University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering [ Research Capabilities ]

Interdisciplinary Research Centers

Institute for Space Systems Operations www.isso.uh.edu/

The Institute advances the development of the aerospace community in the Houston area and Texas.

Particular emphasis is directed to the academic, industrial, and government programs associated with the

NASA Johnson Space Center. The Institute of Space Systems Operations (ISSO) is the operational agency of

the Houston Partnership for Space Exploration.

NSF Material Research Science and Engineering Center www.uh.edu/mrsec/

The Center was established by the National Science Foundation to focus on advanced oxide materials with

technologically important applications in ionic devices including membrane and electrocatalytic reactors, fuel

cells, and chemical sensors.

Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials www.uh.edu/tcsuh/

In March 2002 two internationally renowned institutes, the Texas Center for Superconductivity and the Space

Vacuum Epitaxy Center, merged to form the Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials. The

new Center creates and develops high temperature superconducting and advanced materials and furthers

their fundamental understanding. The Center also advances new terrestrial and space applications based on

these materials, and disseminates fundamental and applied knowledge through education and outreach.

Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center—Gulf Coast www.tmacgc.com/

This Center was established through a cooperative agreement between the Texas Department of Economic

Development and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

The Center’s goal is to provide industrial engineering services to small to medium sized manufacturers with

the purpose of increasing their global competitiveness. Typical areas covered include production planning and

control, product manufacturability, e-enterprise, quality management systems, strategic management, and

lean manufacturing.

UH Telecom Center www.egr.uh.edu/telecom/

The main mission of this Center is to build a bridge between the telecommunications industry and the

Texas Medical Center and UH through joint research projects and educational and training programs. Its

current research areas are smart antenna systems, wireless devices, and systems for telemedicine and

homeland security. In addition, the Center leads the way in radio-frequency radiation and interference

standards and compliance, and provides educational and training programs, including the Engineering

Entrepreneurism program.

University Research, Engineering and Technology Institute for Intelligent Bio-Nano Materials and

Structures for Aerospace Vehicles www.egr.uh.edu/nasaureti/

UH engineers are concentrating on two broad research areas, establishing distributed intelligence

architectures to improve flight and mechanical performance and safety of future aircraft and spacecraft, and

fabricating new nanomaterials that are stronger and lighter than conventional materials. The Center is based

at Texas A&M University, and other institute members include Prairie View A&M University, Rice University,

Texas Southern University, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Well Logging Laboratory www.egr.uh.edu/wll/

The Laboratory investigates the electric properties of reservoir rocks over a wide range of frequencies. In

addition, theoretical and experimental studies have been carried out to obtain a better understanding of

electric tool response in complex borehole environments, such as dipping formations, thin invaded beds, and

anisotropic formations. All of these studies have the primary objective of improving interpretation of logs

obtained with existing tools and are supported by a consortium of oil and service companies.

Bioengineering Research Center www.egr.uh.edu/brc/

The Center promotes research and graduate education in bioengineering at UH. It sponsors a Bioengineering

Seminar Series and fosters interaction of college faculty involved in bioengineering research with colleagues at

UH and in the greater Houston area, including the Texas Medical Center, Rice University, and the UT Medical

Branch at Galveston. It also coordinates UH’s presence in the Annual Houston Conference on Biomedical

Engineering Research, organized by the Houston Society for Engineering in Medicine and Biology.

Center for Innovative Grouting Materials and Technology cigmat.cive.uh.edu/

CIGMAT is an industry/university consortium responding to growing demand from industry for better

management of information and to perform research on grouts, grout applications, and other competing and

complementing materials and technologies used in construction and rehabilitation of civil infrastructure. Ongoing

research projects include rehabilitation and lifecycle cost modeling of wastewater facilities, chemical resistance

of cementitious and polymeric materials, and development of new sandwich pipes and smart materials.

Center for Neuro-Engineering and Cognitive Science www.egr.uh.edu/cnecs/

This Center is the successor of the Cognitive Science Initiative, and its primary mission is to conduct basic and

applied research in neuro-engineering and cognitive science. Other important objectives include the education of

students in a multi-disciplinary approach to topics relevant to neuro-engineering and cognitive science and the

continuation and fostering of research alliances with the Houston and Galveston educational institutions and

medical centers.

Center for Reliability of Ceramics www.egr.uh.edu/me/ceramics/

The Center provides a cooperative forum for university, national lab, and industrial researchers to cooperate on

research directed toward the improvement of ceramic performance in engineering applications. Research topics

include crack growth resistance modeling in brittle materials, statistical prediction of failure of engineering

components, multi-scale determination of failure mechanisms in ceramics, and fatigue degradation in ceramics

and ceramic composites.

