Ziaul Huque, Ph.D.
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (August 26, 2022) With recent funding from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration -Stennis Space Center, Ziaul Huque, Ph.D., Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Center for High-Pressure Combustion in Microgravity (CHPC) and Yuhao Xu, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering will begin conducting experimental research at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) using the drop tower facility. Only a handful of institutions have a drop tower on campus. Huque was awarded $2,000,000 for his project “Research on High-Pressure Combustion in Microgravity.”
Huque will establish a drop tower experiment laboratory and a computational facility within the mechanical engineering department.
Researchers worldwide have used drop towers for nearly 50 years to study the effects of microgravity on physical phenomena such as combustion and fluid dynamics and to develop technology for future space missions.
“This becomes a significant addition in supporting our R2 status. The project will increase the institutional research capability and potentially give us the means to bring more research to the institution and increase publications by students and faculty,” said Huque.
The overarching goals of the project are:
- To deepen the understanding of high-pressure liquid fuel combustion and thus address challenging energy issues.
- To sustain partnerships and collaborations with major research universities, government agencies, and industries.
- Enhance PVAMU’s institutional capability through new infrastructure, faculty and students engagement in research, and new education programs.
- To improve the educational experience of minority students through research and education activities.
“The high-performance computation lab will allow us to focus and participate in extensive computational research. Both these facilities will increase future collaboration and students’ participation,” stated Huque.
“Dr. Ziaul Huque’s ongoing research continues to place the university at the cutting edge of experimental investigations on high-pressure combustion in microgravity,” said PVAMU Vice President of Research & Innovation Magesh Rajan, Ph.D., P.E., MBA. “The additional funding received by Dr. Huque and his team bears testimony to their path-breaking research. The NASA funding significantly advances the research in this critical engineering discipline and will provide research opportunities for students that can bolster their careers.”
The project will contribute to building a more diverse STEM workforce pipeline for NASA and the nation. The funds allow for the completion of a new Master of Science (MS) in Mechanical Engineering degree program currently in development. Huque and his assembled team will develop courses in combustion and propulsion. Where appropriate, undergraduate and graduate students will be selected for internships at NASA Glenn Research Center to experience their unique facilities in high-pressure combustion and microgravity environments.
Huque brings together a diverse team of collaborators, Yuhao Xu, Ph.D., Jianren Zhou, Ph.D., Paul Biney, Ph.D. in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Richard Wilkins, Ph.D., Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, within the College of Engineering, Ali Fares, Ph.D., and Peter Ampim, Ph.D., College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, and Ananda Amarasekara, in the College of Arts and Sciences to continue the work in the CHPC and build on previous achievements.
“This is an exciting moment for the department and the university. We are excited because of all the work we will be able to do. We are honored and grateful that NASA has given us the means to move forward with our research interests and thankful to everyone who contributed to the process, said Huque.
Karen B. Cotton, MS, MA