Transfer (JHT), a top-notch journal that disseminates information of permanent interest in the areas of heat and mass transfer.

The journal is reputed for its rigorous peer review process and there is a general consensus that the JHT is the world’s premier journal in its field. The paper, “Thermal-Hydraulic Optimization of Open Cell Metallic Foams Used as Extended Surfaces,” has been posted online and is available in the Accepted Manuscript section of the journal on the ASME Digital Collection.

Article Summary

Heat transfer and fluid flow in metal foams is 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. An analytical validated model for predicting temperature distribution, heat transfer, pressure drop, and fluid pumping power in an open-cell metal foam fin is developed. A foam length optimization technique based on its performance factor (PF) is proposed. An often-used fin optimization criterion recommends that the fin effectiveness should equal or exceed 2. The present study shows that the effectiveness of any optimized foam always exceeds 2. However, the converse, i.e., requiring the foam effectiveness to at least equal 2, does not guarantee an optimal foam, which implies that the PF-based optimization criterion is an inclusive one. It is also proved that a previously suggested optimization criterion of maximizing a foam’s geometric mean efficiency will result in a sub-optimal foam design.

https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4050921