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Congrats to Adael Scatena, one of our undergraduate research assistants, for receiving an OrION internship. OrION internships are provided by the Oregon NASA Space Grant Consortium and allow students to access experiential learning opportunities as well as work with a faculty member on a STEM research project. |
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Firebrand study crew (Dr. David Blunck, Dr. Deepak Sharma, Adarsh Kumar Verma, Jonathan Carter, and Timothy) on the field, ready to ignite the last structure of their test campaign. This study focuses on collecting firebrands generated from entire structures burned during Wildland Urban Interface fires. We all wrote our names on the shed, and Dr. Blunck ignited the structure. |
Blunck Research Group presented at the Western States Section Combustion Institute (WSSCI) Fall 2023 Technical Meeting:
The Blunck Research Group showed major attendance at the WSSCI Fall 2023 Technical Meeting, with four presentations covering live fuel (trees and shrubs) ignition and flaming, pyrolysis of foliage, and emissions by live species.
Dr. Sharma and Dr. Blunck secured a $115,000 grant from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST):
Under this grant, they will develop a novel methodology to acquire temperature of firebrand collected in a large-scale field burn, and use that method to study heat flux deposited by firebrand on the adjacent surface. They plan to fabricate garden size sheds in three different sizes, and burn them for collecting firebrands over 100 m2 area around the burning sheds. This new information will enable fire managers to accurately simulate WUI wildfire using existing models and to take informed decisions.
Dr. MacCarty, Dr. Blunck and Dr. Sharma won Propel grant from VentureWell:
A novel device, ThermoPEG, will be prototyped and tested for recovering immense pool of low-grade waste heat recovery and generate carbon-free electricity. While existing heat recovery technologies are limited, the ThermoPEG converts low-temperature heat into mechanical vibrations and then produces electricity.
Michelle Gee joined CIRE laboratory: Congratulations to Michelle Gee on joining the CIRE lab as a masters student. She will be working on the modeling of prescribed and wild fires to update FOFEM, a fire effect prediction platform used by firefighters and managers nationally.
Dr. Sharma joined as a Faculty Research Associate:
Congratulation to Dr. Sharma on joining the Department of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering (MIME) at Oregon State University.
Team PiezoCity won VentureWell E-Team Grant:
Congratulation to the student team PiezoCity (Adarsh Kumar Verma, Bianca Hensen, and Dylan Waring) for winning the VentureWell E-Team Grant for the development of a piezoelectric generation technology producing electricity from low-grade heat, under the mentorship of Dr. MacCarty, Dr. Blunck, and Dr. Sharma. The technology named ThermoPEG, recycles low-temperature heat waste to generate mechanical vibration energy and utilizes piezo disks to convert vibrations into electric energy. As this device operates at high actuation frequency, it facilitates higher conversion efficiencies which complement it for larger-scale power generation.
Onsite training was organized for the fastest IR (infra-red) Camera:
We express our sincere gratitude to ONR (Office of Naval Research) for funding our purchase of one of the high-speed IR Cameras from Telops and Alex for training.
Dr. Blunck was selected for the Associate Dean position:
Congratulations to Dr. Blunck on joining as the Associate Dean for the undergraduate program in the College of Engineering.
Prabin Shrestha joined CIRE Laboratory:
Mr. Prabin Shrestha completed his masters in Chemical Engineering and Technology. He joined CIRE laboratory as a PhD student in September 2022. Co-advised by Dr. David Blunck and Dr. Nordica MacCarty, he will be working on improving the performance of wood-burning heating stoves.
Pratik Tiwari joined CIRE Laboratory:
Mr. Tiwari completed his Masters in Aerospace Propulsion Engineering and joined CIRE Laboratory as a Doctoral Research in Sept. 2022. He will be working on Wildfire Combustion Research.
U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley appreciated Dr. Blunck's lead on wildfire:
Dr. Blunck was awarded $265k research grant from the NSF for "Understanding Key Processes Controlling Burning of Hetetergeneous Fuel in Wildfires" to improve models for fire managers predicting wildfire. This will help to reduce the risk of wildfire and to develop effective firefighting tools, as senators say. Details can be found here.
