Siva Thangam

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 turbomachinery, biomedical devices, thermal analysis for manufacturing and materials processing systems.

Dean of Academic Administration: March 2007 - present

Associate Dean of Engineering: July 1996 - October 2001

Director (Mechanical Engineering Department): July 1996 - October 2001

Dates of advancement:
Professor, September 1990
Associate Professor, September 1984

Date of original appointment:
Assistant Professor, September 1980
Years on faculty - 46

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).

Master of Engineering (Honoris Causa), Stevens Institute of Technology, 1994

The NASA Group Achievement Award for Research in Fluid Mechanics (ICASE Fluid Mechanics Group), 1994

The 17th Annual Stevens Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award, 1994
The Alexander-Crombie Humphreys Distinguished Teaching Award, 1987
The Ninth Annual Stevens Alumni Association Outstanding Teacher Award, 1986

ASHRAE Citation for contributions to educational excellence 1985-86, 1988-89
ASME Scholastic Award, Doctoral Program, Rutgers University,1980

L. Buckley, I. Mehmedagic, S. Thangam, and D. Carlucci. (Nov 2026). "Leading Edge Separation on Axially Aligned Rotating Cylinders", The 79th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Orlando, FL.

S. Thangam, L. Buckley, I. Mehmedagic, P. Carlucci, and D. Carlucci. (Nov 2025). "Investigations of Flow Past Axially Aligned Spinning Cylinders", The 78th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Houston, TX.

I. Mehmedagic and S. Thangam (July 2024) "Modeling and Simulation of Aerodynamic Nosecone Ablation", Proceedings of the ASME Heat Transfer Summer Conference, HT2024-122193, Anaheim, CA.

S. Thangam, I. Mehmedagic, P. Carlucci, L. Buckley, and D. Carlucci. (Nov 2023). "Computational and Experimental study of Flow Past Axially Aligned Spinning Cylinders", The 76th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Washington, DC.

I. Mehmedagic, P. Carlucci, L. Buckley, D. Carlucci and S. Thangam (Nove 2020) "Investigations of Near Wake in Flow past Rotating Cylinders," 73rd APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Chicago, IL.

I. Mehmedagic and S. Thangam (Nov 2018) "Modeling of Ablation on an Irradiated Target," The 71st APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Atlanta, GA.

I. Mehmedagic and S. Thangam (Nov 2015) "Thermal Convection on an Ablating Target," The 68th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Boston, MA.

I. Mehmedagic, P. Carlucci, L. Buckley, D. Carlucci, E. Aljallis, and S. Thangam (Nov 2013) "Investigations of Flow past Spinning Cylinders," The 66th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Pittsburg, PA.

M. Kvitnitsky and S. Thangam (Nov 2011) "Development of a Physiological Model for the Human Spine," The 64th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Baltimore, MD.

S. Thangam and X. Wang (Jun 2011) "Development and Application of an Anisotropic Turbulence Model for Compressible Flows, 41st AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit, Honolulu, HI.

M. Kvitnitsky, A. Valdevit, S. Thangam. (Jun 2009). "Comparison of a Fixed Height and Self Adjusting Height Intervertebral Spacer", Proceedings of ASME Frontiers in BioMedical Devices Conference, Irvine, CA.

I. Mehmedagic, P. Carlucci, D. Carlucci, and S. Thangam. (Nov 2008). "Computational and Experimental Investigations of Turbulent Flow Past Projectiles", The 61st APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

I. Mehmedagic, D. Carlucci, and S. Thangam. (Nov 2007). "Modeling Compressible Turbulent Flow Past a Blunt Nosed Body with Spinning Base", The 60th APS Fluid Dynamics meeting, Utah.

I. Mehmedagic, S. Thangam, D. Carlucci, and X. Wang. (Nov 2005). "Experimental and Computational Studies of Wake Flows", The 58th APS Fluid Dynamics Meeting, Chicago, IL.

I. Mehmedagic, S. Thangam, D. Carlucci, and X. Wang. (Nov 2004). "Computational and Experimental Investigations of Flow Past a Spinning Body", The 57th APS/Fluid Dynamics meeting, Seattle, WA.

X. Wang and S. Thangam. (2006). "Development and Application of an Anisotropic Two-Equation Model for Flows with Swirl and Curvature", J. of Applied Mechanics, 73, 397-404.

M. Y. Hussaini, S. Thangam, S. Woodruff, and Y. Zhou. (2006). "Development of a Continuous Model for Simulation of Turbulent Flows", J. of Applied Mechanics, 73, 441-448.

D. Siginer and S. Thangam. (2006). "Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Flows: A Summary on Contributions by Charles Speziale", J. of Applied Mechanics, 73, 353-359.

M. Y. Hussaini, S. Thangam, and S. Woodruff. (2006). "Continuous Model for Simulation of Turbulent Flows: An Overview", Mathematical and Physical Theory of Turbulence, Lecture Notes in Pure and Applied Mathematics, Chapman & Hall. 131-143.

D. M. Bushnell and S. Thangam. (2004). "Current status and future needs in turbulence modeling: an aeronautical perspective & Turbulence modeling: contributions of Charles G. Speziale", J. of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics, 17, 297-298.

S. Berger, Y. Nagano, S. Thangam, and Y. Zhou. (Sep 2004). "Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Flows", J. of Theoretical and Computational Fluid Dynamics, Springer-Verlag.

Z. Zhu, X. Wang, and S. Thangam. (2004). "Simulation and Analysis of Rigid/Foil Electrolytic In-Process Dressing (ELID) Systems for Grinding", of Manufacturing Science and Technology (ASME), 126, 565-570.

