The Team
The Benchtop Hybrid project was developed and tested by most of the members of the Mechanical Engineering program at Rowan University. We divided the project into modules, much as the students will be completing their projects in modules. Each of us enjoyed developing our parts of the project as much as we hope the students will enjoy designing and building them in class!
Dr. Eric Constans is the principal investigator on the benchtop hybrid project. He is currently the chair of Mechanical Engineering at Rowan University and is very interested in researching improvements to engineering education. He developed the overall concept for the project, and designed the tachometer and planetary gearset projects. He collaborated with Dr. Bhatia to design the air engine. He is also responsible for designing this website, and takes full responsibility for an inadequacies it may contain. In his free time he enjoys building DIY hi-fi equipment and restoring his old, old house. He is a big fan of Dr. Marshall Leach's website and has built several Leach amps. He can be reached at constans@rose-hulman.edu
Dr. Krishan Bhatia is the second evil genius behind this project. He collaborated with Dr. Constans to develop the air engine project, and designed many of the electromechanical components, including the load box, the battery pack, and the air flow control system. He is the true 'car guy' in the group, and his research interests include fuel cells and alternative powertrains. In his free time he is hard at work restoring a 1972 Opel GT. He can be reached at bhatia@rowan.edu
Dr. Zhang is responsible for designing the overall control system for the benchtop hybrid. He is currently implementing the electric motor speed control module in his System Dynamics I course, and will use the overall control module in his System Dynamics II course in the Spring 2014 semester. His research interests involve autonomous control of flying vehicles, and he has invented an autonomous blimp, and a kite that flies itself while generating electric power. In his free time he enjoys developing apps for the Android device for teaching Chinese calligraphy. He can be reached at zhang@rowan.edu
Dr. Kadlowec is responsible for conducting the assessment of the benchtop hybrid project. She has developed several concept inventories and design exercises which will determine the effects of the project on learning outcomes and knowledge retention. Her research interests include biomechanics, especially as related to sports medicine. In her free time she enjoys running, biking and chasing her young daughter. She can be reached at kadlowec@rowan.edu
Dr. Merrill developed the fluid mechanics module of the air flow control system, and is implementing the air engine project in his Thermal-Fluid Sciences I class. He is an entrepreneur and inventor, and has started a company, FocalCool, to commercialize his device for cooling blood in the event of a stroke or heart attack. In his free time he enjoys running and crushing other professors (and sometimes students) at basketball. He can be reached at merrill@rowan.edu
Dr. Bakrania has been an invaluable help in developing the style for this website, and in editing many of the images and banners. His research focus is in nanotechnology, and he is hard at work developing small-scale nanocatalytic devices for powering laptops and other mobile technology. He also enjoys creating apps for iPhones and iPads to enhance the educational experience in the classroom, most notably the Pikme app, which has over 3000 downloads. In addition, he has created a popular YouTube video to teach engineering students (or anyone else) how to make excellent presentations. Dr. Bakrania can be reached at bakrania@rowan.edu
