The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Prof. Tarek Echekki

In the long term, Dr. Echekki's goal is to play an important role in the development of the next generation of combustion models.

The next generation of combustion models will enable engineers to consider more daring designs in terms of the types of fuels, the range of operating conditions, the materials used, and flame stability. Dr. Echekki is currently developing multi-scale models for turbulent combustion and improving methods for direct numerical simulation of turbulent combustion. In MAE he works with Dr. Edwards, Dr. Lyons, and Dr. Roberts.

At the graduate level, Dr.Echekki teaches Fluid Dynamics of Combustion I (MAE 504). This is a lecture-style course in which students, during a portion of the semester, work on projects. He also teaches Principles of Fluid Dynamics (MAE 550). This is a fundamental course with the added feature that the students in his class perform flow visualization experiments. He also teaches Turbulence (MAE 776). In his presentation of the material, there is a strong emphasis on empirically-based modeling of turbulent phenomena.

At the undergraduate level, he teaches Engineering Thermodynamics I and II (MAE 301 and MAE 302) and fluid Mechanics I (MAE 308). All of these classes are foundational. Drawing on personal experiences, he discusses new applications in combustion in the second thermodynamics course to give the students a greater appreciation of the challenges in the field and to encourage further reading.

Combustion plays an important role in the solution of many of the engineering problems that we face today. Graduate students who work with Dr. Echekki are also drawn to this area because of its breadth. The reliance of combustion on thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid mechanics means that it�s never boring and provides a foundation from which the student can later branch out.

Outside of work, Dr. Echekki spends time with his family and friends.