Our team in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Duke University works in the areas of fluid and thermal sciences, nonlinear dynamical systems, and energy conversion. We focus on developing novel theoretical approaches and computational tools to explore and explain poorly understood physical processes and improve our ability to predict their observed behavior. Rather than pursuing the largest or most extreme experiments and simulations, our goal is to provide the deepest fundamental insights into the problems we study. Some of our main research areas include:
- Thermo-fluid mechanics
Our core interest is in the behavior of moving fluids, particularly their interaction with thermal, chemical, acoustic, and other coupled effects. We leverage detailed, mechanism-focused computations together with tabletop experiments to discover not only how a particular motion occurs, but also why. - Nonlinear dynamics & bifurcation analysis
We explore how instabilities and state transitions emerge and evolve in high-dimensional nonlinear PDE systems, linking the underlying state-space dynamics to observable physical behaviors and vice-versa. - Reduced-order modeling & control
We create theoretical and computational frameworks to better simplify, analyze, and predict the essential behaviors of complex systems, enabling more robust design and control strategies. - Energy conversion
We investigate key technical challenges in the evolving global energy system, with an emphasis on alternative fuels such as hydrogen and ammonia and their implications for performance, emissions, and viability.
We invite all curious minds, prospective students/postdocs, potential collaborators, and fellow researchers to explore our work, engage us with questions, and help us push the frontiers of knowledge in these areas.