Our Team
Principle Investigator
Dr. Rui Ni
Hi! I’m Dr. Ni, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. My research focuses on the fundamental science of turbulence and multi-phase flows that involve more than one phase (i.e. liquid, solid, or gas). This has applications in next-generation energy systems, environmental engineering, and physiological flows in the human body.
Awards
2018: Endowed Kenneth K. Kuo Early Career Professorship
2017: NSF Faculty Early Career Award (CAREER)
2017: American Chemical Society PRF New Investigator Award
2010: Best Paper Awards in Experimental Fluid Mechanics workshop
Education
Ph.D. in Physics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (2011)
B.S. in Applied Physics, Hefei University of Technology, China (2006)
Postdoctoral Scholars
Xuan Ruan
Numerical and experimental study on particle-laden flows with electrostatic interactions.
Postdoctoral Scholar, Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2022 – present)
Ph.D. in Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University (2022)
B.S. in Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University (2017)
Shiyong Tan
Postdoctoral Scholar, Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2023 – present)
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2018 – 2023)
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University (2014)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, South China University of Technology (2011)
PhD Students
Miguel X. Diaz-Lopez
My research is focused on investigating the complex heat and transfer mechanics that occur between phases over a wide range of temperature and pressures. This work has applications in lunar water extraction, rain cloud formation, volcanic ash deposit on jet engines, and dust obliteration and reformation in the wake of a supernova. Hobbies include: Percussion (especially 4-mallet marimba), Capoeira, video games, mechanical keyboard design, and building computers.
Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2020 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manhattan College (2020)
2022 NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO) Fellowship – Accepted
2022 DoD National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship
2021 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Honorable Mention
2020 Johns Hopkins Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship – Accepted
Matt Gorman
My research focuses on electrostatic effects in multiphase turbulent flows. I am interested in understanding how collisions between particles cause particles to accumulate charge, and how the accumulated charge affects the dynamics of the particles. This research has a range of applications, including lunar dust transport, volcanic lightning, dust storms, and dust explosions in pharmaceutical or industrial processes.
Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2020 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of Houston (2020)
Michael A. Calicchia
My research focuses on uncovering underlying principles of resilient engineering systems by studying analogous biological systems. One such system is a fish school, which efficiently operates in a noisy, turbulent environment and effectively avoids various external threats (predators). Through experiments and data-assimilation, we seek to better understand the hydrodynamic and social interactions that drive a fish’s motion and ultimately develop a data-driven fish schooling model.
Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2021 – present)
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manhattan College (2021)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Manhattan College (2020)
2021 Whiting School of Engineering Dean Robert H. Roy Fellowship
Shijie Zhong
My current research spreads on bubble coalescence in turbulence, bubble breakup in turbulence boundary layer, and vortex instability in stratified flow.
Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2022 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2022)
MS Students
Ian Balaratna
My research is focused on observing particle deposition in fluid flow and how these patterns are affected by temperature and electrostatics. This objective is achieved using a high temperature flow testing facility, where airflow and particles are heated to 1100 to 1300°C to simulate conditions in jet engine hot sections. The main application of this work is to assist jet engine manufacturers in understanding particle deposition patterns on turbines, which can lead to premature wear and failure of engines, on a smaller testing scale. Applications in other fields include modeling the effects of pollution deposition on surfaces, airborne debris impacting spacecraft, and pharmaceutical particle behavior.
M.S.E. Student in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2024 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Schreyer Honors College: Pennsylvania State University (2024)
2024 Johns Hopkins Mechanical Engineering Department Distinguished Master’s Fellow – Accepted
Undergraduate Students
Nicholas Watson
I am currently working on electrostatic effects in multiphase flow in extreme temperature and how charged particles deposit in multiphase flow. I am also the mechanical engineering lead on the JHU Mars Rover Team.
Combined B.S./M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (exp. 2026)
Patrick Dass
I am researching for and designing/constructing an apparatus to charge liquid particles for application to turbulence and electrostatic interactions. I also work as a manufacturing lab technician in the WSE Professional Machine Shop.
B.S in Mechanical Engineering (exp. 2026)
Kyle A. Dalrymple
I am working on understanding the driving mechanisms and phases of development of particle deposition in multiphase flow, as well as on developing novel methods of particle mitigation with applications in aerospace, solar farms, and other environments under particle laden flows. I am also an undergraduate researcher for the Transient Science Team at the Space Telescope Science Institute (TS@ST), currently studying the third multiply-imaged gravitationally lensed Type Ia Supernovae to be discovered, SN 2022riv, and I am a co-founder and President of the CubeSat Club at JHU.
Combined B.S/M.S.E – Mechanical Engineering (Space Science Track) JHU, with Minors in Space Science and Engineering and Mathematics (Exp. 2025)
Alumni
- Xu Xu (Position after: Engineer at Apple)
- Juan Sebastian Rubio (Position after: PostDoc at Sandia National Laboratories)
- Chris Crowley (Position after: Physicist at NIST)
- Yinghe Qi (Position after: Postdoc at ETH Zürich)
- Bharath K.S.
- Tim Berk (Position after: Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Utah State University)
- Macros Perez (Position after: Mechanical Engineer, GE Research)
- Ashik U.M. Masuk (Position after: Process Engineer at Intel)
- Ashwanth Salibindla (Position after: Process Engineer, Intel)
- Samuel Hamermesh (Position after: Associate Systems Engineer, Palski & Associates)
- Victor Shen (Position after: Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering, University of Virginia)
- Dongru Cen (Position after: Mechanical Engineer, Alban Engineering)
- Gökhan Akarslan (Position after: Mechanical Engineer, Türkiye Petrolleri A.O.)
- Chee Hau Teoh (Position after: M.A.S. in Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo)
- Kristov George (Position after: Project Engineer, U.S.A.F.)
- Taehoon Kim
- Zeynep Kaymak
- Morgan Austin
- Chris Vidic
- Noah Corbitt (Position after: Mechanical Engineer, SR Technologies)
- Carl Urbanik
- Alan Huang
- Jack Anderson
- Jay Lawrence (Position after: PhD at Princeton University)
- Alex Ren (Position after: MS at Georgia Tech)
- Chris Hwang
- Bingkai Chen