Composites Engineering and Applications Center for Petroleum Exploration and Production

www.egr.uh.edu/ceac/

The Center was established through a joint initiative of American petroleum companies and the U.S. Minerals

Management Service. Members recognize the potential of enabling technical and lifecycle cost benefits of

composite materials in onshore and offshore operations. Of special current interest are structural components

such as risers, tethers, and spoolable sub-sea flow lines for deep-water applications where present materials

may have performance and economic limitations.

Institute for Fluid Dynamics and Turbulence www.ifdt.uh.edu/

Center objectives are to understand turbulence physics and to apply this knowledge in technologically relevant

flows to control entrainment, mixing, drag, combustion, and aerodynamic noise, as well as transport phenomena

in two-phase flows.

Institute for Improved Oil Recovery www.egr.uh.edu/iior/

The Institute is an industry/university consortium for conducting research in both improved recovery from, and

characterization of, hydrocarbon reservoirs. Ongoing projects include miscible flooding for Alaskan shallow

sands, surfactant treatment for fractured carbonates, improved characterization of NMR logging, and effect of

capillary/bond numbers on relative permeability.

Members of the Cullen College of Engineering faculty are affiliated with the following University of Houston research centers and institutes.

Interdisciplinary Research Centers

Research CapabilitiesApplied mathematicsBiochemical sensing, separation, and purificationBiomaterialsBiomolecular recognitionCatalytic and biocatalytic materialsChemical reaction engineeringChemical reaction systemsComposites and ceramicsElectronic materials processingEnvironmental catalysisHeterogeneous catalysis and catalytic processesInterfacial science and engineeringOil recoveryPetroleum production engineeringPlasma science and engineeringPolymeric materials science and engineeringProcess optimizationProcess simulation and controlProtein science and engineeringSeparation and filtration

Research Capabilities Advanced lithographyAntenna design and analysisCardiac mappingCognitive scienceComputational and theoretical electromagnetics Computational bioengineeringIntelligent systemsMedical imagingNanofabricationNon-linear control systemsOptoelectronicsPower system optimizationSensorsSignal processingSolid state and integrated circuitsWell loggingWireless communications

Research CapabilitiesAnthropometryComputer simulationCAD/CAM/CIMDistribution and logisticsE-commerceEconomic and cost analysisEconomic decisions engineeringExperimental designFacility location and layoutHuman factors engineeringIndustrial ergonomicsProcess planning and tolerancingProject managementRapid prototyping and reverse engineeringRobotics and automationScheduling and production controlStatistical project controlSupply chain managementOperations researchQuality control and reliabilityTraining simulators

Research CapabilitiesActive materialsAdvanced computation and numerical methodsBiomedical engineeringBioreactor designCeramic compositesControl and Intelligent SystemsFinite element and computational fluid dynamics analysisFracture mechanicsMaterialsMechanics of compositesMechanics of fluidsMechanics of solidsMulti-disciplinary optimizationOffshore platform design and analysisPhase change heat transferStructural dynamicsThermal scienceTurbulence and vortex dominated flows

Research Projects» Carbocationic Polymerization of Iso-Olefin, RSD-Exxon

» Chemical Reactor Design and Dynamics, NSF / Welch Foundation

» Combinatorial Measurements of Nanocomposite Barrier Films by Interferometric and

Sensor Methodology, NIST

» Competitive Ion-Exchange Adsorption of Proteins, NSF

» Effects of Convective Transport of Solute and Impurities on Defect-Causing Kinetics

Instabilities, NASA

» Electromagnetic Fields Produced by Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis, NSF

» Enzymatic Detoxification of Cyanide Wastes, Gulf Coast Hazardous Substances Research Center

» Experimental and Modeling Study of Plasma-Grid Interaction, Sandia Laboratories

» Fluid-Rock Characterization and Interactions in NMR Well-Logging, U.S. Department of Energy

» Impact of Capillary and Bond Numbers on Relative Permeability, U.S. Department of Energy

» Integrated Catalytic Filtration Devices for Disel Exhaust Abatement of NOx and Particulates,

Texas Advanced Technology Program

» Micro-Organisms in the Spacecraft Environment, Baylor College of Medicine / NASA /

National Space Biomedical Research Institute

» Modeling and Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Patterns in Catalytic Reactors, Welch Foundation

» Modeling of Catalytic Monoliths, Dow Chemical Co.