Dr. Deepak Sharma joined Propulsion Laboratory:
Dr. Sharma completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and joined Propulsion Laboratory as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in May 2022. He will be working on liquid fuel injection in a Rotating Detonation Jet Engine.
Kaz Teope Successfully Defends Thesis:
Blunck Research Group member Kaz Teope successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis "Identifying the Effects of Combustion Products, Turbulent Fluctuations, and Delivered Energy on Ignition Characteristics of Forced Ignition of Jet-A/air Mixtures." He is now working with US Air Force.
Andrew Ross Successfully Defends Thesis:
Blunck Research Group member Andrew Ross successfully defended his MS thesis "The Influence of Fuel Characteristics on Smoldering Behavior Through Porous Fuels." He is now working in Boeing.
Harley Glad Successfully Defends Thesis:
Blunck Research Group member Harley Glad successfully defended his MS thesis "Effects of Residual CO2 and N2 on Detonation Velocity and Detonation Limit." He is now working in Northrup Grumman.
Daniel Caplan Successfully Defends Thesis:
Blunck Research Group member Daniel Caplan successfully defended his MS thesis "Temperature Evolution of Nonreacting Spark Kernels at Sub-atmospheric Pressures." He is now working in Manufacturing Industry in Corvallis.
Dr. Blunck wrote an article on The Conversation:
In order to prepare the reader for wildfire, Dr. Blunck wrote an article on The Conversation about his research on spot fires and advised homeowners on how to respond to wildfire for saving their homes.
National Geographic Spotted Dr. Blunck:
The article named "Meet the wildfire superspreaders" discusses the contribution of Dr. Blunck's research group to the world through their fundamental studies on a wildfire in 2020.
Dr. Blunck contributed to Senate Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Bill:
Dr. Blunck provided technical feedback about the draft bill for U.S. Senate in May 2022.
National Public Radio – Market Place:
Dr. Blunck's wildfire research was highlighted for understanding how wildfire spreads in the article "As wildfires intensify in the West, scientists look at how they spread" on July 23, 2021.
Oregon Public Radio Special Story:
A radio story about firebrand production aired in July 2021 in Washington and Oregon, discussing the importance of Dr. Blunck's research.
Friday News Flash, Joint Fire Science Program:
Dr. Blunck's research was spotlighted into firebrand generation in Friday Flash News Issue in April 2020. Key findings critical to understand and control wildfire were also described.
College of Engineering Home Page:
Dr. Blunck's family farm was featured on the cover story of College of Engineering, OSU in October 2021, to show how engineering studies help us to excel in every aspect of life.
Engineering Outloud – podcast from Oregon State University:
A podcast was released from Oregon State University on "how do engineers fight wildfire?" with Dr. Bluck on October 18, 2021.
Dr. Blunck live interviewed at The Jefferson Exchange:
A live interview of Dr. Blunck can be found at The Jefferson Exchange unfolding the fundamentals of fire spread on October 8, 2021.
Dr. Blunck's research cited in Herald and News:
Herald and News published article about Bootleg fire and wildfire on July 26, 2021 citing Dr. Blunck's research work.
KPTV highlights Dr. Blunck's work:
Dr. Blunck's work on the effect of moisture content on fire behavior was discussed on July 14, 2021.
KOBI-TV/NBC5 featured Dr. Blunck's research:
In order to aware people about the wildfire spread, KOBI-TV/NBC5 featured Dr. Blunck's wildfire research work in discussion on July 8, 2021.
OPB released special story on Blunck Research Group:
A special story "How wildfires spread is a mystery Oregon engineers are solving" was released on July 6, 2021.
KPTV Interviewed Dr. Blunck:
KPTV conducted an interview of Dr. Blunck for his outstanding research work to understand the fundamentals of wildfire and factors playing critical role in it, on July 7, 2021.
KBNZLD (CBS) from Bend, OR releases special features:
A 5-minute special feature was published by KBNZLD (CBS) from Bend, OR in June 2021, spotlighting Dr. Blunck's work on wildfire spread.
