Fluid Mechanics

Fluid Mechanics

Research at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering in the area of Fluid Mechanics includes theoretical, experimental and computational investigation of flow phenomena.

Experimental research: Work in experimental fluid mechanics includes investigation of high-speed jet flows and vortex-dominated wakes generated by swimming or flying animals. The high-speed jet flow experiments are performed in an anechoic chamber. The focus is on noise generation in high-speed jets with application in jet propulsion and noise reduction in wind farms.

Theoretical fluid mechanics: Research in this area includes the use of data analysis to advance our understanding and modeling of the physics of fluid turbulence. One of the tools employed is wavelet analysis, the application of which enables the deduction of coherent structures from turbulent flow data through resolution of the continuous flow fields in space/scale or time/frequency domains. Other analytical tools in dynamic system are also used to obtain low-dimension descriptions of complex flows. These include analysis of flow data using the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (LCS) as well as the identification of Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCS) through analysis of Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponents of flow fields. Such methods have been applied to the analysis of high-speed jet flows as well as vortex-dominated water flows.

Computational Fluid Dynamics: Active research in CFD involves both development of methods and application of CFD to the analysis of various flow processes, in conjunction with the development of physical models. Techniques and tools are developed for rapid grid generation from practical CAD solid models. Reduced-order models are being developed for efficient computation and control of heat and mass transfer in energy-efficient environmental systems. In the area of combustion, strategies are explored for efficient evaluation of turbulence-chemistry interaction in turbulent flames.

Faculty

Artificial Intelligence and Data Sciences

Link creation, leader selection, and community detection in consensus/synchronization networks.

Data Mining, Social Network Dynamics, Evolutionary Optimization, Neural Networks, Anomaly Detection.

Multi-agent systems, Game theory, Swarm robotics, large scale learning and classification, Big data visualization.

Machine Learning, Security and Privacy in Social Networks.

Structure of social networks and communities, Identifying communities in networks, Predicting missing links, Applications. Interdisciplinary topics, including ecology, social sciences, and computational sustainability.

Text Mining and Social media mining.

Information fusion, Intelligent signal processing.

Wireless embedded smart cameras, mobile camera applications (including smart phones and UAVs), wearable sensors, visual surveillance, smart camera networks and resource efficient algorithms for embedded platforms.

Big Data Analytics, Social Media Mining, Large-Scale Information Networks, Social Computing; Information diffusion, influence, opinion formation, and means of evaluation in social media.

Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Privacy, Multi-agent Systems

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Nanotechnology

In nanoscale science and engineering research one seeks novel and robust ways for the manipulation of biological or synthetic matter with at least one of the dimensions smaller than typically 100 nm. Examples include synthesis of novel materials via molecular self-assembly and fabrication of devices by nanolithography. Technological impact of such research ranges from medicine and sustainable production of chemicals/fuels to THz information processing and renewable energy harvesting. At Syracuse University, BMCE faculty research in this area focuses on the synthesis and characterization of nanostructured materials for biomedical, optoelectronic, catalytic and renewable energy harvesting applications, developing computational and experimental approaches to explore the mechanisms of molecular self-assembly and investigations of the environmental impacts of nanotechnology. Specific examples of current research projects are:

Nanostructured Interfaces

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images of nanoscale patterns generated by pulsed laser melting of a 4 nm thick Co film deposited on a glass substrate via e-beam evaporation. The patterns result from hydrodynamic instabilities in the molten metal film. A variety of metals can be patterned by using this technique. Such nanostructured interfaces have unique optical and magnetic properties which can be tuned by their size, shape and length scale (collaboration with Dr. Kalyanaraman, University of Tennessee, Knoxville).

