About Me


Biography

I am:

a Professor in the Penn State Graduate Program in Acoustics

Director of Penn State's Center for Acoustics and Vibration (CAV)

Research Professor in the Fluid Dynamics and Acoustics Office at the Applied Research Lab (ARL/Penn State)



Education

D.Sc. Mechanical Engineering, 1996, the George Washington University,
Thesis topic: Formulations and Methods for Robust and Efficient Optimization of Acoustic Radiated Noise Problems

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1987, Virginia Tech,
Thesis topic: Structural Shape Optimization of 3D Finite Element Models

B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 1986, Virginia Tech.



Professional Affiliations

Fellow, Institute for Noise Control Engineering (INCE)

Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME), Member and past President of ASME Noise Control and Acoustics Division

Vice President of Rules and Governance, International INCE

International Organizing Committee for the NOVEM (Noise and Vibration EMerging Methods) and FLINOVIA (FLow Induced NOise and Vibration Issues and Aspects) conference series.

For more details download my full resume

Research

Some brief examples of my research interests are shown below. See my publications and resume for more details.

Structural Vibration

A flat plate mode of vibration. Here, the edge boundaries are simply supported, with two half waves spanning each plate direction.

My group performs experimental and computational modal analyses on complex structures. The modes are the fundamental basis of forced vibration and sound analyses.

Sound Radiation

A plate mode of vibration (bottom) radiates a spatially varying sound field. I teach vibration and radiated sound theory in Penn State's Sound-Structure Interaction graduate course.

I have also investigated many computational and experimental ways to model and measure radiated sound.

Flow Induced Noise and Vibration

Wall pressures induced by turbulent shear flow from an upstream nozzle wash over a plate. These pulsations can be strong enough to cause structural fatigue cracking and failure.

I have also investigated flow induced vibration and noise caused by turbulent boundary layers, ingested turbulence, and jets.

Noise Control

A sound wave on the left strikes a noise barrier, which vibrates and radiates a weaker sound wave to the right. You can learn more about this problem in the sound transmission loss tutorial below.

I have also designed noise control treatments like viscoelastomers for structural damping, composite sound barriers, particle impact dampers; and developed methods to optimize structural shapes and treatments for reduced vibration and sound radiation.

Here is a video recorded by International INCE (Institute for Noise Control Engineering) of my talk on Flow Induced Noise and Vibration at the 2017 Hong Kong Internoise. After some preliminaries about the 2017 Flinovia II Symposium held at Penn State in May 2017 is my attempt to summarize this field, drawing from work by symposium authors. Here is the paper that accompanies this talk. A proceedings book on FLINOVIA II has been published by Springer - see the link in the Publications section below.

I gave a plenary at the Madrid 2019 Internoise on infinite structure mobility theory - one of the most useful tools a vibroacoustician has. It wasn't recorded, but I gave the same talk to our Center for Acoustics and Vibration (CAV) at Penn State - here's the video. The accompanying paper is in the section below.

The internet is full of freely available fantastic vibroacoustic resources, if you know where to look. Here is my talk to our Center for Acoustics and Vibration (CAV) at Penn State on this topic. The accompanying paper is in the section below.

I was honored to present the Rayleigh Lecture at the ASME 2021 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE). I gave a tutorial on vibroacoustics based on the material in my book (see below). You can watch the lecture on the ASME site but you will need to enter your name and contact info first (you can opt out of any ASME communications though).

ASME_IMECE

Publications

Below are links to my books and tutorials. You can find the rest of my journal and conference publications on my Google Citations page.

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Engineering Vibroacoustics

I co-edited/co-wrote this book, published as part of Wiley's Book Series on Acoustics, with Don Nefske and Sue Sung. The book includes 15 chapters ranging from the basics of structural vibration and radiated sound to numerical methods and noise control treatments. You can buy it through Amazon

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1st Flinovia Proceedings

My colleagues from Italy and France and I organized the first Symposium on Flow Induced Noise Issues and Aspects in Rome, Italy in November 2013. The book includes 15 papers by world-renowned experts in this field, available on Amazon. You can also buy and download individual chapters at the Springer website.

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2nd Flinovia Proceedings

We held the second Symposium on Flow Induced Noise Issues and Aspects at Penn State in April 2017. The 2nd edition includes 22 papers, available on Amazon. You can also buy and download individual chapters at the Springer website, including my paper on panel vibration induced by transonic turbulent flow.

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3rd Flinovia Proceedings

We held the third Symposium on Flow Induced Noise Issues and Aspects at INSA de Lyon, France in September 2019. The 3rd edition includes 18 papers, available on Amazon. You can also buy and download individual chapters at the Springer website, including my paper on plate vibration induced by low speed turbulent boundary flow.

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Structural-Acoustics Tutorial Part 1

I wrote my first tutorial on structural acoustics for Acoustics Today, at the request of founding editor Dick Stern. It covers the basics of waves in structures, modes of vibration, mobility and impedance, infinite structure theory, structural damping, and finite element analysis. Download it here.

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Structural-Acoustics Tutorial Part 2

I collaborated on the second Structural Acoustics Tutorial with my Penn State colleague, Dr. John Fahnline, well known acoustic boundary element expert. We explain the basics of sound radiation, radiation efficiency and damping, sound transmission loss, and boundary element analysis. Download it here.


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Tutorial on Sound Transmission Loss Simulations

This tutorial expands on sound transmission loss simulations. Download it here.

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Tutorial on Vibroacoustics of Composite Sandwich Panels

This tutorial draws from my group's work on quieting composite sandwich panels, covering bending wavespeeds, structural modes of vibration, mobility, damping, and radiation efficiency. Download it here.

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Tutorial on Wavenumber Transforms of Vibrations

I have found that students have difficulty understanding wavenumber transformations. This tutorial includes some animations and discussion to demystify this concept. Download it here.

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Tutorial on Infinite Structure Mobility

Infinite structure mobility theory is one of the most useful tools a vibro-acoustician has. You can Q/A mobility measurements, estimate high frequency vibration response, and predict the effects of structural material changes. Learn more amazing uses here.

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Fantastic Vibroacoustic Resources and Where to Find Them

The internet is full of fantastic vibroacoustic resources. In this paper I provide descriptions and links to teaching websites, reports, articles, and software that any vibroacoustician would find useful. Download it here.

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Tutorial on acoustic fluid loading of structures

Acoustic fluid loading can influence structural vibration dramatically. Learn about the fluid loading effects of exterior air and water, as well as enclosed air cavities. Download it here.

contact me

Interested in sponsoring research or a graduate student, taking Acoustics classes at Penn State, or arranging for a customized short course for you or your group? Please contact me using the coordinates below.

contact information