Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma
From news@hearst.cac.psu.edu Wed Jan 3 16:48:48 1996
From: "Gary S. Settles" <gss2@psu.edu>
Organization: Penn State University
Subject: Graduate Study at the Penn State Gas Dynamics Lab

The Penn State Gas Dynamics Lab (a part of Penn State’s Dept. of
Mechanical Engineering) seeks highly-qualified and motivated graduate
students for research projects leading to the MS or Ph.D. degree. Research
Assistantship support is available. All projects involve both laboratory
experimentation and some theoretical or computational modeling. Research
in the Gas Dynamics Lab will give you the opportunity to apply your
background in fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, optics, and
physics to challenging, ambitious projects aimed at improving the
scientific basis of key industrial processes (for examples, see the Lab
Description below). An education in the Gas Dynamics Lab is a complete
professional apprenticeship for a modern researcher in fluid dynamics. You
will learn how to plan and conduct an experiment, how to assess the quality
of the results, and how to model a physical process at a fundamental level.
You will also present and defend your results at national or international
scientific meetings and publish them in archival journals.
Potential applicants should have a record of high academic
achievement, both in terms of undergraduate grades and GRE scores. Both US
and international students are considered, but facility with spoken and
written English is required. Some previous laboratory or other hands-on
experience is desirable
Interested applicants should first contact Prof. Gary Settles by
email (gss2@psu.edu) with a statement of academic qualifications and a
description of career goals.

*******************************
The Penn State Gas Dynamics Lab
*******************************

Purpose: educating students and conducting research on the gas dynamics and
optical flow diagnostics of advanced materials processing, industrial and
manufacturing processes, high-speed aerodynamics and air-breathing
propulsion, and related topics.

Staff: Prof. Gary Settles, Director; Technical staff members: Lori Dodson,
and J. D. Miller; Graduate students:, Huban Gowadia, Steve Mates, Ken
Potter, Steve Scroggs, Sean Strine; Undergraduate student: Steve Geppert

Reputation:
* high-speed fluid dynamics research
* visualization of rapid, difficult-to-see events
* specialization in supersonic nozzle design for industrial processes
* development of innovative optical instrumentation for fluid dynamics

Current research:
1) "HVOF" thermal spray technology (DOE support)
2) Supersonic gas atomization of liquid metals to produce fine powders
(NSF support).
3) Assist-gas nozzle design for improved laser cutting (NSF support)
4) Aerodynamics of explosive-detection portals for airport security
(FAA support).
5) Fluid dynamics of "dross" formation during plasma cutting of sheet metal
(Hypertherm Corp. support)
6) Flow visualization applied to energy conservation of commercial kitchen
ventilation (EPRI support)
7) Supersonic nozzle design for furnace soot-blowers
(Copes-Vulcan Inc. support)
8) Supersonic nozzle design for abrasive blasting
(NSF and Cyclamax, Inc. support).

Facilities
1) Supersonic Wind Tunnel
2) Supersonic Nozzle and Freejet Test Stand
3) Full-Scale Schlieren Optical System (the world’s largest, with a
field-of-view of 7x9 feet)
4) 1-meter Schlieren Optical System
5) Thermal Spray Facility
6) Liquid-metal atomization setup
7) GC/Mass Spectrometer
8) Cooperative access to Penn State’s Powder Metallurgy Lab and ARL Laser
Machining Lab

Graduates
The Gas Dynamics Lab has educated 10 PhD’s and many MS and
undergraduate students since 1983. Our graduates are now working in
industry, in government labs, or teaching at universities here and abroad.
For example, GDL graduates now hold faculty appointments at LSU,
UT-Arlington, and Florida State.