Dr. Len Imas

Associate Professor

Faculty/Professor
Building: Davidson Labs
Room: Room 210
Phone: 201.216.5357
Email: Len.Imas@stevens.edu
Personal website: http://personal.stevens.edu/~limas/

Appointments Thesis Supervisor

  • National Academy of Sciences panel on Naval Engineering in the 21st Century - Panel Member
  • ASEE Ocean and Marine Engineering Division - Program Chair

Education

  • PhD, 1998, MIT, Hydrodynamics, Department of Ocean Engineering
  • MEng, 1992, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Aeronautical Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and Mechanics
  • BS, 1990, Rensselaer Polytechnic, Aeronautical Engineering, Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical Engineering and Mechanics

Research: 

Dr. Imas analyses numerical hydrodynamics and the application of CFD in design. He is currently involved in research activities involving hydrodynamics of underwater swimmers; interaction of high-speed vessel wakes in a confined seaway; and hydro-mechanics of remotely-operated underwater vehicles in estuary environments. He also studies contact line models and dynamics for bow-wave flows; free-surface LES; development of SPH algorithms for modeling of breaking waves and free-surface phenomena involving surface-piercing bodies; modeling of supercavitation physics with applications to underwater vehicles; missile aerodynamics; FSI involving vortex-induced vibrations of bluff bodies; and aero-hydrodynamics of high-performance sailing yachts.

He is part of a recent group that received funding from the Northrop Group to support its work on DARPA’s Underwater Express Program, which will advance critical technology issues associated with the physics of supercavitation and culminate with a significant scale demonstration proving that a supercavitating underwater craft is controllable at speeds up to 100 knots. Dr. Imas is also an integral part of the Atlantic Center for the Innovative Design and Control of Small Ships.

In addition to his research, Dr. Imas is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME), Tau Beta Pi (National Engineering Honor Society), and Sigma Gamma Tau (National Aeronautical Engineering Honor Society).

Experience

  • Research Associate Professor, Davidson Laboratory, Stevens Institute of Technology
  • Principal Scientist, Fluid Mechanical Systems Group, Anteon Corporation
  • Lead Research Scientist, DeepWater Development Group, Chevron-Texaco Energy Company

Research Projects Interests

Dr. Imas' primary research interests are in the development and utilization of computational fluid mechanics and optimization methods in design analysis applications involving marine hydrodynamics and low speed aerodynamics.

Publications

  1. L. Imas (Dec 2011) "Hydrodynamic Performance of a Submerged Lifting Surface Operating Near The Air-Water Interface At High Speeds", submitted to the proceedings of the 4th High-Performance Yacht Design (HPYD) Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

  2. R, Paredes, L. Imas (Dec 2011) "Application of SPH in Fluid-Structure Interaction Problems Involving Free-surface Hydrodynamics", to appear in the proceedings of 11th International Conference on Fast Sea Transportation, FAST 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

  3. T. Yen, M. Morabito, L. Imas, J. Dzielski, R. Datla (Dec 2011) "Investigation of Cylinder Planing on a Flat Free Surface", to appear in the proceedings of 11th International Conference on Fast Sea Transportation, FAST 2011, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA.

  4. Dov Kruger, Hongyuan Shi, Mina Samaan, Donald Chesley, Jeffrey V. Nickerson, Len Imas (2009) "High Speed Localization Using a Multiple Analytical Distribution Filter", US Navy Journal of Underwater Acoustic, JUA(USN), Vol. 59, p. 465-481.

  5. Dov Kruger, Hongyuan Shi, Mina Samaan, Jeffrey V. Nickerson, Len Imas (2009) "Dynamic UUV Path Planning in an Estuarine Current Field", US Navy Journal of Underwater Acoustics; JUA(USN), Vol. 59, p. 449-464.

  6. PENROSE, J., JONES, I., ZWART, P., IMAS, L. (Dec 2008) "Application of CFD to Flows around Marine Vessels. Sink and Trim", In the Proceedings of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects Marine CFD Conference..

