Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Fluid Dynamics and Propulsion

Research in this area includes incompressible and compressible turbulent flows, multiphase flows, chemically reacting and other nonequilibrium flows, turbomachinery, electrosprays, aeroelasticity, aerodynamic optimization and aeroacoustics. Computational approaches include direct numerical simulation and large-eddy simulation; laboratories include wind tunnels, anechoic chambers, and high-speed jet facilities.  Specific areas of interest include:

  • Aeroacoustics
  • Aeroelasticity
  • Biomedical Flows
  • Combustion Theory
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Electrosprays
  • Jet & Rocket Propulsion
  • Multiphase Flow
  • Turbomachinery


Participating Faculty
 

Said Elgobashi

Said Elghobashi, Ph.D., D.Sc.

Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Direct numerical simulation of turbulent chemically reacting and dispersed two-phase flows
Email: selghoba@uci.edu
Research Lab

Manuel Gamero-Castaño

Manuel Gamero-Castaño, Ph.D.

Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Electric propulsion with emphasis on colloid thruster technology for precision formation flying missions and hall thrusters, electrohydrodynamic atomization of liquids and related problems like electrospray ionization and technological applications of electrosprays, aerosol diagnostics
Email: mgameroc@uci.edu
Research Lab

Jacqueline Thomas

Jacqueline Huynh, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Design of aircraft systems and operations, aviation environmental impacts, aeroacoustics
Email: huynhlj@uci.edu
Research Lab

Perry Johnson

Perry Johnson, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Turbulent flows, particle-laden and multiphase flows, turbulent boundary layers, large-eddy simulations, scientific computing
Email: perry.johnson@uci.edu
Research Lab

Arash Kheradvar, M.D., Ph.D.

Professor of Biomedical Engineering; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Cardiac mechanics, cardiovascular devices, cardiac imaging
Email: arashkh@uci.edu
Research Lab

John LaRue

John LaRue, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Fluid mechanics, heat transfer, turbulence
Email: jclarue@uci.edu
Research Lab

Feng Liu

Feng Liu, Ph.D.

Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Computational fluid dynamics, turbomachinery, propulsion
Email: fliu@uci.edu
Research Lab

Bihter Padak

Bihter Padak, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; Associate Director of UCI Combustion Laboratory
Research Interests: Combustion, reaction kinetics, emission control technologies, catalysis
Email: bpadak@uci.edu
Research Lab

Dimitri Papamoschou

Dimitri Papamoschou, Ph.D.

Chancellor’s Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Compressible turbulence, jet and fan aeroacoustics, jet noise reduction, mixing enhancement, microphone phased array methods
Email: dpapamos@uci.edu
Research Lab

Roger Rangel

Roger Rangel, Ph.D.

Professor Emeritus of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Heat transfer, fluid mechanics, spray combustion, two-phase flows, fluid instability and atomization
Email: rhrangel@uci.edu
Research Lab

Xian Shi

Xian Shi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Energy conversion and propulsion, high-speed reacting flows, detonation and shock, chemical kinetics, renewable fuels, carbon materials, nanoparticle synthesis and dynamics
Email: xianshi@uci.edu
Research Lab

William Sirignano

William Sirignano, Ph.D.

Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Combustion theory, multiphase flows, turbulent reacting flows, computational methods; rocket and jet propulsion, gas turbine and internal combustion engines
Email: sirignan@uci.edu
Research Lab

Haithem Taha

Haithem Taha, Ph.D.

Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Research Interests: Geometric nonlinear nontrol theory; unsteady aerodynamics and aeroelasticity; optimization, calculus of variations and optimal control; flight dynamics and autopilot design; airplane performance and configuration aerodynamics
Email: hetaha@uci.edu
Research Lab