Faculty Directory
Mahadevan Padmanabhan
Adjunct Professor
Phone: +1-508-831-5236
Fax: +1-508-831-5680
padu@wpi.edu
Related Information
- Consultant, Alden Research Laboratory, Inc., Holden, MA (Tel: 508-829-6000 x 442)
Educational Background
- B.S., Kerala University, India, 1964, Civil Engineering
- M.Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, 1966, Civil Engineering
- M.S., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1975, Civil Engineering
- Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1976, Civil Engineering
Research & Teaching Interests
Hydraulic modeling of pump intakes and suppression of surface and sub-surface vortices in pump sumps; Improvement of closed conduit flow patterns to maximize the performance of fluid related equipment such as manifolds, condensers, and heat exchangers; Flow modeling of open channel flows to evaluate flow patterns and sedimentation problems related to canal junctions, clarifiers, mixing tanks, junction boxes, and combined sewer outflow structures; Physical modeling of hydraulic structures such as dams, spillways and diversion structures; Analytical modeling of closed conduit and open channel transient flows; Analytical and physical modeling to optimize thermal discharges.
IQP Advising Interests
water pollution; hydra energy; other renewable energy
Research
Selected projects conducted at Alden Research Laboratory, Inc., include:
- Physical Modeling of Pump Sumps – Cooling Tower Pump Intake for J.S. Rainey Generating Station, S C; Union Park Pumping Station for Boston Water & Sewer Commission; Mamaroneck Wastewater Pumping Station, NY; Salem Nuclear Power Station Cooling Water Pump Intake
- Physical Modeling of Hydraulic Structures - Velocity distribution in the tailrace structure, Summersville Hydropower Project, West Virginia; evaluation of side channel spillway for Englewood Dram, Ohio; flow patterns in a chute spillway, Lake Fort Smith Project, Arkansas
- Analytical Modeling of Closed Conduit Flow Transients - Seabrook, cooling water system transient flow study; Town of South Windsor, pipeline failure analysis; Manchester Station Repowering Project, underground waterline transients; V.C. Summer Power Station, cooling water system transients
- Analytical Modeling of Thermal Discharges - Analyses of thermal discharge for Taiwan Power Company and Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Reactor Sump Hydraulics - Containment Sump Reliability studies for Sandia National Laboratory and the NRC; BWR Strainer Head Loss studies for SEA, Inc. and the NRC; Containment Sump Model studies for McGuire, North Anna, D.C. Cook, and Seabrook Nuclear Power Stations
Recent Publications
Years of Service at WPI
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Adjunct Professor (1986-Present), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, MA
- Teaching courses in the area of Fluid Mechanics/Hydraulics, and project/thesis advising
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Lead Engineer; Associate/Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering (1977-86), Alden Research Laboratory, WPI
- Conducted physical model studies of pump intakes, thermal discharges and complex closed conduit/open channel flows; Developed computer programs for transient flows; Taught courses in Hydraulics/Fluid Mechanics and advised projects/theses.
Professional Experience & Activities
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Consultant (2003-present), Alden Research Laboratory, Inc.
- Technical supervision guidance for projects involving model studies to solve flow problems for power, water and wastewater industries.
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Senior Vice President (2002-03)/Vice President (1986-2002) & Principal (1986-2003), Alden Research Laboratory, Inc., Holden, MA
- Responsibilities include management and marketing, engineering supervision and management of projects involving model studies to solve flow problems for power, water and wastewater industries; Company Administration.
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Adjunct Professor (1986-Present), Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, MA
- teaching courses in the area of Hydraulics or Fluid Mechanics, and project/thesis advising
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Courses Taught at Worcester Polytechnic Institute:
- ES 3004 Fluid Mechanics
- ME 3602 Intermediate Fluid Mechanics
- ME 3504 Stress Analysis
- ME 562 Fluid Transients
- CE 5621 Open Channel Hydraulics
- CM 574 Advanced Fluid Mechanics
- ME 511 Incompressible Flow
Professional Societies/Memberships
- Professional Engineer, Massachusetts
- Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
- Member, Heat Exchangers Committee, Power Division, ASME
