Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD 21250
Education
Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley, 1994
M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Arizona State University, 1988
Dual B.S., Mechanical Engineering and Computational Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1986
Employment History
| 2007 – present | Professor, Mechanical Engineering, UMBC |
| 2004-2007 | Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, UMBC |
| 1999-2004 | Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, UMBC |
| 1997-1999 | Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of North Dakota |
| 1996 | Visiting Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan |
| 1995 | Visiting Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of California at Berkeley |
| 1994-1997 | Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Chinese university of Hong Kong |
| 1994-1994 | University of California at Berkeley, Visiting Postdoctoral Research Engineer |
Honors and Awards
| 2010 | Keynote Speaker, 2nd International Conference on Vibro-Impact Systems |
| 2010 | Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) |
| 2009 | The Daily Record’s Maryland Innovator of the Year Award |
| 2009 – 2012 | Visiting ChangJiang Scholar Chair Professor in General Mechanics, Ministry of Education in China |
| 2007 – present | Associate Edtor, ASME Journal of Vibrations and Acoustics |
| 2007 | American Society of Nondestructive Testing (ASNT) Fellowship Award |
| 2006 | Keynote Speaker, 2006 Mechanics of Slender Structures Conference |
| 2006 | Bayer Teaching Excellence Award, International Symposium on Multi-/Inter-Disciplinary Engineering |
| 2005-2008 | Guest Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University |
| 2004 | CAREER Award, National Science Foundation |
Research Interest
My research spans the fields of dynamics, vibration, control, applied mechanics, structural health monitoring, and wind energy, and integrates analytical development, numerical simulation, experimental validation, and industrial application. Much of the current research can be divided into three areas: 1) vibration and stability of distributed structural systems; 2) finite element modeling, modal testing, model updating, and structural damage detection; and 3) infinitely variable transmission and wind energy. In the first area, we have developed new methodologies for analyzing and controlling the vibration of linear and nonlinear, time-invariant and time-varying, distributed-parameter systems. In the second area, we have addressed some major challenges in model-based damage detection: accurate modeling of structures and inverse analysis for damage detection. In the third area, we are developing novel all-geared infinitely variable transmission and variable electromotive-force generators.
My laboratories, the Dynamic Systems and Vibrations Laboratory in Room 236 of the Engineering Building and the Laser Vibrometry Laboratory in Room 233I of the Engineering building, have a state-of-the-art vibration measurement and analysis facility, and various specialized test stands have been developed in-house for experimental validation purposes. Our research has been supported by the federal and state government as well as industry. In addition to training graduate and undergraduate students, the laboratory has provided outreach programs to K-12 students in the Baltimore region.
Classes Taught at UMBC
| ENES221 | Dynamics |
| ENME360 | Vibrations |
| ENME605 | Advanced Control Systems |
| ENME662 | Linear Vibrations |
| ENME664 | Advanced Dynamics |
| ENME812V | Nonlinear Vibrations |
Selected Publications
Zhu, W.D., & Wu, K. (in press). Dynamic stability of a class of second-order distributed structural systems with sinusoidally varying velocities, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics.
Zhu, W.D., Song, X.K., & Zheng, N.A. (2011). Dynamic stability of a translating string with a sinusoidally varying velocity,” ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, 78, 061021.
Zhu, W.D., Ren, H., & Xiao, C. (2011). A nonlinear model of a slack cable with bending stiffness and moving ends with application to elevator traveling and compensation cables, ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, Vol. 78, 041017.
He, K., & Zhu, W.D. (2011). Finite element modeling of structures with L-shaped beams and bolted joints. ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 133, 011010.
Xu, G.Y., & Zhu, W.D. (2010). Nonlinear and time-varying dynamics of high-dimensional models of a translating tensioned beam with a stationary load subsystem, ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 132, 061012.
He, K., & Zhu, W.D. (2009). Modeling of fillets in thin-walled beams using shell/plate and beam finite elements. ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 131, 051002.
Zhu, W.D. & Zheng, N.A. (2008). Exact response of a translating string with arbitrarily varying length under general excitation. ASME Journal of Applied Mechanics, 75, 031003.
Xu, G.Y. , Zhu, W.D., and Emory, B.H. (2007). Experimental and numerical investigation of structural damage detection using changes in natural frequencies. ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics,129, 686-700.
Zhu, W.D., Zheng, N.A., & Wong, C.N. (2007). A stochastic model for the random impact series method in modal testing, ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 129, 265-275.
Zhu, W.D., & Chen, Y. (2006). Theoretical and experimental investigation of elevator cable dynamics and control. ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 128, 66-78.
Zhu, W.D., Ni, J., & Huang, J. (2001). Active control of translating media with arbitrarily varying length. ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 123, 347-358.
Zhu, W.D., & Ni, J. (2000). Energetics and stability of translating media with an arbitrarily varying length. ASME Journal of Vibration and Acoustics, 122, 295-304.
Zhu, W.D., Guo, B.Z., Mote, Jr.,C.D. (2000). Stabilization of a translating tensioned beam through a pointwise control force. ASME Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control, 122, 322-333.