Faculty & Staff

Education
Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, University of Madras, 1971

Master of Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, 1973

Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 1980

Honors & Awards

• Master of Engineering (Honorary), Stevens Institute of Technology, 1994;
• The NASA Group Achievement Award for Research in Fluid Mechanics (ICASE Fluid Mechanics Group), 1994;
• The Seventeenth Annual Stevens Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award, 1994;
• The Alexander-Crombie Humphreys Distinguished Teaching Award, 1987;
• ASHRAE Citation for contributions to educational excellence 1985-86, 1988-89;
• The Ninth Annual Stevens Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award, 1986;
• ASME Scholastic Award, Doctoral Program, Rutgers University,1980;
• NGM Gold Medal (Mechanical Engineering), University of Madras, 1971
  

Consulting, patents, etc.

• Consultant, ICASE, NASA Langley Research Center, August 1991 – August 1998; active participant in the Fluid Mechanics Group (ICASE) research and development activities in turbulence modeling and simulation.
• Recent consulting activities (3 months or longer in duration) include: Foster-Wheeler Corporation, NJ (super-crtical water oxidation system design); IBM Research corporation, NY (thermal conductivity measurement systems); TACOM-ARDEC and local entrepreneurs (development of a novel rotary engine); and Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems, CT (micro-gravity liquid level sensor development).
  

Areas of Active Research
Computational modeling and simulation of high speed flows, turbulence modeling for heat and mass transfer applications, LES and DNS of complex flows, experimental investigation of bluff body flows, modeling and analysis of flows in rotating machinery, thermal analysis for manufacturing and materials processing systems.

Courses Taught
Undergraduate (1997 to 2003)

• ME336/342 Fluid Mechanics, Lecture and Laboratory;
• ME354/355 Heat Transfer;
• ME482 Control Systems;
• ME415/423 Mechanical Engineering Design I;
• ME416/424 Mechanical Engineering Design II;
• E101 Introduction to Engineering;
• E232 Engineering Design IV;
• E255 Dynamical Systems

Graduate (1997 to 2003)

• ME543 Airconditioning;
• ME546 Introduction to Turbomachinery;
• ME604 Advanced Heat Transfer;
• ME609 Convective Heat Transfer;
• ME615 Thermal System Design;
• ME674 Fluid Dynamics;
• ME675 Computational Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer;
• ME678 Viscous and Turbulent Flows;
• ME679 Compressible Fluid Flow

Publications

• “Development and validation of continuous models for simulation of turbulent flows,” M. Y. Hussaini, S. Thangam. S. L. Woodruff, Y. Zhou, Proc of ASME-FEDSM’03, paper# FEDSM2003-45325, July 2003. Submitted to Journal of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics.
• “ Current status and future needs in turbulence modeling: an aeronautical perspective,” D. M. Bushnell and S. Thangam, Proc of ASME-FEDSM’03, paper# FEDSM2003-45357, July 2002. Submitted to Journal of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics.
• “ Simulation and analysis of rigid/foil electrolytic in-process dressing (ELID) systems for grinding,” Z. Zhu, X. Wang, and S. Thangam, J of Manuf and Ind Tech (to appear in 2003).
• “ Modeling and analysis of flow past spinning circular cylinders,” S. Thangam, X. Wang, and D. Carlucci, Bul Amer Phy Soc, Vol. 47. Also presented at the 55th Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, 2002.
• “ Design and implementation of a computer-aided instrumentation system for a CFR engine test facility,” J. Saldivar, S. Thangam, R. Cole, I Mehmedagic, ASEE Comp Educ Journal, v. XII (2), pp. 46-50, June 2002.
• “ A generalized nonlinear two-equation turbulence model: development and applications,” S. Thangam and K. R. Rajagopal, 14th U. S. Nat Congress Theo and Applied Mech, v. XIV, p.104, June 2002.
• “ Analysis and control of flow past two spinning cylinders in tandem” D. Carlucci and S. Thangam, Bul Amer Phys Soc, Vol. 46, p.141. Also presented at the 54th Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, Nov, 2001.

