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Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc

Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc
Wed, 2010-10-13 12:25 — borcat
Name: Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc
Title:Associate Professor
Department Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
School Engineering
Center Center for Automation Technologies and Systems (CATS) Center for Future Energy Systems (CFES) Center for Integrated Electronics (CIE) Rensselaer Nanotechnology Center (RNC) Smart Lighting Engineering Research Center (ERC)
Website:http://nanotec.meche.rpi.edu/
Bio Upon graduating from Bucharest University, Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc spent several months as a research assistant for The Institute of Physics and Technology of Radiation Devices, also located in Bucharest. He joined Duke University's Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science for over a year as a graduate student research assistant before beginning work on his doctorate at UCLA (PhD 2000).

Dr. Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc has started his academic career in 2001 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and since 2007 he is an associate professor. He is the director of the Nanoscale Thermophysics and Energy Conversion Laboratory (NanoTEC) on the Rensselaer campus. He received the NSF CAREER award (2004), is an associate editor for the Journal of Nanomaterials, and a member of the ASME’s K8 committee on Fundamentals of Heat Transfer. He has organized and chaired symposia and sessions on nanoscale thermal transport and energy conversion with ASME and MRS.

Research Description

The main research theme in the Nanoscale Thermophysics and Energy Conversion(NanoTEC) laboratory directed by Dr. Theodorian Borca-Tasciuc is engineering nanoscale thermal transport and thermoelectric energy conversion. His work focuses on experimental investigations in synergy with physical models and materials structure. Features in the investigated samples (thin films, nanoparticles, nanowires, or the nano-domains in nanomaterials) are typically smaller than characteristic length scales of the heat carriers (such as the carrier mean free path), so conduction of heat can strongly deviate from the classical Fourier law. Similarly, nanoscale heat sources could also exhibit non-classical conduction of heat. These are critical issues for the thermal management of nanodevices, nanointerconnects, optoelectronics, or the design of nanocomposites and nanomaterials.
On another hand, nanostructures and nanostructured materials enable novel ways to independently control the thermoelectric properties (Seebeck coefficient and electrical and thermal conductivities) that define the thermoelectric figure of merit Z, a metric important for thermoelectric energy conversion applications ( such as solid state refrigeration and power generation). The enhancement of Z in nanostructures is mainly effected through control of size, interfaces, and doping in the material. The goal is to obtain non-dimensional figures of merit (ZT, T is temperature) that increase to values as high as 1.5-3, from the current values <1, to revolutionize solid state thermoelectric applications for cooling and power generation from waste heat.

Understanding and engineering the thermal and thermoelectric transport at nanoscale is therefore an essential and challenging part of Dr. T. Borca-Tasciuc’s research. A critical role is played by development of experimental techniques able to probe transport properties at nanoscale, in nanomaterials, across-nanointerfaces, or to test the operation of nanoscale thermoelectric devices. These techniques are employed to perform studies of property-structure relationship to understand and optimize thermal and thermoelectric transport as required by specific applications. Selected examples of techniques developed include a scanning thermal microprobe for quantitative characterization of the thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient with microscale resolution, a transient method for measurement of all thermoelectric properties as well as electrical and thermal contact resistances in films, a photothermoelectric method to determine the anisotropic thermal conductivity and the interface thermal resistance in thin film on-substrate systems, a Joule heating thermometry method for characterization of thermal transport from nanoscale heat sources.

