Research Labs

Standing at one of the Herrick lab doorsHerrick Labs

Founded in 1957, Herrick Labs supports world-class research in HVAC and refrigeration; noise and vibration control; perception-based engineering; and engines and exhaust systems. Research is hosted in a $30 million LEED-GOLD certified building, which itself is a living lab for human-building interaction. Herrick Labs also hosts international conferences in compressor engineering, refrigeration and air conditioning, and high-performance buildings.

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Zucrow burner deviceZucrow Labs

Established by jet propulsion pioneer Maurice J. Zucrow, Zucrow Labs is the largest academic propulsion lab in the world. Set on 24 acres next to the Purdue University Airport, facilities include labs for turbomachinery (jet engines and turbines); rocket engines and other high-pressure and supersonic combustion; propellant synthesis; and fluid dynamics. Zucrow researchers are in high demand at NASA, SpaceX, and other prominent industries and laboratories.

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Researching at the Birck Nanotechnology CenterBirck Nanotechnology Center

Opening in 2005, Birck Nanotechnology Center houses 186,000 square feet of specialized laboratories, infrastructure, and office space. It has the largest academic cleanroom in the world, a 25,000 square foot ISO Class 3-4-5 nanofabrication cleanroom, contained in which is an ISO Class 6 pharmaceutical-grade biomolecular cleanroom that exchanges the air nine times a minute. More than 45 faculty and 200 graduate students, from numerous disciplines, conduct research at Birck.

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All ME Research Labs

Acoustics   

Compressible Flow and Acoustics Lab (Carlo Scalo)
Thermoacoustics; fluid dynamic stability; compressible turbulence; high speed flow

Herrick Labs (Stuart Bolton, Patricia Davies, Charles Krousgrill)
Acoustics; vibrations; noise


Bioengineering   

Buganza Lab (Adrian Buganza)
Computational approaches from applied mechanics and systems biology to advance translational medicine

Biotransport Phenomena Lab (Bumsoo Han)
Cell-fluid-matrix interactions; tumor-microenvironment-on-a-chip; 3D printing of hydrogel-based soft materials

Translational Biotronics Lab (Chi Hwan Lee)
Wearable, attachable, implantable, and bioresorbable electronics

Human Injury Research and Regenerative Technologies (HIRRT) Lab (Eric Nauman)
Traumatic brain injury (concussions); spinal cord injury; cancer metastasis


Combustion   

Goldenstein Group (Christopher Goldenstein)
Laser-based combustion sensing for energy, propulsion, defense

Gore Research Group (Jay Gore)
Combustion and radiation heat transfer with applications to pollutant reduction, efficiency enhancements, fire safety, and improved fundamental understanding of various combustion phenomenon

Applied Laser Spectroscopy Lab (Robert Lucht)
Laser diagnostics for flames and plasmas

Son Research Group (Steven Son)
Energetic materials: propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics


Computational Engineering   

Predictive Science Group (Ilias Bilionis)
Uncertainty quantification in complex engineering systems

Gomez Lab (Hector Gomez)
Computational mechanics; complex fluids; phase-field methods; biomechanics; tumor growth modeling

Predictive Modeling and Machine Learning Lab (Guang Lin)
Big data analysis; predictive modeling; uncertainty quantification; computational fluid dynamics; stochastic multiscale modeling


Design   

Design Engineering Lab at Purdue (Jitesh Panchal)
Complex systems engineering by self-organized virtual communities; analysis and design of socio-technical systems; Integrated design of products and materials; engineering design education

C Design Lab (Karthik Ramani)
3D design and collaboration; multi-touch interaction; shape understanding; novel fabrication; toy and game design

Research in Engineering and Interdisciplinary Design (REID) (Tahira Reid)
Design insights through eye-tracking and sensors; socially and culturally relevant design


Fluid Mechanics   

Complex Flow Lab (Arezoo Ardekani)
Fluid dynamics, multiphase flows, microfluidics

Experimental and Applied Fluid Dynamics Lab (Jun Chen)
Advanced flow diagnostics; complex flow measurements; applied fluid mechanics

Transport: Modeling Numerics & Theory Lab (Ivan Christov)
Advanced mathematic modeling of flowing materials

Dabiri Research Group (Sadegh Dabiri)
Simulation of multiphase flows; cavitation and bubble dynamics; sprays and liquid atomization; heat transfer; mixing in supercritical conditions; solid particles transport in fluids

Maha Fluid Power Research Center (Andrea Vacca)
Hydraulic powertrains; design of hydraulic pumps and motors; modeling fluid properties

High-Speed Compressor Research Lab (Nicole Key)
Blade row interactions on axial and centrifugal compressors

Purdue Experimental Turbine Aerothermal Laboratory (PETAL) (Guillermo Paniagua)
Advanced turbine aerodynamics and heat transfer technologies


Heat Transfer   

Cooling Technologies Research Center (Suresh Garimella, Justin Weibel)
Microchannel heat transfer; thin-film transport; impingement cooling; surface engineering; thermal materials and interfaces

Marconnet Thermal and Energy Conversion Lab (Amy Marconnet)
Thermal transport and nanostructured materials

