Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Events for October
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AME - Department Seminar
Wed, Oct 03, 2012 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Paul Ronney, University of Southern California
Talk Title: Serendipity and Contrarianism in Research: Hit 'Em Where They Ain't
Abstract:
Almost every great scientific discovery involves serendipity, i.e. a chance encounter with unexpected results. This is no accident, for if one already expects a particular result and research confirms the expectation, nothing fundamentally new was learned. Examples include Teflonâ¢, radioactivity, nitrocellulosic explosives, LSD, the Big Bang and the microwave oven. In each of these cases when unexpected results presented themselves, the investigators able to identify their significance instead of merely dismissing them as failures. Frequently another key aspect of discovery is contrarianism, that is, the ability and commitment to challenge accepted wisdom in order to resolve its weaknesses or contradictions. Examples include quantum mechanics, relativity and anthropomorphically-induced climate change. Contrarianism may also take the form of a simpler solution to solving a demanding problem, e.g. tetraethyl lead anti-knock additive for gasolines.
This seminar presents my experiences (which pale in significance compared to the aforementioned cases) with serendipity and contrarianism in the context of research on chemically reacting flows, including examples from microgravity combustion, turbulent flames, catalysis, photobleaching velocimetry and biophysics. Most importantly, I will provide suggestions to fledgling researchers (i.e., graduate students) on how to identify serendipitous yet consequential results and when/how to stand firm in the face of adversity resulting from contrarianistic views.
Biography: Prof. Paul D. Ronney is a Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, CA. Prof. Ronney received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautics from the California Institute of Technology, and a Doctor of Science degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He held postdoctoral appointments at the NASA-Glenn Research Center and the Laboratory for Computational Physics at the U. S. Naval Research Laboratory and a position as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University before assuming his current position at USC. Prof. Ronney was the Payload Specialist Astronaut (Alternate) for Space Shuttle mission MSL-1 (STS-83, April 4 - 8, 1997) and the reflight of this mission (STS-94, July 1 - 16, 1997).
Professor Ronney has extensive research experience in micro-scale combustion, premixed flame ignition by pulsed corona discharges, propagating fronts in motile bacteria, turbulent combustion, edge flames, flame propagation in confined geometries (Hele-Shaw cells), internal combustion engines, premixed-gas combustion at microgravity, flame spread over solid fuel beds, and radiatively-driven flows and heat transfer. His research is conducted in the Combustion Physics Laboratory at USC. One of his experiments, a study of premixed-gas flames at low gravity, called Structure Of Flame Balls At Low Lewis-number (SOFBALL) flew on the STS-83 and STS-94 Space Shuttle missions in 1997 and the STS-107 mission in 2003.
Prof. Ronney has published over 70 technical papers in peer-reviewed journals, made over 150 technical presentations (including over 30 invited presentations at international conferences), holds four U.S. patents with several others pending, and has received over $10 million in funding for his research projects. He is an Associate Editor or Editorial Board Member of Combustion Theory and Modelling, Combustion and Flame, Microgravity Science and Technology, Micromachines and Progress in Energy and Combustion Science. In recognition of his achievements, he is a fellow of the Institute of Physics, a recipient of the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, the Princeton Engineer's Council Excellence in Teaching Award and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (U.K.) Starley Premium Award for a paper on a new control concept for internal combustion engines that promises to provide higher thermal efficiency and lower pollutant emissions.
Host: Professor Geoff Spedding
More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-3-12-ronney.shtml
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-3-12-ronney.shtml
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AME - Department Seminar
Wed, Oct 10, 2012 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jim Pfaendtner, Assistant Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Washington
Talk Title: Applications of "Bottom Up" Multiscale Modeling for Polymer Self Assembly and Protein-Surface Binding
Abstract: Computational models such as molecular dynamics (MD) hold great potential for connecting the atomic scale to the mesoscale for a wide range of problems of engineering interest. Unfortunately, severe computational restrictions often limit wide-ranging use of these tools. New multiscale modeling algorithms that are based on MD have been developed that can overcome these challenges, dramatically increasing the computer's viability as a tool for computation-driven discovery. The first part of this talk will highlight how we are using the computer to study the self-assembly of conjugated polymers in solution. The model polymer poly(3-hexylthiophene) has been studied in a variety of solvents. Solvent and temperature-dependent trends are extracted to study the impact of solvation and polymer architecture on intra-chain and inter-chain interactions. The second part of the seminar will investigate how simulations can be used to study thermodynamic driving forces that lead to self-assembly of peptide monolayers on surfaces.
