ME Research Projects
| Project | Description | Faculty Advisor | Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inexpensive and non-toxic grid-scale energy storage | To allow for larger penetration of renewable power such as wind and solar, the strain of their intermittent output on the electrical grid must be alleviated through the use of energy storage. Flow batteries are an ideal battery architecture for large-scale energy storage, and vanadium redox flow batteries are the leading flow battery chemistry; however, they require the use of corrosive and toxic acids. In this project, we are developing neutral-pH aqueous flow batteries for grid-scale energy storage that are both inexpensive and non-toxic. | John Bachman | Possible |
| Modeling Metal Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) Processes | We use various computational tools and models to simulate Selective Laser Melting of metallic alloys. We also look into how solidification microstructure evolves during the process. This project is partially funded by NASA. | Mohsen Eshraghi | Possible |
| Targeted design of combustion experimental conditions | Many combustion experiments, such as flow reactor measurements, are performed at conditions without justification. In this project, we will use computational tools to find conditions where experiments will yield the most useful information on reaction rates. Experiments will likely be performed under these conditions by collaborators at other institutions, and then we will extract reaction rates from the measurements. | Jeff Santner | Possible |
| Energy-free flight for aerial robots using dynamic soaring | Inspired by birds making use of thermal updraft and/or shear wind to flight, this project studies similar engineering solutions for aerial robots. | He Shen | Possible |
| Improve the performance of humanoid robots | This project allows students to continue advancing robotics technology by using the current generation of a humanoid robot, "Melo," developed by our group. | He Shen | No |
| Educational Robotics Kits and Curriculum Design | The project focus on developing the next generation of "white box" education robotics kits for STEM education; meanwhile, the robotic platforms will be used for us to study how robots learn new skills through machine learning. | He Shen | Possible |
| High-performance wind turbine control system | Wind energy is hard to predict, this project studies how learning and predictive control methods will make these engineering systems smarter and more efficient. | He Shen | No |
| Analysis and control toward energy-efficient buildings | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
| Fractional-order-based mathematical modeling of complex thermal energy systems | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
| Heat transfer enhancement in micro-channels | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
| Analysis, optimization, and control of fuel cells | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
| Development of cleaning-plastic heat-based technologies | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
| Modeling of natural convection loops | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
| Application of intelligent systems in thermal engineering | Various sub-topics | Arturo Pacheco-Vega | Possible |
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Mayra Alonzo, Coordinator
[email protected] | E&T, A-205 | Tel (323) 343-4490 | Fax (323) 343-5004
5151 State University Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90032