• “ Modeling and experimental investigations of high-speed electrolytic in-process dressing of grinding wheel,” X. Liu, Z. Zhu, S. Thangam, J. Kozak, J Mach Sci Tech (to appear in 2002). This was presented (along with K. Rajurkar) at the Int Symp for Electromachining XIII, Spain, May, 2001.
• “ Development of an anisotropic turbulence model for flows with curvature and swirl,” S. Thangam, X. Wang, A. Zigh, Bul Amer Phys Soc, Vol. 45., 2000.
• “Experimental investigations of flow past spinning circular cylinders,” D. Carlucci and S. Thangam, Bul Amer Phy Soc, Vol. 44, No. 8, p. 138. Also presented at the 52nd Meeting of the Division of Fluid Dynamics, 1999.
• “ Development of a turbulence model based on the energy spectrum for flows involving rotation,” S. Thangam, X. Wang and Y. Zhou, Physics of Fluids, Vol. 11, pp. 2225-34, 1999.
• “ Application of a new pressure-strain model for complex turbulent flows,” S. Thangam, S. Girimaji, X. Wang, Bul Amer Phys Soc, Vol. 43, p. 2209.1998.
• “ Development of a turbulence model for flows with rotation and curvature,” S. Thangam, X. Wang and Y. Zhou, Modeling Complex Turbulent Flows, Kluwer (1998).
• “ Modeling and analysis of turbulent flows in the presence of rotation and curvature,” X. Wang, S. Thangam and Y. Zhou, Modeling Complex Turbulent Flows, Kluwer (1998).
• “ Development and applic. of turbulence models based on renormalization group theory,” Invited Contribution Workshop on Turbulence and Renormalization, Max-Planck-Inst. for Math., Leipzig, Germany, 1998.

Institutional Service

• Professional Practices Committee, (since 1993); ME Executive Committee, (member; chair during 1996-2001);
• Department Director’s Committee (1996-2001);
• SoE Curriculum Development Committee (1996-1999);
• Web Site Development Committee (1997-2001);
• Software Assessment/Selection Committee (1997-2001);
• Engineering Curriculum Assessment Committee (1996-1998);
• Product Development and Innovation Center (1999-2001);
• Curriculum Committee (1996-2001), Bio-Medical Engineering Program Development Committee (1998-2001);
• Undergraduate Program Advisor (1980 onwards);
• Graduate Program Advisor (1980 onwards);
• ME Co-Op Program Coordinator (since 1987);
• Pi Tau Sigma, Faculty Advisor (1999-2003);
• Recording Secretary, Stevens Board of Trustees Committee (1996-2002);
• ASHRAE student chapter advisor.

Professional Development Activities & Services

• Director, New Jersey Space Grant Consortium (1993-2003);
• ABET Evaluator, Mechanical Engineering Programs (2000 to 2003).
• ASME Fluids Engineering Division: lead member for the organization of symposium on Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Flows, 2003.
• APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, 2003 Conference, Member of the organizing committee.
• NASA-NJSGC Annual Summer Fellowship Conference Organizer and Coordinator 1993 to 2003.
• NJ Science Convention for Teachers;
• Organization of Symposium and Display Booths to promote Aerospace Engineering education programs under NASA grant, 1999-2002.
• ASEE Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference, Fall 2000, Hoboken, NJ.Lead organizer.
• ASHRAE, North Jersey chapter, Science/Education Committee member 2002-2003.
• Summer Program Participant, ICASE, NASA Langley Research Center, 1996-1998, Fluid Mechanics Group (ICASE);
• Turbulence modeling for complex flows. Participate and present papers in the professional society conferences and meetings (APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, ASME, AIAA). Organized/chaired over several technical sessions in various conferences and workshops.
• Engineering Program Assessment Training Workshop, Stevens Institute of Technology, 2001;
• Attended all the Space Grant Directors Conference (as the New Jersey Space Grant Director); this allows me to keep in touch with research and educational programs that are aerospace related. Submitted several proposals for research and educational development grants over the past five years.
• ABET Evaluator Training, July 1999; ABET Visit (Observer), Fall 1999; ABET Visits (2000 to 2003).
• Effective Teaching Workshop, Richard Felder, 1997;
• Multi-disciplinary Design Workshop, David Ollis; October 2001.

Professional Societies

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers;
• American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics;
• American Physical Society;
• American Society of Engineering Education;
• American Society of Heating, Refrigerating & Air-conditioning Engineers;
• Sigma-Xi;
• Pi Tau Sigma