Dr. Samuel P. Massie
  Chair
Dr. Ing Chang
Department of Mechanical
  Engineering
409-857-4023
409-857-4395 (fax)
e-mail: ichang@pvcea.
  pvamu.edu
 

Environmental Research and Training

Prairie View A&M's representative environmental projects include the following:

	Bioremediation of sediments and technology development
	Surfactant-enhanced pump-and-treat system for cleanup of trichloroethylene-contaminated groundwater
	Combustion characterization of coal fines recovered from a handling plant
	Development of a computer model to evaluate global climatic changes and soil nutrients cycling
	Characterization and optimization of sorbent for hot-gas cleanup during coal gasification
	Characterization and failure analysis of ceramic filters used for emissions control during coal gasification
	Development of an environmental testing laboratory
	Automated storage handling and retrieval system for plutonium
	Establishment of the Texas Gulf Coast Environmental Data Center
	Development of near-miscible tertiary oil recovery
	Enhanced oil recovery support to Texas small oil producers

Research Facilities

The Department of Mechanical Engineering in the College of Engineering and Architecture at Prairie View A&M University has its own well-equipped shop and laboratory facilities in addition to the elaborate computer and library facilities on the college and university level. One undergraduate-student project is the construction of a laboratory-scale gasifier to study the effects of pollutants captured by sorbent injection. The work is progressing as part of the students' senior project.

In addition to the experimental facilities, the Mechanical Engineering Department and the College of Engineering and Architecture also have good computational facilities. These include several MACs, PCs, and SUN and Hewlett Packard workstations. A VAX 11/780 serves as a node to Internet. The department and college also have easy access to supercomputing centers, such as the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Cornell Supercomputing Center.

Major Equipment

	Scanning electron microscope (SEM) (Amray 1610)
	Energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) (PGT 4000)
	X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), PHI 5100 with Apollo workstation (for surface and interfacial analyses; a multitechnique chamber gives it the capacity to add ISS and auger)
	Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)
	Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition system
	Sputtering/evaporation deposition system
	Optical research microscope (Versamet 3 Metallograph)
	Metallographic automatic polishing machine
	Ultrasonic cleaner
	Automatic mounting press
	Profilometer (interface with computer)
	Strain indicator
	Data acquisition system
	Scratch tester
	Hardness testers
	Heat treatment equipment
	Universal testing machine (Instron)
	Torsion testing machine
	Impact testing machine
	Centrifugal pump, vacuum pump, and high-capacity metering pump
	Digital flowmeter

Faculty Profiles

Ing Chang (Ph.D., Rice University).
Research interests: Fluid dynamics and thermal science.

Yi-Ming Chen (Ph.D., Kansas State University).
Research interests: Artificial intelligence, thermal sciences, environmental studies, and enhanced oil recovery.

Thomas Fogarty (Ph.D., Lehigh University).
Research interests: Process- and radiation-induced defects and their effects on parametric shifts in microelectronic devices; radiation testing.

John H. Fuller (Ph.D., University of Missouri-Columbia).
Research interests: The use of the computer in voice recognition and control, design of digital systems and their use to control engineering applications, and the design of a small engine emissions test station.

Jorge F. Gabitto (Ph.D., Buenos Aires University, Argentina).
Research interests: Bioremediation and oil spill studies.

C. T. Luke (M.S.C.E., Massachusetts Institute of Technology).
Research interests: Environmental bioremediation, structures, and geodesic domes.

Houshang Masudi (Ph.D., Texas A&M University).
Research interests: Coal combustion and utilization, tribology, machine design, and controls and robotics.

Ramalingam Radhakrishnan (Ph.D., Brigham Young University).
Research interests: Geo-environment, environment concrete, composite maths, and materials and structures.

Safwat H. Shakir (Ph.D., State University of New York at Syracuse).
Research interests: Ecological modeling using computer technology, data analysis, soil sciences, waste management, global environmental changes, and artificial intelligence.

S. Wang (Ph.D., University of Houston).
Research interests: Robotics, range and tracking systems, communications, and signal processing.

For more information about tasking Prairie View A&M University
for technical support, contact:
Cathy S. Fore
LMES HBCU/MEI Involvement Program Coordinator
Phone: 423-576-6838
e-mail: forecs@ornl.gov

Prepared by Lockheed Martin Energy Systems, Inc., for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-84OR21400

April 1997