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
Juan Sebastian Rubio
I am currently working to understand the interaction between solid particles and the gas phase in compressible particle-laden flows using our ultra-high-speed diagnostics system. Previous research experiences: simultaneous PLIF and PIV measurements to study the Ritchmyer-Meshkov instability, PIV uncertainty quantification of a turbulent mixing jet, Schlieren measurements of particles inside a high-speed jet.
Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2019 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (2019)
2020 NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunity (NSTGRO) – Accepted
2020 NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP)
Xu Xu
My current research is in the field of particle-bubble interaction. I’m experimentally studying the particle collection efficiency under the influence of turbulence, particle bubble size ratio, surfactant, etc.
Ph.D. Candidate in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2019 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, University of California Santa Barbra (2019)
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. Student in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2022 – present)
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2022)
Qianwen Wu
My current research focuses on bubble rising dynamics and interactions between turbulence and colloidal additives.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2022 – present)
B.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Illinois (2022)
Bingkai Chen
My current research focuses on bubble coalescence in turbulence and bubbles at micro/nanoscale.
Ph.D. Student in Mechanical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University (2023 – present)
M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, The University of Tokyo (2023)
B.S. in Alternative Energy Science & Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2021)
Visiting Students
Undergraduate Students
Jay Lawrence
I am currently working on the design of a low-speed water tunnel to study fish schooling behavior.
B.S. in Engineering Mechanics, Johns Hopkins University (exp. 2024)
Chris Hwang
I am currently working on bubble coalescence in a vortex filament. I am also on the Hopkins Baja SAE Team.
B.S. Mechanical Engineering (Aerospace Track) (exp. 2025)
Alumni
- 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 (SRT Group))
- Carl Urbanik
- Alan Huang
- Jack Anderson