For further details, see:

  1. Trice, C. Favazza, D.G. Thomas, H.G. Garcia, R. Kalyanaraman, R. Sureshkumar, A novel self-organization mechanism in ultrathin liquid films: theory and experiment, Phys. Rev. Lett., 101, 017802 (2008)

Environmental Impact of Nano ZnO

ZnO NPs (20 nm diameter) in presence of bacterial cells: in aqueous solution (C) where the nanoparticles agglomerate and do not impact the cell wall appreciably and after electrospray (D) where the individual NPs attack the cell. The latter scenario would correspond to aerosol mode of exposure (collaboration with Dr. Yinjie Tang, Washington University in Saint Louis).

ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used as pigments, semiconductors, sunscreens, and food additives. To determine the potential eco-toxicity of ZnO NPs, researchers have investigated their toxicological properties, fate, and transport in the environment. Injurious effects of ZnO NPs upon a variety of organisms in aquatic environments have recently been reported. Several studies indicated that the dissolved Zn2+ from ZnO NPs in the aquatic environment causes these eco-toxicities. Other studies have shown that metal NPs may be more toxic than either their ionic forms or their parent compounds. NPs tend to aggregate in aquatic environments to form micrometer-sized particles, and this state of dispersion reduces the influences of particle size, particle shape, and surface charge on the NPs’ eco-toxicity: see figure below. Further, many microorganisms such as Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and Escherichia coli secrete extracellular polymeric substrates (EPS) which can inhibit the binding of NPs onto the cell. The focus is the study is to understand the effect of different modes of exposure (aqueous medium, aerosol) on the eco-toxicity of NPs.

For more details, see:

  1. Wu, Y. Wang, Y. Lee, A. Horst, Z. Wang, D. Chen, R. Sureshkumar & Y. Tang, Comparative Eco-toxicities of Nano-ZnO Particles under Aquatic and Aerosol Exposure Modes, Environmental Science and Technology

Nanotoxicity

Concerns of nanotoxicity caused by nanoparticle-cell interactions are becoming increasingly important as the applications of nanoparticles continue to grow. There is significant interest in correlating the properties of nanoparticles such as size, shape, surface charge, and chemical functionality to their toxicity to biological systems. A recent study by Nangia and Sureshkumar showed that simple shape and charge modifications of chemically functionalized gold nanoparticles can cause tremendous change in their uptake by the cell. Using high-performance molecular dynamics simulations, interactions of charged nanoparticles of six distinct shapes (cone, cube, rod, rice, pyramid, and sphere) were performed with a model cell membrane. The results indicated that depending on nanoparticle shape and surface functionalization charge, the translocation rates can span over 60 orders of magnitude.

Figure: The translocation of nanoparticles is highly shape-dependent with rice-shaped particle that penetrates on microsecond time-scale, versus other shapes like sphere, pyramid, cone, rod, and cube that occur on much longer scales.

Faculty

Multiple Phase Systems

Multi-phase systems are commonly encountered in chemical and biological systems. While the analytical framework (e.g. the equations describing the transport of mass, momentum, or energy) is relatively well established for the single-phase systems, much needs to be done for multi-phase systems. Our approach is to build a tool box consisting of experimental (including flow visualization), theoretical, and numerical simulation techniques that may be used to understand variety of multiphase systems. Given below is a brief description of some of the multi-phase systems examined by the researchers in the department. (See also Complex fluids for additional examples.)

Acoustic Probe for Characterizing Suspensions

Monitoring the amount of solids in slurries flowing through a pipe is important to quality control in process industry. The figure on the left shows a device that uses attenuation of ultrasonic sound waves through slurry to determine the solid content. Small amounts of bubbles that are often present in slurries normally pose serious challenge in the use of ultrasound technology but we have been able to develop software that uses theoretical understanding of acoustics of three-phase systems to filter out the noise introduced by the bubbles if present, and yield the estimates of solids on a continuous basis. This is illustrated by the figure on the right in which bubbles are introduced in a flowing slurry so that overall attenuation of sound increases as indicated by the upper curve. A theory for removing the noise by bubbles allows us to obtain the concentration of particles as indicated by the lower curve. This method forms the basis for a pending patent application (U. S. Patent 0245137 by Tavlarides, Norato, Shcherbakov, and Sangani ).