S. Thangam and K. R. Rajagopal. (Jun 2002). "A generalized nonlinear two-equation turbulence model: development and applications", 14th U. S. Nat Congress Theo and Applied Mech, v. XIV, 104.

X. Liu, Z. Zhu, S. Thangam, J. Kozak, (May 2001). "Modeling and experimental investigations of high-speed electrolytic in-process dressing of grinding wheel", Sci-Tech (2002). This was presented (along with K. Rajurkar) at the Int Symp for Electromachining XIII, Spain.

S. Thangam, X. Wang and Y. Zhou (1999). "Development of a turbulence model based on the energy spectrum for flows involving rotation", Physics of Fluids, 11, 2225-34.

Zhou, Y., G. Vahala and S. Thangam (1994). “Development of a turbulence model based on recursion renormalization group theory,” Physical Review E, 49, 5195-5206.

Sisto, F., S. Thangam and T. Chen (1993). “Computational analysis of nonlinear aeroelastic phenomena during stall flutter of cascaded airfoils,” AIAA Paper 93-2082, 29th Joint Propulsion Conference, Monterey, CA.

Chen, T., S. Thangam, F. Sisto (1992). “Analysis and prediction of stall flutter in spanwise finite airfoil cascades,” Symposium on Flow Induced Vibrations, ASME Winter Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.

Abdel-Rahim, A., F. Sisto, and S. Thangam (1993). “Computational study of stall flutter in linear cascades,” Journal of Turbomachinery, 115, 157-166.

Jonnavithula, S., F. Sisto, and S. Thangam (1992). “Experimental investigation of rotating stall in a single-stage axial compressor,” International Journal of Turbo and Jet Engines, 9, 49-65.

Yakhot, Y., S.A. Orszag, S. Thangam, T.B. Gatski, and C.G. Speziale (1992). “Development of turbulence models for shear flows by a double-expansion technique,” Physics of Fluids A, 4,1510-1520.

Bernard, P., S. Thangam, and C.G. Speziale (1992). “The role of vortex-stretching in turbulence modeling,” Transition and Turbulence, pp.563-574 (eds.; Hussaini, M.Y. et al.) Springer-Verlag, NY.

Sisto, F., S. Thangam, A. Abdel-Rahim (1991) “Computational prediction of stall flutter in cascaded airfoils,” AIAA Journal, 29, 1161-1167.

Jonnavithula, S., S. Thangam, and F. Sisto (1990). “Computational and experimental investigations of rotating stall in axial flow compressors,” AIAA Journal, 28, 1945-1952.

Thangam, S. and D.D. Knight (1990). “A computational scheme in generalized coordinates for viscous incompressible flows,” Computers & Fluids, 18, 317-327.

Thangam, S. and N. Hur, 1990, “Laminar secondary flows in curved ducts,” Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 217, 421-440.

Hur, N., S. Thangam, C.G. Speziale, 1990, “Numerical study of turbulent secondary flows in curved ducts,” Journal of Fluids Engineering, 112, 205-211.

Thangam, S. and D.D. Knight (1989). “The Effect of Stepheight on the Separated Flow Past a Backward Facing Step,” Physics of Fluids A, 1, pp. 604-607.

Sisto, F., W. Wu, S. Thangam, and S. Jonnavithula (1989). “Computational aerodynamics of oscillating cascades with the evolution of stall,” AIAA Journal, 27, 462-471.

Thangam, S. and C.G. Speziale (1987). “Non-Newtonian secondary flows in ducts of rectangular cross-section,” Acta Mechanica, 68, 121-138.

Thangam, S. and C.F. Chen (1986). “Stability analysis on the convection of a variable viscosity fluid in an infinite vertical slot”, Physics of Fluids, 29, 1367-1372.

Speziale, C.G. and S. Thangam (1986). “Instabilities with reduced frictional drag in the rotating channel flow of dilute polymer solutions”, Acta Mechanica, 60, 17-40.

Chen, C.F. and S. Thangam (1985). “Convective stability of a variable viscosity fluid in a vertical slot”, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 161, 161-73.

Thangam, S. and C.G. Speziale (1984). “Numerical study of thermal convection in rotating channel flow”, International Journal of Numerical Methods in Fluids, 5, 133-154.

Thangam, S., A. Zebib and C.F. Chen (1984). “Salt-finger convection in shear flow”, Physics of Fluids, 27, 804-811.

Speziale, C.G. and S. Thangam (1983). “Numerical study of secondary flows and roll-cell instabilities in rotating channel flow”, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 130, 377-95.

Thangam, S., A. Zebib, and C.F. Chen (1982). “Double diffusive convection in an inclined fluid layer”, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 116, 363-78.

Thangam, S. and C.F. Chen (1981) “Salt-finger convection in the surface discharge of heated saline jets”, Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics, 18, 111-146.

Thangam, S., A. Zebib, and C.F. Chen (1981) “Transition from shear to sideways diffusive instability in a vertical slot”, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 112, 151-160.

Chen, C.F. and S. Thangam (1978). “Laboratory solar pond”, Solar Cooling and Heating, 1, pp. 159-175.

Courses Taught (2007 - Present)
• ME 615 Thermal Systems Design (2007 to 2013)
• ME 546 Introduction to Turbomachinery (2014 to present)
• ME 545 Introduction to Aerospace Engineering (2007 to 2013)
• ME 423-424 Mechanical Engineering Design I-II (2007 to 2017)