ACADEMIC EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

2014 to Present.

Eminent Scholar in Propulsion, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Propulsion Research Center, 5000 Technology Drive, University of Alabama at Huntsville, Huntsville, AL 35899 USA. TELEPHONE: 1 (256) 824-5173. E-MAIL: pml0006@uah.edu. E-MAIL: p_ligrani@msn.com. Instructing convective heat transfer, thermodynamics.

Current research areas and expertise include the following.

(i) Traditional Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics Investigations involving electronics cooling, heat transfer augmentation, drag reduction, turbulent boundary layers, flows in channels with dimpled surfaces, flows in curved channels, elastic turbulence, slot impingement cooling, and macro-scale pumps and pump flows. Also included are aerodynamics investigations with high-speed, compressible flows at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers, including SWBLI – Shock Wave Boundary Layer Interactions. Related projects involve transonic and supersonic experimental testing. Research interests also include experimental diagnostics in high speed flows, and air breathing propulsion.

(ii) Air Breathing Engines – Gas Turbine Heat Transfer, Cooling, and Aerodynamics Losses, including internal cooling, film cooling, impingement cooling, cooling of extremities, aerodynamic performance including aerodynamic losses, and transonic turbine flows and heat transfer. This subject area includes the effects of uses of bio-fuels, synthetic fuels, and renewable energy sources in relation to gas turbines and gas turbine heat transfer and cooling technologies. Note that an important area of turbomachinery research interest involves heat transfer and aerodynamics investigations with high-speed, compressible flows at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers, including linear cascade studies.

(iii) Micro-Fluidics and Millimeter-Scale-Fluidics, including micro-pump flows, and the effects of slip phenomena on gas and liquid flows in micro-scale passage flows with and without surface roughness, including the effects of hydrophobic surfaces and elastic turbulence.

(iv) Experimental Techniques, including development of millimeter-scale multiple-hole pressure probes, subminiature hot-wire anemometry, and infrared thermography.

The total amount of funding, including grants contracts, and donations, since arriving at the University of Alabama in Huntsville as of April 2020, is approximately $3.56 million. Current and recent research sponsors include: (1) Solar Turbines, Inc. of San Diego, California, USA (multiple research contracts), (2) IHI Corp. (Ishikawajma Harima Heavy Industries), of Tokyo, Japan (multiple research contracts), (3) National Science Foundation, CBET Thermal Transport Processes, Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport (CBET) Systems, Arlington, Virginia, USA (multiple funding awards), (4) the Alabama Innovation Fund, Research Program, Montgomery, Alabama, USA, (5) Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, University of Alabama in Huntsville, Huntsville, Alabama, USA, (6) AEDC – Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Base, Tullahoma, Tennessee, USA (high pressure tank donation), (7) State Administration of Foreign Expert Affairs, Federal Government of the P. R. China, Beijing, P. R. China (through the School of Aerospace Engineering, Beihang University, BUAA – Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Beijing, P. R. China), (8) U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, SBIR/STTR Program, Aerospace Systems Directorate, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA.

2010 to 2014.

Professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Oliver L. Parks Endowed Chair (2010-2014), Director of Graduate Programs (2010-2013). Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology, Saint Louis University, 3450 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63103, USA. Tenured position. Instructing convective heat transfer, applied thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, thermal systems design. Research in four thermal-fluid sciences areas: (i) Traditional Heat Transfer and Fluid Mechanics Investigations involving electronics cooling, heat transfer augmentation, drag reduction, turbulent boundary layers, flows in channels with dimpled surfaces, flows in curved channels, elastic turbulence, slot impingement cooling, and macro-scale pumps and pump flows. Also included are aerodynamics investigations with high-speed, compressible flows at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers. (ii) Micro-Fluidics and Millimeter-Scale-Fluidics, including micro-pump flows, and the effects of slip phenomena on gas and liquid flows in micro-scale passage flows with and without surface roughness, including the effects of hydrophobic surfaces and elastic turbulence.(iii) Gas Turbine Heat Transfer, Cooling, and Aerodynamics Losses, including internal cooling, film cooling, impingement cooling, cooling of extremities, aerodynamic performance including aerodynamic losses, and transonic turbine flows and heat transfer. This subject area includes the effects of uses of bio-fuels, synthetic fuels, and renewable energy sources in relation to gas turbines and gas turbine heat transfer and cooling technologies. Note that an important area of turbomachinery research interest involves heat transfer and aerodynamics investigations with high-speed, compressible flows at transonic and supersonic Mach numbers. Several current research contracts address such activities, with particular focus on linear cascade studies. (iv) Fractionation Technologies, including Continuous SPLITT (Split-Flow Lateral-Transport Thin) Fractionation as applied to identification, analysis, separation, and purification of cellular components and other types bio-particles. This subject area includes the use of different SPLITT Fractionation systems, including gravimetric, centrifugal, electrical, and buoyancy-induced systems, as well as micro-scale SPLITT Fractionation systems. Also included are inertial fractionation systems for separation and purification of particles and cells.

