OUR TEAM
Lab Director
Dr. Windom has been a member of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at CSU since August 2016.
After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Florida in August 2009, Dr. Windom worked at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, CO carrying out experiments to measure key physical properties of fuels important in their energy conversion process. Following his appointment at NIST, Dr. Windom performed a roving postdoctoral fellowship as part of the Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center at the University of Southern California and Princeton University where he studied high pressure and turbulent flame dynamics. In 2013, Dr. Windom began an Assistant Professorship in the Mechanical and Aerospace Department at the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs (UCCS).
Dr. Windom’s research encompasses applied and fundamental topics ranging from the physiochemical characterization of alternative fuels to the analysis of reacting flow systems using advanced diagnostics and state of the art CFD tools.
Dr. Windom is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the Society for Automotive Engineers and the Combustion Institute.
Graduate Students
Diego Bestel is a graduate student in Mechanical Engineering working with Laser Diagnostics in Combustion under Dr. Bret Windom. Bestel graduated from Universidade Positivo in Brazil after studying abroad at University of Colorado, Colorado Springs for a year. As an undergrad student Bestel participated in undergraduate research on Engine testing and fuels. During that time, Bestel worked in internships in the Engine Testing Laboratory at Volvo Group South America, as well as the Quality Department at Renault do Brasil. In his free time Bestel loves playing soccer – as any good Brazilian would – playing volleyball, going snowboarding, hiking, and watching American football.
Publications:
- Investigation of the end-gas autoignition process in natural gas engines and evaluation of the methane number index
- Multi-Dimensional Modeling of the CFR Engine for the Investigation of SI Natural Gas Combustion and Controlled End-Gas Autoignition
- 3-D Modeling of the CFR Engine for the Investigation of Knock on Natural Gas
Miguel is currently a Ph.D. Student. He joined the lab in August of 2018 as part of the Fast-track program (IDP+) at Colorado State University (CSU) during his final year of his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Miguel finished his Master’s degree at CSU studying Computer-aided engineering and design of internal combustion engines to support operation on non-traditional fuels.
Undergraduate Students
Alumni
- Michael Sartini, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2021
- Jesse Schulthess, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2021
- Thomas Muetterties, B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2021
- Elizabeth Browne, S. Mechanical Engineering, Summer 2020
- Marshall Rayno, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Spring 2020
- Radi Alsulami, Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Fall 2019
- Geet Padhi, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Fall 2019
- McKay Stoker, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Summer 2019
- Anish Jadhav, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Fall 2018
- Bahar Abdollahipoor, S. Mechanical Engineering, Summer 2018
- Mangesh Dake, M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Summer 2018
- Frank Chan, Post-Doc
Summer 2019
left to right: Diego Bestel, Mckay Stoker, Miguel Valles, Siddheseh Bhoite, Geet Padhi, Jesse Schulthess, Matt Kronwall, Elizabeth Browne, Bret Windom, and Radi Alsulami
Summer 2017
left to right: Anish Jadhav, Danielle Bartholet, Stephen Burke, Bahar Abdollahipoor, Radi Alsulami, Mangesh Dake, and Bret Windom