Bone Cements

Nanosphere containing two-solution bone cement after polymerization and fracture. Note the highly packed and uniform nanospheres of cross-linked PMMA (Taken from Rodrigues et al., JBMR-B, 2010)

Two solution bone cement is an innovation in the formulation and properties of orthopedic bone cement used to fix total joint replacements in bone or to perform vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty (i.e., repair of osteoporotic spine). These cements are acrylic based and consist of high-viscosity mixtures of monomer, linear polymer, surface modified cross-linked polymer beads (including nanobeads of approximately 300 nm) which have brush polymer and/or reactive moieties. One aspect of this multiphase material is its non-linear rheometric behavior. This behavior, which is thixotropic and pseudoplastic, has important consequences for the delivery and positioning of the cement in bone. The surgeon wants a cement that is doughy, yet can pass through a small gage needle with low force and then can set up quickly as a stiff material once it reaches its site in the body. In one version of this cement, uniform nanospheres are added to reduce the overall monomer level while maintaining the appropriate viscosity.

Recent Publications

Rodrigues, DC, Gilbert, JL, Hasenwinkel, JM, “Two-solution Bone Cements with Cross-linked Micro- and Nano-particles for Vertebral Fracture Applications: Effects of Zircomium Dioxide Content on the Material and Setting Properties”, JBMR-B, Vol. 92, No 1, Jan. 2010, p 12-23.

Rodrigues, DC, Gilbert, JL, Hasenwinkel, JM, “Pseudoplasticity and Setting Properties of Two-Solution Bone Cement Containing Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Microspheres and Nanospheres for Kyphoplasty and Vertebroplasty”, J. Biomed. Mat Res Part-B, Vol. 91 No(1), Oct. 2009, p 248-256.

Supercritical fuel sprays

Clockwise: hexane at 24 oC; hexane-CO2 at 24 oC, hexane-CO2 at 90 oC; hexane-CO2 at 120 oC; hexane-CO2 at 135 oC; hexane-CO2 at 155 oC.

Shown in these figures are the effects of temperature at constant pressure of 413 bar on the sprays of hexane–carbon dioxide solutions injected in ambient air. At higher temperatures, close to the supercritical conditions for the mixture of hexane and carbon dioxide, the spray fuel–CO2–air becomes mostly homogeneous. Such homogeneity is highly desirable to improve the efficiency of the fuel combustion and decrease the concentrations of NOx, particulate matter, and other undesirable pollutants.

Recent Publications

Anitescu, G., Lin, R-H., Tavlarides, L. L. Preparation, Injection and Combustion of Supercritical Fuels; Poster P-2 presented at Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) Conference, Dearborn, MI, August 3–6, 2009.

Anitescu, G.; Tavlarides, L. L.; Geana, D. Phase Transitions and Thermal Behavior of Fuel-Diluent Mixtures. Energy & Fuels 2009, 23, 3068–3077.

Numerical simulations and theory

Numerical simulation techniques that account for detailed particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions for variety of particle-scale physics phenomena are developed by Sangani and co-workers. As a result of the efficient algorithms that are developed over last two decades it is possible to carry out large scale simulations of tens of thousands of particles. The results of simulations have enabled us to develop theories

Supercritical fuel sprays

Clockwise: hexane at 24 oC; hexane-CO2 at 24 oC, hexane-CO2 at 90 oC; hexane-CO2 at 120 oC; hexane-CO2 at 135 oC; hexane-CO2 at 155 oC.

Shown in these figures are the effects of temperature at constant pressure of 413 bar on the sprays of hexane–carbon dioxide solutions injected in ambient air. At higher temperatures, close to the supercritical conditions for the mixture of hexane and carbon dioxide, the spray fuel–CO2–air becomes mostly homogeneous. Such homogeneity is highly desirable to improve the efficiency of the fuel combustion and decrease the concentrations of NOx, particulate matter, and other undesirable pollutants.