KOIN 6 TV featured Dr. Blunck's work:
KOIN 6 TV discussed the research work performed by Dr. Blunck's group on television in May 2021.
Sputnik News interviewed Dr. Blunck for a story on wildfire:
Dr. Blunck described the role of "Mother Nature" and "Humans" in wildfire and important measures to control it, during his interview for a story on wildfire in January 2021.
McKenzie River Broadcasting interviewed for radiation show:
Dr. Blunck was interviewed by McKenzie River Broadcasting for radiation show in 2020.
Dr. Blunck Featured on KOIN 6 in Portland:
During the summer 2020 fires in Oregon, Dr. Blunck was featured on a wildfire segment of KOIN 6 Portland. He was asked about how his research is helping to better predict wildfires before they happen, and how quickly they will spread when they do happen. The link to the video can be found here.
Jonathan Bonebrake Successfully Defends Thesis:
Blunck Research Group member Jonathan Bonebrake successfully defended his PhD thesis "Evaluating the Influence of Combustion Products on Forced Ignition." He is now living in Seattle with his wife as she finishes her degree.
Blunck Research Group Featured in National Geographic:
Blunck Research Group's Wildfire Ember Generation research was featured in this National Geographic article on wildfire research.
Blunck Research Group Recieves Award from the College:
Dr. Blunck recieved the 2019 Research Collaboration Award from the College of Engineering. We are thankful for our many collaborators who have helped enable us to pursue cutting-edge research and develop professionally.
Nathan Schorn Successfully Defends Thesis:
Nathan Schorn, a valued memeber of Blunck Research Group, sucessfully defended his Masters Thesis, titled "Combustion Analysis of Jet and Jet-Like Fuels on a Turbulent Bunsen Burner Flame." He is currently looking for employment in the aerospace industry.
Dr. Blunck Named Associate Head for Undergraduate Program:
Dr. Blunck was appointed Associate Head for the Undergraduate Program in the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacutring Engineering at Oregon State University. With this position he is working to help undergraduate students realize their professional goals.
Corvallis Gazette-Times Puts Spotlight on Blunck Research Group:
Wildfire related research performed by Blunck Research Group was highlighted in the Corvallis Gazette-Times. Article can be found here.
Portland News Station KOIN 6 Cites Group Research:
KOIN 6 recently detailed upcoming Summer 2019 Wildfire Research by Blunck Research Group. Linked Here
Tyler Hudson's Research Cited in Mail Tribune Article:
Former Blunck Research Group memeber Tyler Hudson recently had his research on ember generation, which has direct implications for landowners, cited in the Mail Tribune.
Daniel Cowan Succesfully Defended His M.S. Thesis:
Daniel successfully defended his Masters Thesis, titled, “Effects of Fuel Characteristics on Spread Rate and Surface Temperatures of Smoldering Duff.” His thesis received strong reviews from the committee. As a result, Daniel will continue his research for the Spring 2019 term.
Blunck Research Group Paper Published:
Blunck Research Group is excited to announce that the article "The Effect of Nanosecond Pulsed High Frequency Discharges on the Temperature Evolution of Ignition Kernels" is now avaliable online. To check out the paper, click here
Blunck Research Group Focused on in Science Daily Article:
Blunck Research Group was recently focused on in a Science Daily article on "Why Pulsed Sparks Make for Better Ignition." The article can be found here
Blunck Research Group Receives New Funding:
Oregon State University has been selected as the lead institution for a $2.1 million dollar grant from SERDP focused on the burning of live fuels with applications to wildfires. PI's selected from OSU included David Blunck. The grant will fund four graduate students and provide funding to apply advanced diagnostics and computations to study the problem of wildfires. The team from OSU is partnering with collaborators from the U.S. Forest Service.
Blunck Research Group's Wildfire Research Cited by KTVZ of Central Oregon:
Linked here
United States Senator Ron Wyden cites Blunck Research Group in Speech:
Senator Ron Wyden of the great state of Oregon recently cited Professor Blunck Research Group, stating: "Oregon State University assistant professor David Blunck has proven himself a key contributor to understanding the fundamentals of wildfire growth, including the formation of embers that can undermine fire containment efforts. This work could be critically important to understanding and preventing the growth of catastrophic wildfires plaguing the West and I very much appreciate Professor Blunck's groundbreaking contributions in this area."
