Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Mechanical Engineering

The program emphasizes basic mechanical sciences to prepare students for the diversity found at the frontiers of research and industrial development. The faculty is particularly strong and active in biomechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, turbulence, combustion, thermal systems engineering, multiphase flows, energy and power systems, transport processes in microgravity, mechanical systems and design, control and robotics, dynamics and control of space structures, mechanics of materials and materials processing, materials microgravity sciences and computational mechanics. Biomechanical engineering: Analysis and design of biomechanical systems for orthopedic surgery; development of computer-aided design and analysis techniques for bone-implant systems; skeletal adaptation and bone structural behavior; mechanics and dynamics of human and animal motion and coordination. Combustion: Combustion processes for practical energy-conversion devices; computational techniques for turbulent combustion; incineration of municipal and hazardous waste; combustion in a microgravity environment; computer simulations of rapid granular flows; models of pneumatic transport; laser imaging studies of turbulent combustion; development and application of laser tomography for combustion measurements. Energy and power systems: Combustion and transport processes in gas turbine combustors. Fluid mechanics: Theoretical and experimental studies of turbulence with applications to industrial, meteorological and oceanographic flows; construction of consistent turbulence models; experimental studies of transition to turbulence and three dimensionalities in wakes, shear flows, and boundary layers; linear and nonlinear wave propagation and stability studies of vortex flows; experimental investigations of vortex structure; vortex-induced vibration; fundamental vortex interactions; wing vortex wake dynamics; splash dynamics of droplets on surfaces. Heat transfer: Experiments in critical heat flux and boiling instability; heat transfer in electronic components; radiosity for realistic images in computer graphics; transport phenomena in materials processing; inverse heat transfer problems; computational design and control of thermal systems and processes.