Recent Publications

Anitescu, G., Lin, R-H., Tavlarides, L. L. Preparation, Injection and Combustion of Supercritical Fuels; Poster P-2 presented at Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) Conference, Dearborn, MI, August 3–6, 2009.

Anitescu, G.; Tavlarides, L. L.; Geana, D. Phase Transitions and Thermal Behavior of Fuel-Diluent Mixtures. Energy & Fuels 2009, 23, 3068–3077.

Numerical simulations and theory

Numerical simulation techniques that account for detailed particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions for variety of particle-scale physics phenomena are developed by Sangani and co-workers. As a result of the efficient algorithms that are developed over last two decades it is possible to carry out large scale simulations of tens of thousands of particles. The results of simulations have enabled us to develop theories for multi-phase systems.

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymeric Composites

Figure: SEM micrographs of uncoated carbon fiber (a, x 2000) and polypyrrole-coated carbon fibers: (b) after 10 minutes of coating (b, x 2000), after 60 minutes of coating (c, x 2000; d, x 10000). Reaction conditions: [Pyrrole] = 0.2 M; [H2SO4] = 0.1 M; Current Density10 mA/cm2). From Bin, Sureshkumar and Kardos, Chemical Engineering Science, 56, 6563-75 (2001)

Carbon fibers are used as reinforcements in advanced composites because of their excellent specific mechanical properties. However, adhesion between the carbon fibers and the polymeric matrix is usually weak. Hence, surface treatment methods are required to improve fiber–matrix bonding and to efficiently transmit the applied load through the matrix to the fibers. Typical industrial treatments include gas phase oxidation, ozone or plasma etching, electrochemical oxidation, whiskerization, and polymer coating. Modification of carbon fibers by applying electropolymerized coatings has attracted considerable attention. In order to improve the adhesion between the carbon fibers and the matrix, polymer coatings are applied directly onto the fiber surface by electropolymerization. Advantages of this technique over other traditional surface treatment methods include superior wetability of the individual fiber filaments in a bundle, control of the structures and properties of the coatings through control of monomer functionality and electropolymerization parameters, accessibility of the state-of-the-art electroanalytical techniques to study reactions, and relatively low processing cost. Moreover, electropolymerization appears to be a suitable process to maximize the impact strength and fracture toughness, while retaining the required optimum levels of other mechanical properties. Our work has focused on identifying process-morphology relationships in electropolymerization of C fibers with polypyrrole.

Faculty

Molecular Biotechnology

Molecular Biotechnology applies modern techniques of molecular biology in both fundamental and applied research. Examples of such powerful tools include DNA mutagenesis, DNA sequencing, RNA interference, stem cell technology, immunological methods, protein engineering, genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, gene therapy and cloning techniques. These technologies offer exciting opportunities to understand and control complex systems at the molecular level for applications in healthcare, environmental protection, biofuel production and biosecurity. In Ren lab, for example, molecular biotechnology is being applied in a variety of research projects such as tracking bacterial cells using molecular cloning and bioimaging, sensor development for pathogen detection, novel technology for controlling drug resistant infections.

Representative publications

Jiachuan Pan, Ali Adem Bahar, Haseeba Syed, and Dacheng Ren. “Reverting antibiotic tolerance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1 persister cells by (Z)-4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene)-3-methylfuran-2(5H)-one”. PLoS ONE. 7(9): e45778. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045778. (2012).

Shuyu Hou, Huan Gu, Cassandra Smith and Dacheng Ren*, “Microtopographic patterns affect Escherichia coli biofilm formation on polydimethylsiloxane surfaces”. Langmuir. 27: 2686-2691 (2011).

Shuyu Hou, Zhigang Liu, Neville R. Kallenbach, and Dacheng Ren, ” Effects of Trp- and Arg-Containing Antimicrobial-Peptide Structure on Inhibition of Escherichia coli Planktonic Growth and Biofilm Formation”. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76: 1967-1974 (2010).

