Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Research

Midshipman Research

• Trident Scholar Program
• Bowman Scholar Program
• Mechanical Engineering Research Project Course (This is an internal site that is only meant for Midshipmen and Faculty.)

Highlighted Faculty Research

Dr. Ralph Volino

I study the effects of surface roughness on the drag on surfaces in an Office of Naval Research sponsored project. Fouling on the surfaces of naval vessels occurs in the form of slime and larger structures such as barnacles. Fouling causes the surface to be rough and increases drag on the vessel. Increased drag results in significantly higher fuel consumption and cost. To better understand the effects of different types of roughness, I conduct experiments in water flows over smooth and rough surfaces in the USNA Hydro Laboratory. Measurements of velocity and turbulence are made using Laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and particle image velocimetry (PIV). From these measurements, the effects of the roughness on the flow are determined. Current work is focused on the additional effects of acceleration and deceleration on the flow, and how roughness combined with deceleration can cause the flow to separate from a surface. Upcoming work is expected to focus on compliant roughness, such as slimes, that can deform in response to the flow. In addition to the roughness work, work in the recent past has investigated the flows and heat transfer in experiments that model the flow through gas turbine engines. The following image shows the water tunnel that is used in most of the roughness studies.

CDR Angel Rodriguez

Multiphase flow fluid dynamics and non-Newtonian fluid transport require complex evaluation of time-dependent flow regimes. Using advanced measurement equipment (e.g.; X-ray Computed Tomography, synchronized high-speed cameras, event-based cameras, and Particle Image Velocimetry) to capture fluid transport in opaque and/or non-traditional geometry systems, we can characterize these flow patterns to inform applications and limitations of such regimes. Utilizing small-scale complex flow systems of multiphase flows, single-phase flows through varying pathways and highly viscous fluid regimes, our research seeks to advance the physical understanding of these flow patterns, that affect every aspect of modern life from pressurized nuclear water reactor flow instabilities, drag reduction in pipes, and biological fluid transport.

Understanding small-scale fluid transport in biological systems plays an integral role in our evaluation of complications in heart disease and leading causes of aneurysms. Through mimicking these flow paths in a small-scale laboratory setup, we can use particle image velocimetry and high-speed cameras to build the flow pattern to inform computational fluid dynamic results for the same geometrical restrictions.

Pressurized water reactor cores operate with multiple fuel assemblies, containing constrained geometric paths. The presence of localized nucleate boiling creates a multiphase system that is an essential part of the heat transfer mechanism necessary for successful transfer of thermal energy to the steam generators. Substituting these vapor bubbles with air bubbles in a controlled environment allows us to evaluate the implications air bubbles will have on the vertical flow path of a pressurized water reactor.

CAPT (ret) Len Hamilton

I create simulations to predict vehicle dynamics performance for FSAE racecars.

Dr. Kaitlynn Fitzgerald

I study solid mechanics investigating why materials deform and fail and how a material’s microstructure and morphology drive that deformation process. I use several tools including Digital Image Correlation to investigate a materials process-structure-property relationship and capture and analyze in-situ material deformation. In short, I break things and then try to determine why and how they broke, particularly why there and why then.

Dr. Joel Schubbe

I perform research leading to improvement of design through the study of degradation of materials and failure analysis. Aircraft structures, composites, ship coatings and non-destructive evaluation are all involved. Fatigue, fracture, corrosion effects as well as testing in austere environments simulating temperature and humidity conditions for Navy systems to extend useful life.

Dr. Cody Brownell

The atmosphere can attenuate or distort light, as in a mirage on a hot day or lack of visibility in rain or fog. I am interested in predicting how laser systems - like high energy laser weapons, laser communications, and power beaming - will perform under adverse weather conditions. Over the past few years, midshipmen have looked at laser vaporization of liquid drops in the laboratory; measured optical properties of the atmosphere over the Chesapeake bay; explored novel instrumentation for measuring the distortion of light as it passes through a medium; and used modern statistical tools like AI/ML to create and assess models for prediction of laser system effectiveness. Typically, a team of faculty from several departments at USNA collaborate and jointly advise several concurrent midshipmen projects.

Dr. Elizabeth Getto

My research focuses on using materials characterization techniques to understand the behavior of materials relevant to nuclear power and naval applications. Specifically, I asses materials using microscopes including scanning electron microscopes and transmission electron microscopes to look at the microstructure. I also am interested in mechanical properties testing of the same material. Specific materials I am interested in include advanced alloys for reactor cladding, advanced welds for reactors, single crystal alloys and coatings for jet engines and high temperature ceramics under irradiation.

CDR "Buddy" Slager

I focus on additive manufacturing methods and testing that can be applied to solve naval, bioengineering, and prosthetic problems. Currently, I have projects available with NAVAIR, NAVSEA, NPS, DIA, and Limbs International. This includes designing prosthetics, ship models, underwater explosive simulations, submarine components, and naval special warfare solutions.

CAPT Brian Earp

My research is focused on characterization and imaging of materials to include composites, metals, and 3-D printed polymers. I additionally have focused some research on carbon nanotube materials and a small amount of collaborative work with corrosion of materials. Material characterization includes imaging with optical and scanning electron microscopes, mechanical testing (hardness tests, tensile tests, and impact tests), and data processing. I have worked with midshipmen students for independent research and Bowman scholar research as well as other professors on collaborative projects.

