Alumni

Past Doctoral Students

Zhongnan Ran

  • Education:  Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, 2021.  Postdoctoral Research Associate (2021-2022) at ACES Laboratory.
  • Research Summary: Zhongnan Ran is developing the unique facilities to test direct injection spark ignited and advanced combustion modes on a single cylinder Ricardo Hydra with a Sturman, Fully Flexible Valve Actuation prototype head. He is experimentally studying advanced combustion enabled by these unique capabilities and valve strategies.
  • Office Address: Room 118, Advanced Research and Technology Center
  • Email: zhongnan.ran@stonybrook.edu

 

Deivanayagam Hariharan, Ph.D.

Email:  deivanayagam.hariharan@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Deivanayagam Hariharan  experimentally investigated fuel effects on advanced combustion concepts including Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) and Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI).  Specifically, he was interested in enabling RCCI combustion from natural gas, diesel, and gasoline, as parent fuels paired with their reformate mixtures to achieve single-fuel RCCI with onboard fuel reformation.

 

Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji, Ph.D.

Email: Mozhgan.Rahimiboldaji@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji’s research focused on multi-dimensional modeling and analysis of fluid dynamics and chemical kinetics in internal combustion engines. In particular, her research objective was to study the effect of partial substitution of hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO), which are derived from catalytic reformation, in conventional diesel, compression ignited, combustion with high cetane number fuels.

 

Aimilios Sofianopoulos, Ph.D.

Email: aimilios.sofianopoulos@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Aimilios Sofianopoulos is employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to study and better understand the combustion processes and gas exchange in a 2 stroke, free piston, linear alternator to maximize the efficiency and minimize the emissions of this unique engine using natural gas HCCI combustion for residential, combined heat and power applications. Some specific interests include the thermodynamic processes and advanced, conjugate heat transfer in CFD simulations to provide deeper insight into the combustion processes and pathways to higher efficiency.

 

Yingcong Zhou, Ph.D.

Email: yingcong.zhou@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Yingcong Zhou wass developing experimental facilities for testing advanced combustion modes in unique, fully instrumented, single cylinder engines.  These included a commercial diesel head mounted on a Ricardo Hydra modified for dual fuel, RCCI combustion, and a prototype single cylinder free piston linear alternator for natural gas HCCI combustion.

 

 

Past Masters Students

Mahmoud Koraiem

  • Education:  M.S. Thesis in Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, 2023

  • Email: mahmoud.koraiem@stonybrook.edu
  • Research Summary: Mahmoud Koraiem focuses on Computation Fluid Dynamics (CFD) application in internal combustion engines. He is specifically investigating the advanced combustion modes of Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI) and Partial Fuel Stratification (PFS) in Cummins B-Series engine. His research includes studying the effect of in-cylinder flow and fuel stratification on thermal stratification and engine performance.

Brian Gainey, M.S.

Email:  brian.gainey@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Brian was an experimentalist in the laboratory who studied advanced, low temperature combustion concepts such as HCCI, RCCI, and TSCI. In particular, he was interested in how wet ethanol can be used in TSCI to provide control over the combustion process. He also assisted in the design and fabrication of experimental test cells, as well as data acquisition with LabView.

 

Priya Priyadarshini, M.S.

Email: Priya.Priyadarshini@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Priya Priyadarshini’s research objective is to investigate internal combustion engines with homogeneously charged combustion ignition (HCCI). Specifically, she is working on thermal stratification of HCCI, i.e., controlling the combustion process and extending the load limits of HCCI. She is employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to understand the combustion process for her research work.

 

Ziming Yan, M.S.

Email: ziming.yan@stonybrook.edu

Research Summary: Ziming was an experimentalist in the laboratory with expertise in conventional and advanced combustion processes including conventional diesel combustion, HCCI, and RCCI. He had conducted experiments studying the effects of fuel reactivity separation on RCCI combustion using the primary reference fuels as the premixed fuel, as well as understanding the effects of EGR and injection timing.

 

 

Emeritus Principal Investigators & Advisors

Sotirios Mamalis

Sotirios Mamalis is the Manager of Sustainability, Fuels & Technology at American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). His research focused on advanced combustion engines using conventional and alternative fuels. His expertise lies in the area of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), system-level modeling, and thermodynamic analysis of internal combustion engines.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2012
  • M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan, 2011
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2009
  • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Greece, 2005

Associate Professor Benjamin Lawler

lawler_pic

Benjamin (Ben) Lawler is now an Associate Professor at Clemson University.  He joined Stony Brook University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in January of 2015 as an Assistant Professor. He has expertise in experimental combustion research from data collection to post processing analysis techniques.  He also has interest in hybridization and system-level interactions.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2013
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2011
  • B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 2008

President Dennis N. Assanisassanis_pic

Dennis N. Assanis is the current President of the University of Delaware and former Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Stony Brook University. He has 30 years of experience in internal combustion engines research, with numerous awards and projects from the federal government and automotive industry. In the past, he has held academic positions at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Michigan. He currently remains as a distinguished advisor to the laboratory research activities and the future vision.