Selected investigations include: 1) discovery of a new class of highly scalable, high figure of merit, nanostructured bulk thermoelectric materials (patent pending); 2) implementation of a novel mechanism for formation of high thermal conductivity networks in polymer composites filled with nanoparticles (patent pending); 3)investigations of anisotropic thermal properties in aligned carbon nanotube arrays and aligned carbon-nanotube polymer composites; 4) studies of the interface thermal resistance at the native interface between carbon nanotube arrays and the silicon substrate; 5) investigations of thermal transport in Si/Ge and Si/SiC multilayers; 6) investigations of non-Fourier thermal transport from individual nanoscale heaters to silicon substrates;
Details
Funding Agency
Signature_Thrust
Keywords
Education Ph.D. University of California, Los Angeles
Scholarly Works:
  • This is a list of selected works. For a full list of publications and additional information please check the NanoTEC laboratory website:http://nanotec.meche.rpi.edu/
  • A New Class of Doped Nanobulk High-Figure-of-Merit Thermoelectrics by Scalable Bottom-up Assembly, R. J. Mehta, Y. Zhang, C. Karthik, B. Singh, R. W. Siegel, T. Borca-Tasciuc & G. Ramanath, Nature Materials, Vol. 11, 233-240, 2012.
  • Enhanced Thermal Conductivity in a Nanostructured Phase Change Composite due to Low Concentration Graphene Additives, F.Yavari, H. Raeisi Fard, K. Pashayi, M. A. Rafiee, A. Zamiri, Z. Yu, R. Ozisik, T. Borca-Tasciuc and N. Koratkar, J. Phys. Chem. C, Vol. 115, 8753, 2011.
  • A non-contact thermal microprobe for local thermal conductivity measurement, Y. Zhang, E. Castillo, R. Mehta, G. Ramanath, and T. Borca-Tasciuc, Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 82, 024902, 2011.
  • Thermoelectric characterization by transient Harman method under non-ideal contact and boundary conditions, E. E. Castillo, C. L. Hapenciuc, and T. Borca-Tasciuc, Review of Scientific instruments, Vol. 81, 044902, 2010.
  • A microprobe technique for simultaneously measuring thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of thin films, Y. Zhang, C. L. Hapenciuc, E. E. Castillo, T. Borca-Tasciuc, R. J. Mehta, C. Karthik, and G. Ramanath, plied Physics Letters, Vol. 96, 062107, 2010.
  • Temperature dependent thermal conductivity of Si/SiC amorphous multilayer films, M. Mazumder, T. Borca-Tasciuc, S. Teehan, H. Efstathiadis, E. Stinzianni, and V. Solovyov, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 96, 093103, 2010.
  • Effect of Nanoparticles on the Liquid-Gas Surface Tension of Bi2Te3 Nanofluids, S. Vafaei, A. Purkayastha, A. Jain, G. Ramanath and T. Borca-Tasciuc, Nanotechnology, Vol. 20, 1855702, 2009.
  • Thermal resistance of the native interface between vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube arrays and their SiO2/Si substrate, Y. Son, S. K. Pal,T. Borca-Tasciuc, P. M. Ajayan, R. W. Siegel, Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 103, 024911, 2008.
  • Electrowetting on dielectric-actuation of microdroplets of aqueous bismuth telluride nanoparticle suspensions, Raj K Dash, T Borca-Tasciuc, A Purkayastha and G Ramanath, Nanotechnology, Vol. 18, 475711, 2007.
  • Effect of nanoparticles on sessile droplet contact angle, Vafaei, S., Borca-Tasciuc, T., Podowski, M. Z., Purkayastha, A., Ramanath, G., and Ajayan, P. M., Nanotechnology, Vol. 17, 2523-2527, 2006.
  • Anisotropic Thermal Diffusivity of aligned multiwall carbon nanotube arrays, Borca-Tasciuc, T., Vafae, S., Borca-Tasciuc, D.-A., Wei, B. Q, Vajtai, R., and Ajayan, P., Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 98, 054309, 2005.
  • Data Reduction in 3w Method for Thin-Film Thermal Conductivity Determination, Borca-Tasciuc, T., Kumar, A. R., and Chen, G., Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 72, 2139-2147, 2001.
  • Thermal Conductivity of Symmetrically Strained Si/Ge Superlattices, Borca-Tasciuc, T., Liu, W. L., Liu, J. L., Zeng, T., Song, D. W., Moore, C. D., Chen, G., Wang, K. L., Goorsky, M. S., Radetic, T., Gronsky, R., Sun, X., and Dresselhauss, M. S., Superlattices and Microstructures, Vol. 28, 199-206, 2000.
  • Thin-film Thermophysical Property Characterization by Scanning Laser Thermoelectric Microscope,Borca-Tasciuc, T. and Chen, G., International Journal of Thermophysics, Vol. 19, 557-567, 1998.

Mark S. Shephard

Mark S. Shephard
Tue, 2010-05-18 02:00 — shephm
Name: Mark S. Shephard
Title:Samuel A. Johnson '37 and Elizabeth C. Johnson Professor of Engineering.
Department Civil and Environmental Engineering Computer Science Mechanical Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
School Engineering
Center Center for Modeling, Simulation and Imaging in Medicine (CEMSIM) Computational Center for Nanotechnology Innovations (CCNI) Scientific Computation Research Center (SCOREC)
Website:http://www.scorec.rpi.edu/
Bio

Mark S. Shephard’s professional activities have focused on technologies to improve the reliability and level of automation of advanced numerical simulations to support their effective application by engineers and scientist. His research activities have lead to well recognized and applied contributions on the areas of automatic mesh generation of CAD geometry, automated and adaptive analysis methods, and parallel adaptive simulation technologies. This research has been supported by both government agencies (over 65 research grants from 13 agencies) and industry (funding from 44 companies). Dr. Shephard has published over 250 papers and graduated 24 Ph.D’s.