Boiling and Two-Phase Flow Lab (Issam Mudawar)
Heat transfer; electronic cooling; thermal management of aerospace systems

Energy and Transport Sciences Lab (Partha Mukherjee)
Mesoscale physics and stochastics pertaining to physicochemical and reactive transport phenomena coupling electrochemistry and electro-kinetics/statics, functional materials and manufacturing in clean energy

Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion Lab (Xiulin Ruan)
Thermal transport in nanomaterials; thermoelectric and solar cell nanomaterials


HVAC & Refrigeration   

Center for High Performance Buildings (James Braun, Eckhard Groll)
Building technology and systems; indoor environment and human perception; high performance equipment

Jain Research Lab (Neera Jain)
Dynamic modeling; control and optimization; thermodynamics

Chen Lab (Yan Chen)
Fast fluid dynamics; indoor and outdoor airflow


Manufacturing & Materials   

Laboratory for Advanced Multiscale Manufacturing (Martin Byung-Guk Jun)
Multiscale manufacturing; fabrication and development of fiber optic sensors and systems

Mechanical Engineering Tribology Lab (Farshid Sadeghi)
Bearing rotor dynamics; fretting wear and fatigue; surface engineering and lubrication

Manufacturing Lab (Yung Shin)
Laser-based materials processing and manufacturing; control and automation; advanced machining

Hierarchical Design and Characterization Lab (Ganesh Subbarayan)
Computational techniques for moving boundaries, discontinuities, and interfaces; modeling fracture in nano- and micro-scale electronic components

Zhao Lab (Fu Zhao)
Environment friendly design and life cycle engineering; bio-based materials in engineering


Mechanics & Vibration   

Programmable Structures Lab (Andres Arrieta)
Morphing structures; programmable materials; metamaterials and metastructures; nonlinear vibrations and energy harvesting

Mechanical Engineering Education Research Center at Purdue (MEERCAT) (Edward Berger)
Mechanical engineering education initiatives

Intelligent Infrastructure Systems Lab (Shirley Dyke)
Infrastructure monitoring and simulation

Raman Lab (Arvind Raman)
Vibrations and nonlinear dynamics research; atomic force microscopy, micro/nanosystems, human biomechanics, and flexible electronics manufacturing

Rhoads Research Group (Jeff Rhoads)
Dynamics and vibration; energetic materials; dynamic analysis of micro- and nano-systems; mechanical engineering education

Structural Health Monitoring and Dynamics Lab (Fabio Semperlotti)
Structural health monitoring; wave propagation; dynamics of engineered materials

Mechanics of Energy Materials (Kejie Zhao)
Mechanics of energy materials, such as Li-ion batteries; Deformation, stress, plasticity, fracture and mass transport; Multiscale modeling, first-principles, molecular dynamics simulations, and finite element modeling


Nanotechnology   

Choi Lab (Jong Hyun Choi)
Biomolecular nanomanufacturing; DNA origami and self-assembly; nanoscale energy conversion

Plasmon-Assisted Nanomanufacturing Lab (Liang Pan)
Nano-scale lithography, imaging, and metrology for manufacturing; data storage; nanoscale energy conversion

Savran Research Group (Cagri Savran)
MEMS and nanotechnology for biology and medicine

Warsinger Water Lab (David Warsinger)
Thermofluids and nanoengineering for water treatment: desalination, transport phenomena, membrane nanoengineering, process optimization

Xu Research Group (Xianfan Xu)
Nanoscale energy transport; nano-optics and laser-based nano-optical engineering


Robotics   

Bio-Robotics Lab (Xinyan Deng)
Biologically inspired robots

Mahmoudian Lab (Nina Mahmoudian)
Autonomous vehicles and underwater robots

Multi-Scale Robotics and Automation Lab (David Cappelleri)
Microrobots; autonomous aerial vehicles

Yao Lab (Bin Yao)
Robotics; electro-hydraulics; manufacturing; automotive controls; piezo-actuators


Solid Mechanics   

Center for Particulate Products and Processes (Marcial Gonzalez, Aaron Morris, Carl Wassgren)
Particles and powder characterization; continuous solids processing pilot plant

Gonzalez Research Group (Marcial Gonzalez)
Computational mechanics; confined granular systems; manufacturing of particulate-based products; powder compaction; contact mechanics; predictive, multi-scale modeling

Computational Solid Mechanics (Marisol Koslowski)
Single crystal plasticity; ultrafine grained materials; thin films; nanowire heterostructures

Microstructure Testing and Analysis Lab (Thomas Siegmund)
Fracture and fatigue; material design; biomechanics; thin film mechanics


Systems, Measurement, & Controls   

Applied Optics Lab (Euiwon Bae)
Photonics, optical scattering, and spectroscopy in real-world applications, especially in biomedicine

Chiu Lab (George Chiu)
Mechatronics and dynamic systems for printing and imaging systems; motion and vibration perception and control

Shaver Lab (Greg Shaver)
Diesel engine systems and control; connected and automated tractor trailers; hybrid powertrains and energy storage systems; natural gas systems and control

XYZT Lab (Song Zhang)
High-speed 3D imaging; 3D video telepresence