  7. L. Imas, J.B. Braun (Dec 2008) "CFD-Based Hydrodynamic Analysis of High Performance Racing Yachts", In refereed conference proceedings of the 3rd High-Performance Yacht Design (HPYD) Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

  8. L. Imas, G. Buley, B. Baker, B. Ward (Dec 2008) "High Fidelity CFD Simulations in Racing Yacht Aerodynamic Analysis", In refereed conference proceedings of the 3rd High-Performance Yacht Design (HPYD) Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

  9. W. Rees, L. Imas (Dec 2008) "A Numerical Investigation Into the Hydrodynamic Performance of a Fin With a Scalloped Leading Edge", In refereed conference proceedings of the 3rd High-Performance Yacht Design (HPYD) Conference, Auckland, New Zealand.

  10. IMAS, L (Dec 2007) "CFD Modelling of Surfboard Hydrodynamics (keynote presentation)", In the Proceedings of the 1st International Aerospace CFD Conference, Paris, France.

  11. Air turbulence-induced vibration of SCUBA breathing apparatus (2007) "Dimitri Donskoy, Len Imas, Timothy Yen, Nikolay Sedunov, Michael Tsionskiy", J Acoust Soc Am, Vol. 122( 5), p. 2965.

  12. IMAS, L., GRANT J., KRING, D., MILEWSKI, W. (Dec 2003) "Investigation of Free-SInvestigation of Free-Surface Flow In the Near-Field Of An Advancing Surface-Piercing Body Using Three-Dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics", In the Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Numerical Ship Hydrodynamics, Busan, Korea..

  13. KIRSCHNER, I., IMAS, L. (2002) "Plume-Supercavity Interaction. Proceedings of the International Summer Scientific School on High-Speed Hydrodynamics", Cheboksary, Russia, p. 147-157.

  14. kallinderis, y., menounou, p., imas, l. (2002) "Spar Hull and Riser VIV Hydrodynamics CFD Study. Chevron-Texaco Report prepared for Chevron-Texaco Technology Company".

  15. lucor, d., evangelinos, c., imas, l., & karniadakis, e. m. (Dec 2002) "Flow induced vibrations of non-linear cables, Part II: Simulations", p. 557 - 571.

  16. LUCOR, D., EVANGELINOS, C., IMAS, L., & KARNIADAKIS, E. M (Dec 2002) "Flow induced vibrations of non-linear cables, Part II: Simulations", International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Vol. 55( 5), p. 557 – 571.

  17. lucor, d., imas, l., & karniadakis, e. m. (2001) "Vortex dislocations and force distributions of long flexible cylinders subjected to sheared flows", ( 15), p. 641-650.

  18. LUCOR, D., IMAS, L., & KARNIADAKIS, E. M (2001) "Vortex dislocations and force distributions of long flexible cylinders subjected to sheared flows", Journal of Fluids and Structures, Vol. 15, p. 641-650.

  19. KAVANAGH, W. K., IMAS, L., THOMPSON, H., & LEE, L. (Dec 2000) "Genesis spar risers: interference assessment and VIV model testing", Paper 11992, OTC 2000 Conference Proceedings, Houston, TX..

  20. KORPUS, R., IMAS, L., & OAKLEY, O. O. (Dec 2000) "Prediction of viscous forces on free and forced oscillating cylinders by Navier-Stokes Techniques", In ISOPE 2000 Conference Proceedings, Seattle, WA.

  21. AUDIBERT, J., HSU, T., IMAS, L., LITTON, D., THOMPSON, H., TRIANTAFYLLOU, M., & YOUNG, R. (Dec 2000) "Coupled hydrodynamic and structural design analysis of the Typhoon large-diameter SCR", In DOT 2000 Conference Proceedings, New Orleans, LA..

  22. kavanagh, w. k., imas, l., thompson, h., & lee, l. (Dec 2000) "Genesis spar risers: interference assessment and VIV model testing".

  23. MARINTEK-USA, & l. imas, (author of CFD Overview Chapter), (Dec 1999) "Deep-Star CTR4409 Report on Vortex Induced Vibrations, prepared by BP-Amoco, Stress Engineering Services".

  24. Naval Engineering in the 21st Century "The Science and Technology Foundation for Future Naval Fleets", Special Report 306, published by Transportation Research Board of the National Academies of Science.

Professional Organizations and Societies

  • American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
  • Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)
  • Tau Beta Pi (National Engineering Honor Society)
  • Sigma Gamma Tau (National Aeronautical Engineering Honor Society)

Academic Activities/Services

  • Director, undergradate Naval Engineering program
  • Udergraduate Curriculum Committe
  • Library Committe