Welcome to the TEC Lab - website of the Thermo-fluids, Engine and Control laboratory in the Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Alberta.

Research Topics

The laboratories are home to a research group engaged in a series of highly interdisciplinary experimental and theoretical projects. The laboratory specializes in the following areas:

• Internal Combustion Engines (Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI))
• Engine Control (motion control of solenoid valves - Mechatronics)
• Microfluidics (simulation and experimentation and control of micro-droplets and films)
• Jet Flow Control (experimentation and control of a shrouded jet
• Control of Particles in a Fluid (experimentation and control of particles in water using ultrasound)

Resources

The goal of TEC lab is to investigate problems both experimentally and using simulation. To do this the following equipment is available:

Internal Combustion Engines

A dedicated single cylinder engine for HCCI research with:

• Ricardo Single Cylinder Engine - for HCCI
• A and D Dynamometer Teststand and Instrumentation
• Siemens 5 gas Analyzers
• Pierburg Fuel Measurement System
• A and D Cylinder Pressure System
• dSpace Engine Controller

A department shared single cylinder engine for HCCI research with

• CFR Single Cylinder Engine

A department shared multi cylinder dynomameter with:

• Digilog Eddy Current Dyno

Combustion Engine Valve Control

A dedicated valve Testbench for Solenoid Valves with:

• Daimler Hinged Exhaust and Intake Valves
• dSpace Motion Controller
• Custom H Bridge Power Electronics
• mu-eps eddy current sensor

A valve Testbench for Solenoid Valves on loan to UBC with:

• Daimler Linear ExhaustValves
• dSpace Motion Controller
• Custom H Bridge Power Electronics
• Custom LDVT Sensor
• mu-eps eddy current sensor

Flow Control

Precessing Jet Control - a dedicated flow tank (Nobes) with:

• 12 on/off actuator jets around the main jet exit
• Optical access and PIV system
• Control Electronics from NI

A Flow Chamber (Nobes and Lipsett) :

• Ultrasound actuators/sensors and electronics - on both top and bottom
• dSpace Motion Controller
• Optical access and PIV system

Computer Resources

Westgrid: Western Canada high performance computing network

Research Links and Collaborators

Collaborators Web Sites

Nobes - Fluid Mechanics - Visualization

Lipsett - Oilsands

Bhattacharjee - Univ. of Alberta Colloids and Complex Fluids Laboratory

Lynch - Applied Nonlinear Controls Lab

Seethaler - Controls

Saif - Controls

Contact

C. R. (Bob) Koch, Ph.D., P. Eng.
Professor and TEC Lab Director
Ph.D. (Stanford University, 1986-1991)
Tel: (780) 492-8821
Fax: (780) 492-2200
Office : 5-8C Mechanical Engineering Building
Email: bob.koch@ualberta.ca

We are located in 4-28 and 1-27A Mechanical Engineering Building.

Last Modified:Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 11:39