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Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis of Ceramic Compounds at CSM (Photo by John Moore)

• Organization of the Center
• Advisory Board
• Project Selection
• Research Facilities
• Faculty and Staff

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ORGANIZATION OF THE CENTER

The commercialization projects in CCACS are categorized within four Product Focus Groups;

• Combustors
• Fire Safety and Suppression
• Advanced Materials

The current projects in the center are listed below, with the Principal Investigator indicated for each:

• Flame Synthesis of Ceramic Powders (Terry Parker and Dennis Ready)
• Catalytic Combustion for Gas Turbines and Home Heating (Bob Kee)
• Water Mist Technology for Fire Suppression (Tom McKinnon and Angel Abbud-Madrid)
• Combustion Synthesis of Glass-Ceramics and Optical Fiber Processing (John Moore)
• Combustion Synthesis of Porous Ceramics for Bone Replacement and Other Applications (John Moore)
• Inorganic Membranes for Pre-Combustion Fuel Separation (Doug Way)
• High-Strength Diamond Drills for the Petroleum Industry (John Moore)

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Combustors

The Combustors Group is led by Dr. Terry Parker of the CSM Engineering Division. Collaborators include Dr. Robert Kee, holder of the George R. Brown Distinquished Chair in Engineeering at CSM and a winner of the Silver Medal of the Combustion Institute, Dr. Dennis Readey, the Herman F.Coors Chair of Ceramics in CSM's Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and Dr. Doug Way of the CSM Chemical Engineering Department. Projects currently under currently underway in this group are:

• Flame Synthesis of Ceramic Powders
• Catalytic Combustion
• Inorganic Membranes for Fuel Separation

Fire Safety and Suppression

The Fire Safety and Suppression area is headed by Dr. Tom McKinnon and Dr. Angel Abbud-Madrid of the CSM Chemical Engineering Department.  Active projects include:

• The Mist Experiment
  The Water-Mist Fire Suppression Experiment (Mist) was flown on the STS-107 mission of the Space Shuttle Columbia on January, 2003. Dr. Angel Abbud-Madrid was the Lead Scientist of the project, while Dr. Suleyman Gokoglu from NASA Glenn Research Center acted as the Project Scientist.
• Fire Suppression in Electronic Cabinets
  This project is being headed by graduate student Francine Amon from the CSM Chemical Engineering Department.
• Fundamental Evaluation of Water Mist for Fire Safety in Spacecraft and Extraterrestrial Environments
  This recently funded project by NASA’s Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) is directed by Principal Investigator Dr. Angel Abbud-Madrid.

Advanced Materials

The Advanced Materials research is under the direction of Dr. John Moore, Head of the Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. Dr. Reed Ayers, CCACS Project Scientist, is an active collaborator.  Active projects include:

• Combustion Synthesis of Glass-Ceramics
• Combustion Synthesis of Porous Ceramics
• High-Strength Diamond Cutters

Diagnostic Laser Beam Passing through Flame,

CCACS Combustion Sensors Laboratory (Photo Courtesy Mark Linne)

ADVISORY BOARD

The Advisory Board consists of representatives of the industrial center members and NASA. The Board sets the research agenda for the center and has major input into its policies. The board meeting is scheduled as part of the CCACS Annual Meeting.

PROJECT SELECTION

Project selection is guided by the CCACS Business Operating Plan, which is developed based on the research agenda set by CCACS management and the Advisory Board and is subject to NASA approval. Projects chosen for flight must meet the NASA selection criteria; i.e., need for space, technical approach supporting development of a product, industrial partner to bring product to market and commercial funding commitment.

RESEARCH FACILITIES

The research is done utilizing university, industrial and NASA facilities. CSM houses some of the most modern and complete research laboratories for combustion and materials science to be found anywhere in the world.  These laboratories encompass disciplines all across the campus, including chemical engineering, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, and metallurgical and materials engineering.  All of them are used in the course include a full range of combustion chambers, laser and other diagnostics, and surface analysis. NASA facilities that can be made available for research through the center include drop towers at NASA Glenn Research Center, KC-135 low-gravity flights, the Space Shuttle and, beginning in 2004, the International Space Station.

Artist's Conception of Completed International Space Station

FACULTY AND STAFF

• Angel Abbud-Madrid, Associate Research Professor, Chemical Engineering, and Associate Director of CCACS Payload Development and Operations
• Reed Alexander Ayers, CCACS Postdoctoral Research Fellow
• Christopher Dreyer, Research Assistant Professor
• Michael Duke, CCACS Research Professor and Director of CCACS
• Mindy Raya Gewuerz, Program Assistant
• Bob Kee, George R. Brown Professor or Engineering, CSM
• Tom McKinnon, Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, CSM
• John Moore, Trustees Professor and Head, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, CSM
• Terry Parker, Associate Professor, Engineering, CSM
• Dennis Readey, Herman F. Coors Professor of Ceramic Engineering, CSM
• Doug Way, Professor of Chemical Engineering, CSM

[ CCACS Home | News | Research | Members| Links || CSM | Physics Dept. ]

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For further information, contact: Dr. M. B. Duke
    Director of CCACS
    Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO 80401
    Phone: (303) 384-2096; FAX: (303) 384-2327; Email: mduke@mines.edu

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