» Non-Local Electron Transport in Inductively Coupled Plasmas, NSF

» Real-Time DNA Sequencing, VisiGen Biotech

» Screening of Carbon Formation on Steam-Reforming Catalysts, Sud-Chemie

» Shape Selective Membrane Reactor for Enhanced Conversion and Yield, Petroleum Research Fund

» Tailoring Crystallinity in Thin Polymer Films, Welch Foundation

Research Projects» Assessment of Continuous-Flight Auger Pile Bridge Foundations, Texas Department of Transportation

» Biosurfactant Produced from Used Vegetable Oil for Removal of Metals, Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance Research Center /

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

» Characterization of the Slow Release of Contaminants from Weathered Soil, Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance Research Center /

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

» Cyclic Behavior of Concrete Shear Walls: A Rational Approach, NSF

» Developing Testing Protocols for Coatings and Grouts, National Sanitation Foundation—International / U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

» Development of a Field Separation Method for Arsenic Inorganic Species in Ground Water, American Water Works Association

Research Foundation

» Development of Neural Networks for Seismic Safety Evaluation of Prestressed Concrete Bridges, Sinotech Engineering Consultants, Inc.

» Evaluating Source Grouting and Oxygen Releasing Compounds for Remediating MTBE Sites, Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance Research Center /

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

» Field Monitoring of Trapezoidal Box Girders with Skewed Supports, Texas Department of Transportation

» Inductively Coupled Plasma—Mass Spectrometry to Qualify Metals in Fine Particulate Matter in Houston, Texas Air Research Center

» Internet and Component-Based Modeling System for Lake Water Quality and Fish Habitat Projections, Texas Advanced Technology Program

» Lateral Bracing of Bridge Girders by Permanent Metal Deck Forms, Texas Department of Transportation

» New Design Method for Inverted “T” Bent Caps, Texas Department of Transportation

» New Sandwich Pipes for Wastewater Systems, NSF

» Portable Solar-Powered Integrated Membrane Systems for Producing Drinking Water in Texas Border Areas, Texas Advanced

Technology Program

» Treatability of Perchlorate in Groundwater Using Ion-Exchange Technology, American Water Works Association Research Foundation

Research Projects» 3-D Cellular Automata Models for Tissue Engineering and Their Parallel Implementation, Texas Advanced Research Program

» A Portable Remote Sensor for Hydrocarbon Gas Leakage Detection, Texas Advanced Research Program / Texas Center for Superconductivity and Advanced Materials /

NASA—Johnson Space Center

» Assessment of Bonding Conditions Between Reinforced Concrete Structures and Advanced Composite Jackets, NSF

» Automated Detection of Epileptic Seizures in the Neonatal EEG, National Institutes of Health

» Deposits of Thin Film Fuel Cell Membranes by Hot Target Reactive Sputtering, NSF / Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers

» Development of High Voltage, Focused Ion Beam Implantation Technology for MOS-Integrated Circuits on Spherical Substrates, National Security Agency

» Development of Hybrid Methods Using Higher Order Bases, Lawrence Livermore Laboratories

» Development of Stable Mask Coatings for Ion Projection Lithography, Infineon Technologies

» Dielectric Resonator Antennas for Wireless Communications Applications, Texas Advanced Research Program

» Feasibility Study on Nondestructive Testing Techniques to Measure Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Thickness, Texas Department of Transportation

» Interval Methods for Analysis and Design of Hybrid Uncertain Systems, Department of the Army, Army Research Office

» Metallization of Focal Surface Arrays, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency

» Neural Correlates of Moving Boundary Perception, National Institute of Mental Health

» Phase Resetting and Sensory Inhibition in the Central Nervous System, National Institute of Health / National Institute of Mental Health

» Phonon Enhancement of Electronic and Optoelectronic Devices, Air Force Office of Scientific Research / Brown University / Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Program

» Photonic Bandgap Antennas for Wireless Communications, Texas Advanced Research Program

» Photonic Wavelength and Spatial Signal Processing, The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency / ARO-PWASSP Program

» Statistical Signal Processing for Wireless Communication Channels, NSF, Communications Research Program

» Stencil Mask Stability Studies, International SEMATECH

» Understanding and Quantifying the Generation of Artifacts in Elastography, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

» Utilization of Existing Structures as Radiation Sources for Telecommunications Base Stations, National Science Foundation

Research Projects» Application of Conductive Adhesives in SMT-Phase I, IBM Corporation

» Bomb Threat Training Simulation, U.S. Department of Justice

» Computer Based Design and Economic Evaluation for Air Pollution Control, Gulf Coast Hazardous Substance

Research Center

» Design and Implementation of a Feature-Based Process Planning, Naval Ordinance Station, U.S. Navy

» Distributed Control for Agile Manufacturing, EPSCoR / NSF

» Ergonomic Evaluation of Bracewell and Patterson Facilities, Bracewell and Patterson LLP

» Effectiveness Evaluation of Ergonomic Problem Area Abatements at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The

University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

» Functional Job Assessment of Petrochemical Job Classifications at ECOPETROL: Barrancabermeja, Colombia,