Education:

  • Ph.D. in Power and Propulsion, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.), 1985
  • M.S. in Management, Sloan School of Management, M.I.T., 1986
  • M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, M.I.T., 1982
  • M.S. in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, M.I.T., 1982
  • B.S. in Marine Engineering, Newcastle University, England, 1980

 

Alumni Publications

  1. Zhongnan Ran, Deivanayagam Hariharan, Benjamin Lawler, and Sotirios Mamalis, “Experimental study of lean spark ignition combustion using gasoline, ethanol, natural gas, and syngas,” Fuel, Volume 235, 2019, Pages 530-537, ISSN 0016-2361, doi:10.1016/j.fuel.2018.08.054.
  2. Ruinan Yang, Deivanayagam Hariharan, Steven Zilg, Benjamin Lawler, and Sotirios Mamalis, “Efficiency and Emissions Characteristics of an HCCI Engine Fueled by Primary Reference Fuels,” SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-1255, 2018, doi:10.4271/2018-01-1255.
  3. Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji, Aimilios Sofianopoulos, Sotirios Mamalis, Benjamin Lawler, “Computational fluid dynamics investigations of the effect of water injection timing on thermal stratification and heat release in thermally stratified compression ignition combustion,” International Journal of Engine Research, 2018, doi:10.1177/1468087418767451.
  4. Sofianopoulos, A., Rahimi Boldaji, M., Lawler, B., and Mamalis, S., “Analysis of Thermal Stratification Effects in HCCI Engines Using Large Eddy Simulations and Detailed Chemical Kinetics,” SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-0189, 2018, doi:10.4271/2018-01-0189.
  5. Rahimi Boldaji, M., Sofianopoulos, A., Mamalis, S., and Lawler, B., “Effects of Mass, Pressure, and Timing of Injection on the Efficiency and Emissions Characteristics of TSCI Combustion with Direct Water Injection,” SAE Technical Paper 2018-01-0178, 2018,
    doi:10.4271/2018-01-0178.
  6. Benjamin Lawler, Joshua Lacey, Orgun Guralp, Paul Najt, Zoran Filipi, “HCCI combustion with an actively controlled glow plug: The effects on heat release, thermal stratification, efficiency, and emissions,” Applied Energy, Volume 211, 2018, Pages 809-819, ISSN 0306-2619, doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.11.089.
  7. Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji, Aimilios Sofianopoulos, Sotirios Mamalis, Benjamin Lawler, “A CFD Investigation of the Effects of Fuel Split Fraction on Advanced Low Temperature Combustion: Comparing a Primary Reference Fuel Blend and Ethanol,” Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering, Volume 4, 2018, ISSN 2297-3079, doi:10.3389/fmech.2018.00006.
  8. Mozhgan Rahimi Boldaji, Aimilios Sofianopoulos, Sotirios Mamalis, Benjamin Lawler, “CFD Simulations of the Effects of Water Injection Characteristics on TSCI: A new, load-flexible, Advanced combustion concept,” ASME 2017 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, Seattle, Washington, USA.
  9. Aimilios Sofianopoulos, Yingcong Zhou, Benjamin Lawler, Sotirios Mamalis, Gas exchange processes of a small HCCI free piston engine – A computational study, In Applied Thermal Engineering, Volume 127, 2017, Pages 1582-1597, ISSN 1359-4311, doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2017.08.089.
  10. Benjamin Lawler, Derek Splitter, James Szybist, Brian Kaul, Thermally Stratified Compression Ignition: A new advanced low temperature combustion mode with load flexibility, Applied Energy, Volume 189, 1 March 2017, Pages 122-132, ISSN 0306-2619, doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.11.034.
  11. Benjamin Lawler, Sotirios Mamalis, Satyum Joshi, Joshua Lacey, Orgun Guralp, Paul Najt, Zoran Filipi, Understanding the effect of operating conditions on thermal stratification and heat release in a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine, Applied Thermal Engineering, Volume 112, 5 February 2017, Pages 392-402, ISSN 1359-4311, doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2016.10.056.
  12. Kaul, B., Lawler, B., and Zahdeh, A., “Engine Diagnostics Using Acoustic Emissions Sensors,” SAE Int. J. Engines 9(2):684-692, 2016, doi:10.4271/2016-01-0639.
  13. Amin Yousefi, Madjid Birouk, Benjamin Lawler, Ayatallah Gharehghani, Performance and emissions of a dual-fuel pilot diesel ignition engine operating on various premixed fuels, Energy Conversion and Management, Volume 106, December 2015, Pages 322-336, ISSN 0196-8904, doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2015.09.056.
