The underlying thread common to all these problems is the modeling of fundamental processes of chemical reaction and mass, momentum and energy transport. Here is a brief overview of my research experience. This is a relatively new process for fabricating fiber-reinforced composite materials used in the aerospace industry. CVI consists of the diffusion of a precursor gas into a woven fibrous preform with chemical reactions to deposit solid material with the pores. Infiltration of complex shaped preforms is simulated and novel schemes for improving performance are developed which significantly reduce processing time compared to isothermal methods.
Profiles show the variation of porosity in the right half of the r-z plane as a function of time.
The next phase of my doctoral research focusses on plasma processing of semiconductor materials for applications in the microelectronics industry. A two-dimensional finite element solver for the electromagnetic fields in an inductively coupled plasma reactor was developed. The final phase of my doctoral research examines the pulsed power operation of inductively coupled plasma reactors. A p-version least squares finite element model for plasma simulation is being developed. My master's research at the University of Kansas focused on modeling the effect of fluid-rock interactions in enhanced oil recovery processes.