South Africa/Pan-American Health Organization

» Inclusion of Qualitative Pollution Prevention Attributes in Strategic Manufacturing Decision-Making,

AT&T Bell Laboratories Foundation

» NIOSH Occupational Safety Engineering Program, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

» Service Demand Distribution and Task Organization for the Analysis of Samples and Associated Support

Services at the USAF—Occupational and Environmental Health Laboratory, U.S. Air Force

» Taguchi Optimization of Design Parameters for a Shuttle-to-Space Station Automated Approach Control

System, NASA

» The Integration of Economic Principles with Design, NSF

Research Projects» Bioreactor Fluid Dynamics, Krug International

» Calculations of Turbulent Flow Past a Cylinder at Moderate Kuegelgan-Carpenter Numbers, NSF

» Commercialization of Self-Reinforced Ceramic Composite for Advanced Chemical and Aerospace

Application, State of Texas Technology Development and Transfer / Valve Technologies /

Lockheed Martin

» Concurrent Design using Parametric Model Deformations, NSF

» Control and Design of Mechanical Systems via Linear Matrix Inequalities, NSF

» Convection and Boiling in Narrow Channels, NSF

» Development of Holographic Particle Velocimetry to the Study of Turbulence Near Free Surfaces,

Office of Naval Research

» Dynamic Behavior and Shock Absorption Properties of Shape Memory Alloys, Office of Naval Research

» Effects of Offshore Exploration and Production Environments on Advanced Composites for Offshore

Design Engineering, Chevron Corporation

» Evolutionary Updating of Model Structure and Parameters, NSF

» High Temperature Mechanical Properties of Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials, NSF /

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center

» Institute for Intelligent Bio-Nano Materials and Structures for Aerospace Vehicles, NASA

Headquarters

» Numerical Simulation of Blood Flow in Flexible Vessels with Realistic Rheology,

Texas Advanced Technology Program

» Studies in Salinity and Temperature Transients in Sea Water Aquaculture Ponds,

Texas Advanced Research Program

» Superconductivity: Processing and Mechanical Properties, Texas Center for Superconductivity

at the University of Houston

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineeringwww.egr.uh.edu/cive www.egr.uh.edu/ece

Research CapabilitiesAdsorption, ion exchange, and membrane filtration processesBioremediatitionBridge design and behaviorCoastal and estuary hydrodynamicsContaminant transport in soils and aquifersDeep foundationsGeoenvironmental engineeringGeographic information systemsGeotechnical engineeringGround water and surface water hydrologyHazardous waste treatmentHydraulic engineeringLarge-scale structural testingMaterials engineeringRehabilitation of wastewater systemsReinforced and prestressed concrete structuresSteel structures and stabilityWave-structure interaction

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

www.egr.uh.edu

www.egr.uh.edu/ieDepartment of Industrial Engineering www.egr.uh.edu/meDepartment of Mechanical EngineeringDepartment of Chemical Engineering www.che.uh.edu

Cullen College of Engineering

The University of Houston Cullen College of Engineering, established

in 1941, has accredited degrees in chemical, civil, electrical, industrial,

and mechanical engineering, and a new program in computer

engineering. More than 2,270 students are enrolled in engineering

courses—1,620 undergraduates, 475 masters, and 175 doctoral

students in chemical, mechanical, electrical and computer, civil and

environmental, and industrial engineering. The college also offers

programs in telecommunications, distribution and logistics, materials,

biomedical, aerospace, and petroleum engineering.

The University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and

teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and

institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate,

civic, and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research

university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research,

and service with more than 33,000 students in 279 undergraduate,

graduate, and professional degree programs.

Houston, Texas

Houston’s rich cultural diversity and world leadership in energy, space,

and medicine make it an incomparable place to live and learn. With

3.4 million residents in the metropolitan area, Houston provides many

cultural events and entertainment opportunities ranging from Grand

Opera productions to rock concerts, rodeos, and professional sports.

The city is also home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the world’s

largest medical complex, the Texas Medical Center, which boasts

61,041 total jobs and 42 member institutions with about 5.4 million

patient visits a year.

E421 Engineering Building 2Houston, Texas 77204-4007713.743.4200 | www.egr.uh.edu

Equal Opportunity PolicyThe University of Houston seeks to provide educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, handicap, or veteran status. This policy is in compliance with the Title IX regulations that implement the educational amendments of 1972 and extends to employment, admission, and all programs and activities supported by the university. Inquiries concerning Title IX may be directed to the Equal Opportunity Officer of the University of Houston. The university reserves the right to make changes without notice in any publication as necessitated by university or legislative action. Produced by the UH Cullen College of Engineering Office of Communications. 07/02.