The following image is from a project with CDR Slager and Prof Ibrahim working on 3-D printed parts for ship models. These are fracture surfaces from tensile tested thin PLA-12 samples.

Dr. Ethan Lust

The purpose of my research is to help reduce the cost and risk associated with floating offshore wind power. Right now, solar photovoltaics and land-based wind power are two of the lowest-cost technologies, on a $/MWh basis, even compared with conventional generating technologies like natural gas-fired turbines and nuclear power plants. In recent years, the offshore wind power sector has really started to grow, in the U.S. and around the world. Most of the turbines that have been installed offshore are fixed-base, meaning a big pylon is driven into the seabed, and the turbine is installed on top of that. However, this only works to a certain depth. For locations where the water depth is too deep for fixed-base wind turbines, floating foundations have been shown to be a viable option, even in places as inhospitable as the North Sea. Because the technology is so new, floating offshore wind foundations are currently more expensive. However, one of the reasons they are expensive is because the market is not yet mature enough to have arrived at an optimal design. To move toward an optimal solution, better computer-based design tools are needed. We can make better computer-based design tools with better experimental data. That's where my research fits in. I use the world-class towing tank facilities in our hydromechanics lab to experimentally describe model floating offshore wind foundations. These data provide physical insight and "ground truth" against which to compare computational model outputs. In short, I get to build big stuff and test it in the towing tanks. That's my kind of fun.

Dr. Emily Retzlaff

I specialize in high strain rate experimentation (Kolsky bar, also known as Split-Hopkinson bar), studying the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of materials under such loading conditions. I have experience studying the deformation mechanisms of novel metals, including metal matrix composites and additively manufactured metals. Recently, I have done work looking at the strain rate effects on the hardness of ceramics and metals. Additionally, I study the mechanical properties of novel materials and structures, including additively manufactured polymer lattices with metal coatings and biomineralized materials grown on additively manufactured polymer lattices. This includes standardized mechanical testing such as tension, compression, hardness, and bending as well as optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

Dr. Patrick Caton

Working with the Office of Naval Research, I conduct research into solid rocket propellants, and specifically, the burn rate enhancements that come from different types of additives. These experimental studies are done with small amounts of material, developed in our chemistry department, and burned in the mechanical engineering department to determine how additives affect the rate of combustion. Apart from this work, I am more broadly interested in energy security and understanding the reasons why certain energy systems win out over others, and how our societal energy choices can be influenced to achieve greater security for both civilian and military applications.

Dr. John Burkhardt

My research spans a broad spectrum of engineering physics and mechanics, integrating theoretical, computational, and experimental methods to address complex problems in wave dynamics, structural behavior, and atmospheric modeling. My early and continuing work in wave propagation and stochastic structural vibration established foundational contributions to the understanding of diffuse fields, spectral statistics, and reverberant decays in acoustically and mechanically complex systems. These efforts have supported developments in non-destructive testing, ultrasonics, and room acoustics, with applications in material characterization and structural health monitoring.

In recent years, I have become a leading contributor to the study of optical turbulence and atmospheric propagation. I have advanced hybrid modeling approaches that integrate machine learning with empirical and mesoscale environmental data, enabling robust predictions of laser beam degradation through the marine boundary layer. These innovations support applications in directed energy systems and remote sensing.

My research also encompasses computational mechanics, particularly the use of the finite element method for dynamic structural simulations and statistical energy analysis of complex systems. My expertise includes Bayesian inference methods and surrogate modeling for uncertainty quantification. Increasingly, my work bridges data-driven modeling and traditional mechanics, as demonstrated in applications such as fatigue crack prediction, explosive yield estimation, and fireball dynamics characterization.

Dr. Samar Malek

I am a structural engineer with an expertise in the mechanics, analysis and computational modeling of lattice and continuous shell structures. I practiced as a structural engineer before returning to academia and use my industry experience to inform my research questions. A constant objective in my research is to derive simple, analytic solutions, and design guidelines to help the engineer quickly assess the structural design in the early stages of design. I use both finite element analysis and experimental analysis to study the structural performance of gridshells. I am currently researching the application of gridshells as deployable, structural solutions for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief needs.

LTC (ret) Steve McHale

My research focuses on defense-related applications of radiation transport, shielding, and dosimetry, particularly using Monte Carlo methods. As Principal Investigator on a multi-year DTRA-funded project, I led studies that model radiation effects on human and structural targets using the Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) code and anatomically accurate computational phantoms. My recent work includes calculating over 100,000 dose conversion coefficients for neutrons in ICRP145 adult male and female mesh phantoms, supporting risk assessment and protection strategies in nuclear environments.

I have also simulated nuclear weapon spectra to assess dose impact on human tissue and calculated Radiation Protection Factors (RPFs) for military vehicles using MCNP, validated through testing at the White Sands Missile Range. My research outcomes support mission planning and survivability assessments for radiological and nuclear threats. I have authored over 20 peer-reviewed journal articles, 30 conference papers, and mentored numerous midshipmen during independent research and Bowman scholarship projects, several of whom have earned national awards for their dosimetry research. My contributions bridge military applications and academic advancement in the fields of radiation protection, computational dosimetry, and nuclear weapon effects.