Laila Guessous, Ph.D. Associate Professor Mechanical Engineering Department 154 DHE; (248) 370-2183; Fax: (248) 370-4416 E-mail: Guessous@oakland.edu www.oakland.edu/~guessous Ph.D., University of Michigan, 1999

• Joined Oakland University in Fall 2000
• 1999-2000 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ME Dept., University of Michigan
• 1992-1993 Engineering Consultant, Research Triangle Institute, RTP, NC
• Recipient of several graduate fellowships, including an NSF Graduate Fellowship
• Member of ASME, APS, SAE, ASEE, and Pi Tau Sigma

RESEARCH

• Simulation and modeling of turbulent pulsating flows; Turbulence
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and parallel computing
• Shape optimization
• Natural convection; Heat transfer correlation development

1. Simulation and modeling of turbulent pulsating flows. Unsteady or oscillatory turbulent shear flows are of practical importance to many applications in turbo-machinery, I.C. engines, aerodynamics, and bio-fluid mechanics. Yet, the response of turbulence to unsteady forcing is a complex problem that is still not well understood. This work seeks to examine the effect of an imposed frequency on turbulent flow and heat transfer using CFD. Some of the issues that will be addressed include investigating the effect on the flow coherent structures and microscales, as well as determining frequency ranges that either enhance or attenuate the turbulence and heat transfer. Some of the results of this work might lead to novel methods for turbulence control, as well as improved turbulence models.
   
   
2. Computational Fluid Dynamics and parallel computing. The tools of CFD are used to study a variety of engineering problems. The numerical methods used include finite difference/volume, spectral, and pseudo-spectral methods (using Fourier, Legendre, or Chebyshev series representations). Efforts are currently underway to extend a pseudo-spectral, serial hydrodynamic code to a distributed memory parallel computer architecture using MPI message passing protocol. This code will be used for direct numerical simulations (DNS) of turbulence.
   
   
3. Shape Optimization. The current emphasis by auto manufacturers on improving the fuel economy of their vehicles requires enhancements in the efficiency and operation of all engine components, including those in the engine cooling system. Improvements in the pressure drop and flow homogeneity in a radiator are needed to reduce the power demands on the vehicle water pump and increase the lifetime of the radiator. These improvements entail making changes in the design of the geometry of the radiator tank and require a good understanding of the flow configurations inside the radiator. Efforts are currently underway to explore the use of CFD and shape optimization techniques to improve the design of an automotive radiator.