The broader impact of my research will result in advanced processing techniques and advanced materials that will lower carbon footprint either through reduced material and/or operational usage or through enabling transformative technologies such as nuclear fusion and high-efficiency turbine systems. At present, my research thrusts are:
1. Advancing the adoption of metal additive manufacturing in aerospace, automobile, and energy applications to manufacture light-weight organic designs and use advanced materials. At a scientific level, my research group studies the fundamentals of additive manufacturing processes, investigates the resulting material microstructure and properties, and develops process design paradigms. We then apply this scientific understanding to address some of the unsolved challenges in the industrial adoption of these advanced manufacturing technologies.
2. Leveraging the advances in machine learning and computer vision fields to achieve a smart and energy-efficient drying process. It is an applied research area where we are specifically focusing on food, pulp, and paper industries in which drying is a critical and energy-intensive processing step.