Research Activities by Faculty

There are a wide variety of research interests in the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, broadly grouped in the four areas of BioMechanical and Materials Engineering, Energy and Fluid Systems, Manufacturing and Dynamic Systems and Materials Engineering. The nature of particular research projects in these areas ranges from applied research and development to the acquisition of fundamental scientific knowledge. Separate laboratories, each supplied with special purpose instruments and apparatus, support the four areas. Information on facilities in the first three areas can be found at the Research by Laboratory site. Funding comes from major granting agencies such as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and contract work has been undertaken with, for example, ALCAN, CAMM, CANMET, DND, IDRC, MIROC, MMO and Transport Canada.

Biomechanical Engineering

• J. Tim Bryant
  • Orthotic Devices
    
  • Knee Mechanics
  • Ergonomics

    
    

• Kevin Deluzio
  • Biomechanics of Human Motion
  • Orthopaedic Biomechanics
  • Biomedical Data Analysis Techniques
    

• Geneviève A. Dumas
  • Spine Mechanics
    
  • Biomechanics
    

• Randy Ellis (cross-appointment from Computing and Information Science)
  • Computer-Enhanced Surgery
    
  • 3D Image Registration
    
  • Biomechanics

• Qingguo Li
  • Biomechanical Systems Design
  • Bio-Mechatronics
  • Robotics
  • Locomotion
    

• Steve Waldman
  
  • Tissue Engineering
    
  • Perfusion Bioreactors
    
  • Biomechanics

Energy and Fluid Systems

• A. Michael Birk
  • Gas Turbines
  • Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapour Explosions
  • Fluid Mechanics/Thermodynamics/Heat Transfer

    
    

• Gaby Ciccarelli

 

• Explosion Physics and Prevention
• Pulse-Detonation Engines
• Combustion

• Stephen J. Harrison
  • Solar Energy
  • Energy Conservation
  • Thermal Calorimetry and Measurement Techniques
    
• Miodrag Darko Matovic
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Combustion

    
    

• Patrick H. Oosthuizen

 

• Convective Heat Transfer
• Experimental Methods
• Heat Transfer/Thermodynamic

• Joshua M. Pearce
  • Solar Energy
  • Applied Sustainability
  • Energy Policy
• Jon G. Pharoah
  • Membrane Separation / Water Purification
  • Application of CFD to design
  • Fuel Cell Transport

• Ugo Piomelli
  • Large eddy and direct simulations
  • Turbulence simulations and modelling
  • Transition modelling, Computational fluid dynamics, Geophysical flows

• Andrew Pollard
  • Fluid Dynamics & Turbulence
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Experimental Fluid Dynamics
    
• Richard W. Sellens
  • Optical Measurement Techniques
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Biomechanics

Manufacturing and Dynamic Systems

• Ronald J. Anderson
  • Vehicle Dynamics
  • Multibody Dynamics
    
• Laeeque Daneshmend (joint appointment with Mining Engineering)
  • Reliability Engineering
  • Maintenance Management
  • Robotics for Unstructured Environments

   

• Jacob Jeswiet
  • Metal Forming
  • Single Point Incremental Forming
  • Friction in Metal Forming
  • Energy and Carbon Emissions in Manufacturing
  • Powder Metallurgy

• Il-Yong Kim
  • Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
  • CAD/CAM/CAE
  • Mechanical Systems Design Using FEM (Finite Element Method)
    
• Yongjun Lai
  • Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
  • Bio-MEMS bio-manipulations, biomechanics testing, biosensors, etc
  • Vehicle navigation and laser micromachining for rapid MEMS prototyping
    

• Chris K. Mechefske
  • Vibration Based Monitoring of Machines
  • Manufacturing System Dynamic Analysis
  • Biomedical/Biomechanical System Analysis
    
    
• Leila Notash
  • Manipulator Kinematics
  • Fault Tolerant Operation
  • Mechatronics and Robotics

 

• David S. Strong
• Design Engineering Education
• Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles

 

• Brian W. Surgenor

 

• Intelligent Automation
• Automatic Control Systems
• Mechatronics Engineering
  

• Gene Zak
  • Rapid Prototyping
  • Plastic Composites
  • Injection Molding

 

Materials Engineering

• J. Doug Boyd
  • Steel Physical Metallurgy
  • Metal Matrix Composites
  
  
• Brad. Diak
  • Microstructural Phenomena in Metals and Alloys
  • Materials for Transportation Applications
  • X-ray/Electron Scattering Techniques
    
    
• Mark. Daymond
  • Micromechanisms of Deformation in Metals, Ceramics and Composites
  • Advanced Neutron and X-ray Scattering Techniques
  • Engineering Mechanics, Components and Processes
    
• Richard. A. Holt
  • Nuclear materials/zirconium alloys
  • Crystallographic texture/anisotropy
  • Modeling materials behaviour
    
• Vlad Krstic
  • Ceramics Processing and Properties
  • Ceramic Matrix Composites
  • Thin Films
• Joshua M. Pearce
  • Photovoltaic Materials
  • Semiconductor Defects
  • Amorphous Semiconductors
    
•  A. Keith Pilkey
  • Material Failure Mechanisms
  • Metallographic Image Analysis
  • Metal Forming
    

• Morteza Shirkhanzadeh
  • Corrosion and Electrochemistry
  • Electrochemical Processing of Biomaterials
  • Bioactive and Superplastic Ceramic Coatings