Advanced materials and structures in extreme environments
Professor Arun Shukla’s team literally blows things up to learn how to better keep them together.
Using shock tubes, a 2,000-gallon underwater pressure tank and high-speed cameras capable of capturing thousands of frames per second, they can slow down time to study how materials will act under extreme temperatures, pH, heat transfer rates, and pressure.
Other engineers are exploring the effect that extreme environments have on carbon composite materials by studying them at the molecular level, as new materials are replacing steel and aluminum in applications such as aircraft and undersea robots. They are researching new composite materials, that are lighter and easier to maintain than traditional metals, but have a higher tolerance for damage.
Ph.D. engineering student at URI receives ISSS Scientific Achievement Award - Part-time Ph.D. chemical engineering student Michael Jones was awarded the 2024 Scientific Achievement Award by the International System Safety Society (ISSS) for contributions to the advancement of system safety.
URI engineering professor awarded Office of Naval Research grant to study heat transfer - The Office of Naval Research has awarded a three-year, $418,300 grant to University of Rhode Island mechanical engineering assistant professor Ashutosh Giri
Technology for NASA’s Next-Generation Telescope - University of Rhode Island Professor Sungho Kim is developing technology that could be part of NASA’s next-generation telescope that will allow the space agency to observe and study phenomena that occurred 13.7 billion years ago. 
Engineering Professors, Business Receive $75,000 Grant from RI Commerce Corp. - URI Engineering professors Richard Vaccaro and Musa Jouneh received a $75,000 innovation grant from RI Commerce Corporation for engineering development work with a startup company, Kinesia. The grant, which runs from January to August 2024, will pay for the creation of a prototype for an aid to human rehabilitation from orthopedic and neurological injuries. Mechanical […]
Faculty
People are just now discovering all the benefits of these materials in terms of cost savings and their performance in extreme environments. Our research is helping to advance the field.
Arun Shukla