Energy, Propulsion and Environment

Improvements in the efficiency of fossil fuel combustion, along with reductions in air pollutants like ultra-fine particulate matter, will be needed for energy generation and transportation. In addition, new energy sources will be required. Research in air pollution involves strong collaborations with colleagues in biology to help in understanding the health impacts of energy use and ensuing air pollutants, especially ultrafine particles. The Energy and Efficiency Institute works on energy efficiency in buildings and industrial processes, microscale flow and thermal transport and solar thermal energy. The Energy and Environment group looks at fossil fuel combustion as well as wind energy, hydrogen and fuel cell systems to answer these challenges. This field of study also includes air-breathing jet engines and rocket propulsion. Areas of current research include turbomachinery, computational fluid dynamics, open rotor, jet noise, turbine cooling, innovative gas-turbine cycles, rocket engine feed systems and cooling tubes, propeller design and centrifugal compressors.  Wind power and renewable energy is another active research area, includes computational fluid dynamics, active flow control, surface roughness, wind tunnel tests and aeroacoustics.