Biography: Jim Pfaendtner holds a B.S. in ChE (GA Tech, 2001) and a PhD in Chemical Engineering (Northwestern University, 2007). He joined the faculty of University of Washington in 2009 as an assistant professor. Prior to joining the UW he received an NSF IRFP postdoctoral fellowship to work under the supervision of Prof's Greg Voth and Michele Parrinello. Jim is the recipient of a 2012 NSF CAREER award and is a 2012 Kavli Fellow of the US National Academy of Science. Jim's research group focuses on development and application of computational tools for multiscale modeling and simulation of soft matter systems.
Host: Professor Hai Wang
More Info: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-10-12-pfaendtner.shtml
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ame-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-10-12-pfaendtner.shtml
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AME - Department Seminar
Wed, Oct 17, 2012 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: John K. Eaton, Charles Lee Powell Foundation Professor of Engineering in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Stanford University
Talk Title: Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Measurement of Velocity and Concentration in Complex Turbulent Flows
Abstract: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) based flow measurement techniques are enabling a paradigm shift in how we study, evaluate, and design turbulent flows in complex geometries. MR Velocimetry (MRV) measures a complete 3-D mean velocity field and does not require flow tracers or optical access. Resolutions as fine as 0.25 mm have been achieved in measurement volumes as large as 100 X 100 X 250 mm. An entire velocity field comprising millions of individual data points can be measured in a few hours. When combined with computer-aided design and rapid-prototyping of the flow model, a complete mapping of a flowfield from conception to data analysis can be completed in a week. This versatile technique has been used to map the external flow around a coral colony, internal flows in serpentine passages, separated flows in three dimensional diffusers, and the combination of flows found in a full combustor geometry. The detailed 3D measurements allow understanding of vortex structures which dominate many flows, the interplay between separation zones, and analysis of flow splits among parallel paths. A second technique called Magnetic Resonance Concentration (MRC) provides quantitative measurements of the time-averaged 3D concentration field for passive scalar mixing. The combination of measured 3D concentration and velocity fields provides enough detail to yield exceptional understanding of the effects of mean flow transport and turbulent mixing. This has proved particularly effective in the iterative design of film-cooling and other systems where we wish to suppress turbulent mixing. In addition, the combined velocity and concentration data are being used to characterize and improve numerical models for turbulent mixing.
Biography: John K. Eaton is the Charles Lee Powell Foundation Professor of Engineering at Stanford University where he has been on the faculty since 1980. He earned all his degrees at in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford. He conducts research in turbulence, convective heat transfer, advanced measurement techniques, multiphase flow, and flow through random media. Recent emphasis has been on high-fidelity, rapid turnaround experiments in complex flows, measurement and modeling of turbulent mixing, and extreme sensitivity of certain high Reynolds number flows to small perturbations. Much of Professor Eaton's work is motivated and funded by problems in the gas turbine industry. He has supervised 49 completed Ph.D. dissertations including those of 15 professors. He has won both the Tau Beta Pi and Perin Awards for teaching excellence, was an NSF Presidential Young Investigator Awardee, and is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Physical Society.
Host: Professor Maxworthy
More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-17-12-eaton.shtml
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-17-12-eaton.shtml
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USC Consortium for Integrative Computational Oncology Seminar
Mon, Oct 22, 2012 @ 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Prof. James A. Glazer, Biocomplexity Institute and Physics, Indiana University
Talk Title: Applying multi-scale, multi-cell modeling of pathological neovascularization in the retina and solid tumors to suggest novel treatment strategies
Abstract: The construction, maintenance and disruption of tissues emerge from the interactions of cells with each other, the extracellular microenvironment that the cells create and their external boundary conditions. Our ability to make biomedically meaningful predictions at the organ or organism level is limited because of the difficulty of predicting the emergent properties of large ensembles of cells. A middle-out approach to model building starting from cell behaviors and combining subcellular molecular reaction kinetics models, the physical and mechanical behaviors of cells and the longer range effects of the extracellular environment, allows us to address such emergence. I will discuss CompuCell3D as a multi-scale, multi-cell modeling platform to study such emergent phenomena and to connect them to their physiological outcomes. I will illustrate two projects using CompuCell3D, the development and of blood vessels and its effect on the growth of a generic model solid tumor and Choroidal Neovascularization (CNV) in Age-Related Macular Degeneration (the most common cause of blindness among the elderly). The AMD simulations suggest novel drug targets for improved therapeutic outcomes. Time permitting, I will also briefly discuss our proof-of-concept simulations of somatic evolution in solid tumor.
