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