Miao Duo, Mi Zhang, Yan-Yeung Luk and Dacheng Ren, “Inhibition of Candida albicans Growth by Brominated Furanones”. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. 85: 1551-1563 (2010).

Shuyu Hou, Erik A. Button, Ricky Lei Wu, Yan-Yeung Luk and Dacheng Ren, “Prolonged Control of Patterned Biofilm Formation by Bio-inert Surface Chemistry”. Chemical Communication. 2009: 1207-1209.

Faculty

Drug Delivery

Targeted Cancer Drug Delivery

A new breakthrough technology is emerging in cancer diagnosis, treatment, and prevention that utilizes novel “smart” nanoparticles that are capable targeting only the cancerous cell. The smart nanoparticles are designed to have a multilayer assembly with a drug loaded core and highly sensitive shells that are triggered by the biological signatures of cancer. The efficacy of the nanoparticles and their interaction with biological systems is of significant interest. The Nangia lab is developing state-of-the-art computational methods to design novel drug carriers for improved selectivity, targeted drug release, and cellular drug uptake efficacy with molecular-level accuracy. The specific goals of the research are:

  • Quantitative yield assessment of drug release as a function of pH
  • kinetics of reactions leading to supramolecular disassembly
  • structural and charge dependence on drug loading

Representative publications

Wenjuan Jiang, Juntao Luo, and Shikha Nangia. “Multiscale approach to investigate self-assembly of telodendrimer based nanocarriers for anticancer drug-delivery”. Langmuir. 2015  31, 4270-4280.

  1. 2014 Shi, D. Yuan , Shikha Nangia, G. Xu, K. Lam, and Juntao Luo. “A Structure–Property Relationship Study of the Well-Defined Telodendrimers to Improve Hemocompatibility of Nanocarriers for Anticancer Drug Delivery.”,Langmuir. 2014. 28, 17666–17671.

Faculty

Biomaterials/Tissue Engineering

Biomaterials science is the physical and biological study of materials and their interaction with the biological environment. Tissue engineering uses of a combination of cells, biomaterials, and biochemical and biomechanical factors, individually or in combination, to repair or replace tissues or organs. The Biomedical and Chemical Engineering Department at Syracuse University has a strong and growing emphasis on biomaterials and tissue engineering, and many faculty in the department are members of the recently created Syracuse Biomaterials Institute.

Research in the department includes disciplinary projects in biomaterials and in tissue engineering, as well as interdisciplinary projects at the interface of these two exciting research areas. These projects are nearly universally motivated by the potential to improve human health and well-being. Examples of current biomaterials and tissue engineering projects in the department are listed below:

  • Active Cell Culture
  • Biomineralization
  • Control of bacterial biofilm formation
  • Fragmentation Mechanisms of Bacterial Biofilms of Physiological Relevance
  • Freeform Fabrication of Biomaterials
  • Cartilage Tissue Engineering
  • Micromechanics of Wear of Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE)
  • Redox electrochemistry and metallic biocompatibility
  • The reduction half-cell and protein adsorption and interaction
  • Control of cell viability with redox electrochemistry
  • Smart medical devices with electrochemical monitoring
  • Fretting Corrosion of Medical Alloys and Devices
  • Electrochemical Atomic Force Microscopy of Metallic Biomaterials
  • Passive oxide films and their behavior in the biological milieu
  • Performance testing of orthopedic, spinal, and cardiovascular devices
  • Micro- and nano-indentation of polymeric biomaterials and tissue engineered constructs
  • Development of novel two solution bone cements for vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty and joint replacement
  • Modeling polymerization processes, residual stresses and porosity development in bone cements
  • Atomic Force microscopy for biomaterials, proteins, and cells
  • Nanoindentation testing of biomaterials
  • Viscoelastic analysis of nanomechanics
  • Nanoparticle development
  • Failure analysis of retrieved total joint replacements
  • In-vitro testing of corrosion mechanisms in medical devices
  • Fatigue and fracture testing of medical devices

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