Thomas E. Schwartzentruber
Assistant Professor

Professor Schwartzentruber utilizes particle simulation methods to model non-equilibrium gas flows. Non-equilibrium flow occurs when the mean-free-path between molecular collisions in a gas is no longer negligible compared to length-scales of interest. Applications include high-altitude hypersonic aerothermodynamics, rocket-plume flows, gas-surface interactions, and at the other end of the scale, micro-fluidics. Professor Schwartzentruber’s research focuses on continued algorithm and physical model development of the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) particle method. Special focus is given to the development of multi-scale methods that combine both particle and continuum approaches to accurately and efficiently simulate non-equilibrium flows.

Degrees

2007 - Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
2003 - M.A.Sc., Aerospace Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada
2001 - B.A.Sc., Engineering Science, University of Toronto, Canada

Experience

2008-Present: Assistant Professor, University of Minnesota
2007: Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Michigan
2003-2007: Research Assistant, University of Michigan
2001-2003: Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant, University of Toronto, Canada
1998-1999: Bombardier Aerospace, Toronto, Canada

Five Recent Publications

Valentini, P. and Schwartzentruber, T.E.,, 2009, Large-scale Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Normal Shock Waves in Dilute Argon, Physics of Fluids, Physics of Fluids 21 066101, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
T.E. Schwartzentruber, L.C. Scalabrin, and I.D. Boyd, 2008, Hybrid Particle–Continuum Simulations of Nonequilibrium Hypersonic Blunt-Body Flowfields, Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer, Vol. 22, No. 1, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Schwartzentruber, T.E., Scalabrin, L.C., and Boyd, I.D., 2008, Multiscale Particle-Continuum Simulations of Hypersonic Flow over a Planetary Probe, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, Vol. 45, No. 6, pp 1196-1206, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
Schwartzentruber, T.E., Scalabrin, L.C., and Boyd, I.D., 2008, “Hybrid Particle-Continuum Simulations of Hypersonic Flow over a Hollow Cylinder-Flare Geometry, AIAA Journal, Vol. 46, No. 8, pp 2086-2095, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF
T.E. Schwartzentruber, L.C. Scalabrin, and I.D. Boyd, 2007, A modular particle–continuum numerical method for hypersonic non-equilibrium gas flows, Journal of Computational Physics, Volume 225, Issue 1, 1 July 2007, Pages 1159-1174, (Journal Article) More Details, Request PDF

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Honors and Fellowships

2007: AIAA Orville & Wilbur Wright Graduate Award: Background
2006: Distinguished Achievement in Aerospace Engineering (Michigan): Background
2001: Elvie L. Smith Award (CASI, Pratt & Whitney): Background
2001: Best Student Paper Award (CASI): Background

Current Courses

Graduate: AEM 5251 -- Computational Fluid Mechanics | Course Home Page

Subjects and Courses Taught

Undergraduate: AEM 4203 -- Aerospace Propulsion
Graduate: AEM 5251 -- Computational Fluid Mechanics

Curriculum Vitae

Brief Biographical Sketch

Last Modified: 2009-06-11 at 13:01:42 -- this is in International Standard Date and Time Notation

Thomas E. Schwartzentruber Assistant Professor