As part of his professional activities Mark S. Shephard founded Rensselaer's Scientific Computation Research Center that has brought together faculty form seven academic departments and three schools at Rensselaer to perform research on the development and application of advanced simulation technologies. These research activities have included collaborations with more that ten other universities over the past decade.


Mark S. Shephard is a co-founder, board member and technical advisor to Simmetrix Inc., a computer-aided engineering company dedicated to producing the technologies and associated software components to enable simulation-based engineering. Simmetrix is currently researching, developing and providing advanced simulation automation and simulation-based design technologies to CAE and Fortune 500 companies, and universities.

Details
Funding Agency
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Keywords
Education Ph.D. Cornell University
Scholarly Works:
  • See http://www.scorec.rpi.edu/reports/

Bruce Watson

Bruce Watson
Sun, 2010-06-13 02:05 — watsoe
Name: Bruce Watson
Title:Institute Professor
Department Earth and Environmental Sciences Materials Science and Engineering
School Science
Center New York Center for Astrobiology
Website:http://www.rpi.edu/~watsoe
Bio E. Bruce Watson
Abbreviated Professional Biosketch

Education
Williams College, 1968-1969
University of New Hampshire (B.A. in Geology, 1972)
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D. in Geochemistry, 1976)

Professional Career
September 1976-August 1977: Post-doctoral Fellow, Carnegie Institution of Washington
1977-present: Assistant --> Full Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
1990-1995: Chairman, Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences, RPI
1991-1994: Associate Dean of Science for Environmental Programs, RPI
1995-present: Institute Professor of Science, RPI
2011-present: Prof. of Materials Sci. & Eng. (secondary appointment), RPI

Memberships, Awards and Honors
F.W. Clarke Medal of the Geochemical Society, 1983
NSF Presidential Young Investigator, 1984-1989
Fellow of the following societies: Geochemical Society, American Geophysical Union, Mineralogical Society of America, Geological Society of America, European Association for Geochemistry
American Academy of Arts and Sciences (fellow, 1996)
National Academy of Sciences (member, 1997)
President, Mineralogical Society of America, 1998
Arthur L. Day Medal, Geological Society of America (1998)
Participating Guest, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (1999)
Distinguished Alumnus, Engineering & Physical Sciences, University of New Hampshire (1999)
R.A. Daly Lecturer, American Geophysical Union, 1999
Listed in A to Z of Earth Scientists (150 notable Earth scientists, 18th century to present), 2002
Original Member, Highly Cited Researchers, ISI/Thomsen Scientific, 2002
Oualline Lecturer, University of Texas at Austin, 2004
V.M. Goldschmidt Medal, Geochemical Society, 2005
W.H. Bucher Medal, American Geophysical Union, 2006
Kliegel Lecturer, California Institute of Technology, 2008
Murchison Medal, Geological Society of London, 2011

Professional Service Highlights
Principal Editor, Elements Magazine, 2006-2009
Associate Editor, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1985-1988
Editor, Chemical Geology, 1991-1995
Editorial Boards: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1997-1999; Geofluids, 2003-
Member, NRC Advisory Panel on “Physics and Chemistry of Earth Materials”, 1986
Panel Member, NSF Division of Earth Sciences, 1987-1990
Mineralogical Society of America Awards Committee, 1989-1990; fellows committee (2008-2009)
Geochemical Society: Clarke Medal Committee, 1986-1989; Councilor (1991-1994); Budget Committee, 1990; Nom. Committee (1998-2000); Goldschmidt Conference Publicity Chairman, 1990
NSF Site Committee for the Stony Brook Center for High-Pressure Research, 1992
Am. Geophys. Union: VGP Fellows Committee (1992-1995; 2001-2003); VGP Nom. Committee (1997)
Roebling Medal Committee, Mineralogical Society of America, 1993-1994
Chairman, Department of Energy O.P.A. Review Panel (Geochemistry), 1993
NSF Continental Margins Steering Committee and Workshop, 1993
Committee of Visitors, Petrology & Geochemistry Program, NSF/EAR, 1993
Committee of Visitors, Instrumentation & Facilities Program, NSF/EAR, 1997, 2010 (co-chair)
Member, Advisory Committee to the Geosciences Directorate, NSF, 2008-2010
Miller Medal Committee, National Academy of Sciences, 2010
Visiting Committees, Geoscience departments: McGill University (1991); Carnegie Inst. Geophys. Lab. (1992, 2000); Brown University (1993) Harvard University (1994, 1999); University of Houston (2002); University of Maryland (2003); Arizona State University (2004; chair); University of New Hampshire (2004; chair); Rice University (2000, 2005); California Institute of Technology (2010).
Nominating Committee, National Academy of Sciences, 2011-present
Long-range Planning Committee, Mineralogical Soc. of America, 2011-present