2006 to 2009.

Donald Schultz Professor of Turbomachinery, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, England, United Kingdom. June 2006 to May 2009. The Donald Schultz Professorship of Turbomachinery is one of eight Statutory – Chair Professorships in the Department of Engineering Science. Professorial Fellow at St. Catherine’s College. Director of the Thermo-Fluids Laboratory. Director of the Rolls-Royce UTC (University Technology Centre) in Heat Transfer and Aerodynamics. Research on gas turbine heat transfer problems, convective heat transfer phenomena, heat transfer augmentation, film cooling, internal cooling, turbine aerodynamic losses, macro-scale pumping devices, micro-fluidic separation and analysis of nano-particles – including sub-cellular bio-particles, and millimeter scale and micro-scale pumping devices. Instructing A5 Thermodynamic Machines, C1A Turbomachinery, C1A Advanced Convection Heat Transfer. Tenured position.

1992 to 2006.

Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Utah.  August 1992 to August 2006. Director, Convective Heat Transfer Laboratory. TFES (Thermal-Fluids Energy Systems) Division Chair, September 2005-May 2006. Research on gas turbine heat transfer problems, convective heat transfer phenomena, transition from laminar to turbulent flow in channels, turbulent boundary layers, macro-scale pumping devices, millimeter scale and micro-scale pumping devices, and Continuous SPLITT Fractionation.  Instructing heat transfer, convective heat transfer, engineering thermodynamics, power thermodynamics, thermal systems design, and gas dynamics. Academic tenure awarded July 1, 1996.  Promotion from Associate Professor to Professor July 1, 1997. Adjunct Professor, Department of Bioengineering, from September, 2003.

1984 to 1992.

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, U. S. Naval Postgraduate School.  September 1984-August 1992.  Research on gas turbine heat transfer problems, convective heat transfer phenomena, transition from laminar to turbulent flow in channels, turbulent boundary layers, and subminiature instrumentation.  Instructing mechanical engineering laboratory, fluid mechanics, convective heat transfer, turbomachinery, applied thermodynamics, and thermodynamics of steam power plants, refrigeration processes, and turbomachinery components.  Academic tenure awarded July 1989.

1982 to 1984.

Visiting Senior Research Fellow, Department of Aeronautics, Imperial Collegeof Science and Technology, University of London.  November 1982-August 1984.  Supported by the Science and Engineering Research Council (SERC) of Great Britain, and by the U. S. Office of Naval Research (ONR).  Subminiature hot-wire probe development and use to study the near-wall structure of turbulent boundary layers.

1979 to 1982.

Assistant Professor, Turbomachinery Department, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics.  June 1979-November 1982.  Institute von Karman de Dynamique des Fluides, Rhode-St-Genese, Belgium. Temporary position. Gas turbine heat transfer research supervisor (from January 1980).  Data acquisition systems center head (from April 1981). Research and consulting on pumps, compressors, turbines.  Instructing measurement techniques, introductory turbomachinery, boundary layer theory, turbine blade convective heat transfer, turbulence, data acquisition fundamentals.