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Ellzey combustion group |
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Utilizing Combustion to Meet the World's Energy Challenges. |
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Dr. Janet L. Ellzey, PhD, PE |
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Professor, Mechanical Engineering; Assistant Dean for International Engineering Education
Prof. Ellzey received her BS and MS degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and her PhD from University of California at Berkeley. After working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC, she joined the faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas in 1990. She has worked on various problems in combustion and fluid mechanics and now focuses on environmental technologies. Her current research efforts include non-catalytic reforming of biofuels and manufacturing of compact reactors for use in portable power.
In addition to her research activities, Prof. Ellzey is Assistant Dean for International Engineering Education for the Cockrell School of Engineering. In this capacity, she initiates and administers international programs for engineering students. She recently became faculty advisor for Engineers Without Borders and is leading an effort to incorporate service learning in the engineering curriculum.
Prof. Ellzey is an avid traveler and spends 6 weeks a year in France teaching a course to UT students on international standards and environmental regulation. She speaks French and is an admirer and student of French cuisine.
Publications: See Publications page.
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Group Members |
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Ingmar Schoegel, PhD |
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Ingmar Schoegel received his PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He received a Diplom-Ingenieur in mechatronics (equivalent to a M.S.) from the Johannes-Kepler Universitat in Linz, Austria in 2000. Upon graduation, he worked as a development engineer for engine electronics and engine management systems at AVL GmbH in Graz, Austria, focusing on real-time models for control applications. In 2003, he moved to Austin, Texas to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, which he completed in May of 2009. Ingmar's research focuses on non-catalytic fuel reforming of
Current Project: Mesoscale Non-catalytic Fuel Reforming Publications: A mesoscale fuel reformer to produce syngas in portable power systems, Experimental and numerical conversion of liquid heptane to syngas through combustion in porous media
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E-mail: ischoegl AT mail DOT utexas DOT edu
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Colin Smith, BS |
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Colin graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in mechanical engineering in 2004. Afterwards, he worked on the Ballistic Missile Defense System at Raytheon in Boston, MA from 2004 to 2007. He joined the group in the Fall of 2007 to pursue his doctoral degree in combustion science. His research interests include combustion and energy systems. He is currently working on the conversion of biomass to syngas via filtration combustion.
Current Project: Conversion of biomass to syngas via filtration combustion Publications: Coming soon.
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E-mail: colinhsmith AT mail DOT utexas DOT edu
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Doyle T. Motes, MS |
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Research Engineer, The Institute for Advanced Technology at the University of Texas at Austin
Doyle graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas, in 2005 and 2008 respectively. He joined the group in September of 2006 and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering. His research at the Institute for Advanced Technology involves plasma rail armature design. His research interests include high temperature material properties, electrothermal launcher internal ballistics, and electromagnetic propulsion.
Current Project: Plasma Rail Gun Design Publications: Coming soon.
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E-mail: doyle_motes AT iat DOT utexas DOT edu
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Casey Zak |
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Casey is currently working towards his Bachelor's in mechanical engineering. He joined the group in October 2007 and he currently works on the group's biomass-to-syngas conversion project see below) and the group's cookstove research. During the 2008 summer semester, he was able to travel to Scotland with fellow group member Liane Miller for a research internship with the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Casey is interested in anything having to do with sustainable energy, specifically in the thermal fluid systems area. Outside of school, he runs a small company that makes rock climbing equipment. After graduating in May 2010, he plans to attend graduate school and earn his Master's in mechanical engineering.
Current Project: Conversion of biomass to syngas via filtration combustion Publications: Coming soon.
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E-mail: czak AT mail DOT utexas DOT edu
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Former Members |
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Graduate Students |
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Undergraduate Research Assistants |
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IMAGE COMING SOON |
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IMAGE COMING SOON |
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Tommy Browder |
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Tommy is currently pursuing a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. He joined the group in May of 2008 and currently works on the group's biomass-to-syngas conversion project (see below). This spring Tommy was able to study abroad in Sweden, focusing in Sustainable Energy. From there he traveled to Scotland, where he continued the group's collaboration with the University of Edinburgh through a summer research internship (see News). His research interests include fuel reforming, biomass gasification, and waste heat utilization. After graduating in May of 2010, Tommy hopes to attend graduate school and pursue further education in the field of sustainable power generation with a focus on combustion. Outside of school, his interests include running, biking, swimming, and golfing.
Current Project: Conversion of biomass to syngas via filtration combustion Publications: Coming soon.
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E-mail: tommybrowder AT mail DOT utexas DOT edu
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Jonathan Gaspredes |
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Jonathan is currently pursuing a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. He joined the group in the fall of 2008 and he currently works on the SLS manufacture of mesoscale fuel reformers. He plans to graduate in December of 2009 and pursue a graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Current Project: Superadiabatic counterflow reactor design and SLS manufacture Publications: Coming soon.
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E-mail: gaspredes AT yahoo DOT com
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Daniel M. Leahey |
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Daniel M. Leahey was born in Morris Plains, NJ to Michael and Karleen Leahey. He has one older brother, Michael, and three younger brothers, Patrick, Mark, and Vincent. In 2003, he graduated from Morristown High School in Morristown, NJ and reported to the United States Naval Academy. In 2007, he graduated from the Naval Academy with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a commission as an Ensign in the United States Navy. He then joined the Ellzey group and began pursuing a M.S.E. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. His research involved computational modeling of the group's biogas-to-syngas project. After graduating in 2008, he returned to his naval duties. He is currently training to fly aircraft in the U.S. Navy.
Publications: Computational Modeling of Fuel Reforming from Dry and Wet Ethanol-air Mixtures to Hydrogen in a Filtration Reactor
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E-mail: dmleahey AT gmail DOT com
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S. Ryan Newcomb, BS |
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Ryan joined the group in August of 2007 after completing his B.S. in physics and applied mathematics at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. He believes that Texas sits at the nexus of energy, policy, and technology and is poised to make great changes to the way we think about the energy industry. He moved to Texas to study this shift and to prime himself for a career in energy-focused engineering with a strong sense of how we can help or hurt ourselves through public policy. Ryan's research involved super-adiabatic combustion reactor design and production. After graduation in May 2009, he began work as a Project and Operations Engineer with British Petroleum's Gulf of Mexico division.
Publications: SLS Rapid Manufacture and Exhaust Product Characterization of a Novel Superadiabatic Counterflow Heat
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E-mail: ryannewcomb62 AT hotmail DOT com
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Liane Miller |
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Liane graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in May of 2009 and is pursuing graduate studies in Sustainable Design. She joined the group in August 2007 and worked on the group's biomass-to-syngas conversion project (see below). During the 2008 summer semester, she was able to travel to Scotland with fellow group member Casey Zak for a research internship with the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. Her research interests include fire science and sustainable design.
Publications: Coming soon.
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