Research Group Profile
General interest areas
In my group we do mostly inorganic geochemistry focusing on chemical equilibria and transport phenomena in solid-Earth systems (and to some extent in other terrestrial planets and meteorites). This umbrella takes in a wide range of systems, spanning the realm from core-mantle interactions to climate proxies. We use mainly experimental approaches—coupled in some cases with numerical modeling—to characterize processes that operate in and on the Earth to redistribute the chemical elements on scales ranging from micrometers to kilometers. This overarching interest involves specific studies of several types, including: 1) partitioning of trace elements between minerals, silicate melts and fluids; 2) atomic and molecular diffusion in crystals, grain boundaries, silicate melts and supercritical water; 3) equilibrium and kinetic properties of low-abundance minerals that sequester geochemically-important isotopes and trace elements; 4) wetting behavior of fluids and melts in rocks; 5) permeability of (and bulk diffusion in) polyphase materials consisting of crystals and fluid; and 6) dissolution and growth kinetics of minerals, in particular as the latter might bear on non-equilibrium uptake of elements and isotopes. The primary application areas of current research include “environmental” conditions on earliest Earth (as these might bear on the origin of life), time-temperature evolution of igneous and metamorphic systems, and the underlying thermodynamic/kinetic basis of climate proxies.

Personnel
Daniele J. Cherniak (Research Professor)
Jay B. Thomas (Senior Research Associate)
Nicholas Tailby (Post-doc)
Dustin Trail (Post-doc)
Ling Bo Xing (PhD student)
Veronika Homolova (PhD student)
Michael Ackerson (PhD student)
Maxwell Cane (PhD student)
Sebastian Mergelsberg (undergraduate student)
Matthew Warbrick (undergraduate student)
Carlo DiLorenzo (undergraduate student)

Summary of research themes
1. Accessory minerals and crustal processes
Support: NSF
Topics: Diffusion and trace-element partitioning in minerals that serve as the main hosts for rare elements and radioactive isotopes; diffusion modeling for thermochronology
People: Ling Bo Xing (grad. student); Mike Ackerson (grad. student); Daniele Cherniak (Res. Professor); E.B. Watson

2. Geochemical and cosmochemical kinetics
Support: NSF; NASA
Topics: Diffusion and solubility of noble gases in rock-forming minerals; diffusion and partitioning of elements and isotopes of importance to planetary differentiation; diffusive fractionation of dissolved volatiles in magmas
People: Max Cane (grad. student); Jay Thomas (Sr. Res. Scientist); D. J. Cherniak; E.B. Watson

3. Grain-boundary phenomena in rocks
Support: DOE
Topics: Diffusion of incompatible elements (including diffusive fractionation); “wettability”
People: Matt Warbrick (undergrad); J. Thomas; E.B. Watson

4. Inorganic geochemistry bearing on the origin of life
Support: NASA Astrobiology Institute
Topics: Zircon and quartz thermometry and oxygen/H2O barometry of ancient zircons; biosignature retention; isotope fractionation processes that mimic biosignatures
People: Sebastian Mergelsberg (undergrad); Veronika Homolova (grad. student); Dustin Trail (post-doc); Nick Tailby (post-doc); E.B. Watson

5. Kinetic effects on trace-element and isotope fractionation
Support: NSF
Topics: Near-surface process in minerals affecting isotopic uptake during crystal growth
People: E.B. Watson; Saroj Nayak (RPI Physics); J. Eiler (Caltech)
Details
Funding Agency
Keywords
Education Ph.D.: MIT (Geochemistry) B.S.: University of New Hampshire (Geology)
Scholarly Works:
  • http://homepages.rpi.edu/~watsoe/publications.htm