Biography: Dr. Glazier received his B.A. in Physics and Mathematics from Harvard University and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago. His research focuses on experimental and computational approaches to pattern formation in embryology. He has held faculty appointments at the University of Notre Dame and Indiana University, Bloomington, where he is founding director of the Biocomplexity Institute, Professor of Physics and Adjunct Professor of Informatics and Biology.
Host: Profs. Paul Newton and Paul Macklin
More Information: Glazier - Oct 22, 2012.pdf
Location: Hedco Neurosciences Building (HNB) - 100
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Paul Newton
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AME - Department Seminar
Wed, Oct 24, 2012 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Arun Shukla , Simon Ostrach, Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering at the University of Rhode Island
Talk Title: Dynamic Response of Sandwich Composites Subjected to Shock Loading
Abstract: This lecture will present studies on the response of novel engineering layered materials to extreme dynamic loadings. In particular, the talk will focus on the behavior of sandwich composite materials to shock loading. A shock tube facility was utilized to apply blast loadings to simply supported plates of sandwich composite materials. Pressure sensors were mounted at the end of the muzzle section of the shock tube to measure the incident and the reflected pressure profiles during the experiment. This data was used to evaluate the energy transferred and the impulse imparted to the sandwich structure. Three high speed digital cameras along with 3D digital image correlation technique were utilized to capture real time deformation of sandwich composites, as well as the development and progression of damage in them. Based on physical observations better sandwich panels were designed for blast mitigation.
Biography: Arun Shukla obtained a Bachelor of Technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur and his Master of Science and Doctorate degrees from the University of Maryland, all in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the University of Rhode Island in 1981 as a faculty member and currently serves as the Simon Ostrach Professor in the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering. He has also served as the Clark. B Millikan Visiting Professor at the California Institute of Technology, Visiting Professors at the Indian Institute of Technology and Texas A&M Universities and as Design Engineer at Voltas Limited.
He is a Fellow of the Society for Experimental Mechanics, American Academy of Mechanics and American Society for Mechanical Engineers. He was elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2011. He has received the Frocht, Lazan, Taylor and Tatnall Awards and Murray Medal from the Society for Experimental Mechanics. At the University of Rhode Island, he is a recipient of the Simon Ostrach First Endowed Professorship Award, the Vincent and Estelle Murphy Faculty Excellence Award, Distinguished Engineering Professor Award, the University's Scholarly Excellence Award, the Albert E Carlotti Faculty Excellence Award and the University's Outstanding Research Achievement Award. He received the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT, Kanpur in 2009.
In 2003, he served as the President of the Society for Experimental Mechanics. He has served as the Technical Editor of the journal Experimental Mechanics. He has also served the National Research Council, on the United States National Committee on Theoretical and Applied Mechanics. Along with his many graduate students and post docs, Professor Shukla has published more than 300 papers in refereed journals and proceedings. He has also co-authored and edited 5 books, and has delivered numerous plenary and keynote lectures.
Host: Professor Eliasson
More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-24-12-shukla.shtml
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-24-12-shukla.shtml
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AME - Department Seminar
Wed, Oct 31, 2012 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Geoff Spedding , Professor and Chairman of the Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Southern California
Talk Title: Bird Design and Aircraft Evolution
Abstract: Alternative flying machines (in the sense that they differ from our usual designs) can be invented, or studied. In all cases, it is reasonable to wonder whether a particular design is optimal, or perhaps what it is optimal for. Definitions of optimality quickly become complex: "minimum drag:lift ratio for n passengers that allows our company to outcompete our rival(s)" or "something that can be grown fast, still works when 50% of the aft surfaces are missing, and that fits in a nest." We will consider two examples of flying devices, one evolved and one invented, and we will look for parallels that exist between them, or perhaps ought to.
More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-31-12-spedding.shtml
Location: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - Room 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/10-31-12-spedding.shtml