Blunck Research Groups own Tyler Hudson Succesfully Defends his M.S. Thesis:
Tyler Hudson, star member of Blunck Research Group, succesfully defended his M.S. thesis, titled "Multi-Scale Study of Ember Production and Transport under Multiple Enviromental and Fuel Conditions." As a result of this, Mr. Hudson will join the faculty of Oregon State Cascades as an instructor.
Blunck Reserach Group Members Successfully Defend Preliminary Exams:
Two graduate student members of Blunck Research Group, Jonathan Bonebrake and Mick Carter, have successfully defended their preliminary exams.
Blunck Research Group Member Sent to NASA:
Parker Weide, a graduate student working under Dr. Blunck, has successfully defended his thesis on "Combustion Charecterisitics of Jet Fuel and it's Surrogate in Mild Conditions." Following this, Mr. Weide will be soon be starting a job at the prestigious Marshall Space Flight Center.
Homeschooled Students Tour with Blunck Research Group:
Blunck Research Group recently hosted a tour for local homeschooled students. Parents of said students wrote back with letters of praise. One mother wrote: "Thank you so much for hosting our group for the lab tour! I know the little ones do not have many questions and it is hard to tell what they are thinking, but the do take it all in. The first thing my Kindergartener did the next morning was build a Bunson Burner and Chamber out of Legos. I have heard many positive comments from the others about the tour and those who missed out are dissapointed! It gave the kids (and adults!) a connection and awarness of future possibilities, and we are grateful to you."
Blunck Research Group's Research Featured on Discover Channels "Hellfire Heroes":
An infared video of Blunck Research Group's ember research was featured in a recent episode of the Discovery Channel's "Hellfire Heros." The video in question was a documentation of the ember research being done by Blunck Research Group's own Tyler Hudson and is being lead by the Nature Conservancy of Oregon. The clip can be found here
Dr. Blunck Recently Featured in New York Times Article on Wildfires:
Dr. Blunck and Tyler Hudson were interviewed for their work related to ember generation during fires. The article can be found here
Blunck Research Group Thanked by City of Corvallis for Community Aid:
The city of Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department sent a letter thanking Dr. Blunck and his mechanical engineering students for helping to expand the trail system in Chip Ross Park. The letter can be found here
Blunck Research Group Highlighted in Recent Article by KTVZ:
A study lead by Jonathan Bonebrake, a member of Blunck Research Group, was recently highlighted in an article published by KTVZ, an NBC affiliate out of Bend, Oregon. Mr. Bonebrake's research focused on understanding why high frequency sparks can impove ignition within combusion engines. The article can be found here
Seattle Times and Statesman Journal highlight Blunck Research Group's Wildland Fire Research:
Resarch led by Tyler Hudson and Dr. Blunck was featured on the front page of the Statesman Journal (here) as well as in the Seattle Times (here). Their research focused on applying a multiscale approach to identifying what parameters control the generation of embers during wildland fires. Embers can be blown far past a fireline and spark new fires, and thus critically impacting containment.
Blunck Group Research Highlighted in Story from KMTR and KVAL News in Eugene:
Research done by the CIRE lab on ember generation and the prediction of spot fires has been featured in news stories by KMTR and KVAL news from Eugene, OR. The KMTR newscast is available here, and the KVAL article can be read here.
Dr. Blunck Speaks about Energy Sustainability:
Dr. Blunck was the spokesperson for a School research video describing research he and his colleagues are performing related to renewable energy and energy sustainability, which can be viewed here.
Dr. Blunck Speaks to Engineers at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center:
Dr. Blunck was invited to speak to engineers at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. His talk was entitled, "Infrared Thermography: Applications for Evaluating Reacting and Non-reacting Flows." During the visit he was able to see group member Delphine and to see several historical sites including the test stand where the Saturn 5 and engines for the space shuttle were tested. Images from the trip are posted on the CIRE Lab Facebook page here.
Coming soon...