  14. Mark A Hoffman, Benjamin J Lawler, Orgun A Güralp, Paul M Najt, Zoran S Filipi, The impact of a magnesium zirconate thermal barrier coating on homogeneous charge compression ignition operational variability and the formation of combustion chamber deposits, 2015, International Journal of Engine Research, p. 968-981, Vol 16, Issue 8, doi:10.1177/1468087414561274.
  15. Devinder Mahajan, David J. Tonjes, Sotirios Mamalis, Rebecca Boudreaux, Julia K. Hasty, Xin Danhui, Zhao Youcai, Cao Jianglin, Zhao Wentao, and Chai Xiaoli, “Effective landfill gas management strategies for methane control and reuse technology,” Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, 2015, doi:10.1063/1.4929383.
  16. Sofianopoulos, A., Assanis, D. N., and Mamalis, S., Effects of Hydrogen Addition on Automotive Lean-Burn Natural Gas Engines: Critical Review, Journal of Energy Engineering
    Vol. 142, Issue 2 (June 2016), doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EY.1943-7897.0000319.
  17. Lawler B, Joshi S, Lacey J, Guralp O, Najt P, Filipi Z. Understanding the Effect of Wall Conditions and Engine Geometry on Thermal Stratification and HCCI Combustion. ASME 2014 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, Volume 1: Large Bore Engines; Fuels; Advanced Combustion; Emissions Control Systems ():V001T03A020. doi:10.1115/ICEF2014-5687.
  18. Kaul, B., Lawler, B., Finney, C., Edwards, M. et al., “Effects of Data Quality Reduction on Feedback Metrics for Advanced Combustion Control,” SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-2707, 2014, doi:10.4271/2014-01-2707.
  19. Hoffman MA, Lawler BJ, Filipi ZS, Güralp OA, Najt PM. Development of a Device for the Nondestructive Thermal Diffusivity Determination of Combustion Chamber Deposits and Thin Coatings. ASME. J. Heat Transfer. 2014;136(7):071601-071601-10. doi:10.1115/1.4026908.
  20. Lawler, B., Lacey, J., Dronniou, N., Dernotte, J. et al., “Refinement and Validation of the Thermal Stratification Analysis: A post-processing methodology for determining temperature distributions in an experimental HCCI engine,” SAE Technical Paper 2014-01-1276, 2014, doi:10.4271/2014-01-1276.
  21. Mamalis, S., and Assanis, D.N., Second-Law Analysis of Boosted HCCI Engines: Modeling Study, Journal of Energy Engineering, Vol. 142, Issue 2 (June 2015), doi:10.1061/(ASCE)EY.1943-7897.0000251.
  22. Sotirios Mamalis, Aristotelis Babajimopoulos, Dennis Assanis, Claus Borgnakke, A modeling framework for second law analysis of low-temperature combustion engines, 2014, International Journal of Engine Research, p. 641-653, Vol 15, Issue 6, doi:10.1177/1468087413512312.
  23. Sotirios Mamalis, Aristotelis Babajimopoulos, Orgun Guralp, Paul M Najt, Dennis N Assanis, The interaction between compression ratio, boosting and variable valve actuation for high load homogeneous charge compression ignition: A modeling study, 2014, International Journal of Engine Research, p. 460-470, Vol 15, Issue 4, doi:10.1177/1468087413492528.
  24. Lawler BJ, Filipi ZS. Integration of a Dual-Mode SI-HCCI Engine Into Various Vehicle Architectures. ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. 2013;135(5):052802-052802-8. doi:10.1115/1.4022990.
  25. Lawler B, Hoffman M, Filipi Z, Güralp O, Najt P. Development of a Postprocessing Methodology for Studying Thermal Stratification in an HCCI Engine. ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. 2012;134(10):102801-102801-7. doi:10.1115/1.4007010.
  26. Mamalis, S., Babajimopoulos, A., Guralp, O., and Najt, P., “Optimal Use of Boosting Configurations and Valve Strategies for High Load HCCI – A Modeling Study,” SAE Technical Paper 2012-01-1101, 2012, doi:10.4271/2012-01-1101.
  27. Lawler, B., Ortiz-Soto, E., Gupta, R., Peng, H. et al., “Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrain and Control Strategy Optimization to Maximize the Synergy with a Gasoline HCCI Engine,” SAE Int. J. Engines 4(1):1115-1126, 2011, doi:10.4271/2011-01-0888.
  28. Mamalis, S., Nair, V., Andruskiewicz, P., Assanis, D. N. et al., “Comparison of Different Boosting Strategies for Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition Engines – A Modeling Study,” SAE Int. J. Engines 3(1):296-308, 2010, doi:10.4271/2010-01-0571.
  29. Mamalis S, Babajimopoulos A. Model-Based Estimation of Turbocharger Requirements for Boosting an HCCI Engine. ASME. Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference, ASME 2010 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference ():423-430. doi:10.1115/ICEF2010-35122.