Dr. Ruey-Hung Chen

Professor and Chair

Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD 21250

Phone: (410) 455-3313
Office: ENGR 210B
Email:  chenrh@umbc.edu

Website: http://www.umbc.edu/

 

Education

  • Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (1988)

Dissertation – Swirl-stabilized flames: Fluid dynamics, mixing and flame stability limits

Advisor – Professor James F. Driscoll

  • MS in Aerospace Engineering, The University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (1984)
  • BS in Aeronautical Engineering (Ranked 2nd among 42 Aeronautical Engineering Graduates), National Cheng-Kung University – Taiwan (1981)

Employment History

2018 Fall – to present  Professor and Chair, Mechanical Engineering, UMBC

2016 – 2018 Robert Myers Professor and Department Head, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New Mexico State University

2012 – 2015 Program Director, Combustion and Fire Systems Program, CBET/NSF

2014 – 2015 Program Director (Acting), Thermal Transport Processes Program, CBET/NSF

2004 – 2015 Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida

1998 – 2004 Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida

1993 – 1998 Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida

1990 – 1992 Research Staff member, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University

1988 – 1990 Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan

Honors and Awards

  • Top Grant Awardee (one of six), College of Engineering, New Mexico State University (2017)
  • Distinguished Alumnus Award, Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan (November 12, 2016)
  • Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award, College of Engineering and Computer Science, UCF, 2012
  • First Place, Undergraduate Poster Contest, “Porous Media Burner Coupled with Thermoelectric Modules for Portable Power Generation” at Materials Challenges in Alternative & Renewable Energy, 02/26-03/01, 2012, Clearwater, FL (Manuel Robayo, jointly supervised with Dr. N. Orlovskaya)
  • First Place, Undergraduate Energy Conversion Contest, “Porous Media Burner Coupled with Thermoelectric Modules for Portable Power Generation” at Materials Challenges in Alternative & Renewable Energy, 02/26-03/01, 2012, Clearwater, FL (Jason Haglund and Manuel Robayo, jointly supervised with Dr. N. Orlovskaya)
  • Best Paper Award, ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) Earth and Space 2010 Conference – “Study of Fire Retardant Performance of Composite Coated with Hybrid Carbon Nanofiber Papers”
  • UCF Teaching Incentive Award for academic years 1998 – 2003
  • State University System/UCF/COE Teaching Incentive Award for academic years 1994 – 98
  • MMAE Undergraduate Teaching Award (1996, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2012), UCF
  • MMAE Graduate Teaching Award (1995, 2010), UCF
  • MMAE Advising Award (2005), UCF
  • Achievement Award (twenty five awarded out of approx. 7,000 students), National Cheng-Kung University, Taiwan, 1980

Research Interest

  • Combustion and Flame Studies (Gaseous, Liquid, and solid fuels)
  • Pollutant Emission of Flames and Combustion Systems
  • Effects of Nano-particles on Fluid Properties and Evaporation
  • Fire Retardation and Thermal Degradation of Structural Composites
  • Supersonic Flows and Fluid Dynamics – Noise Reduction and Mixing
  • Two-phase Flow, Pool Boiling, Spray Cooling, and Thermal Management
  • Interfacial Heat and Mass Transfer
  • Thermofluids Experiments

Classes Taught

at University of Central Florida and New Mexico State University

  • AE 419 Propulsion (New Mexico State University, undergraduate)
  • EAS 4300 Propulsion (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EAS 5937 Rocket Propulsion (MMAE graduate) – introduced at UCF, 1995
  • EAS 4134 High-Speed Aerodynamics (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EML 5131 Combustion Phenomena (MMAE graduate) – introduced at UCF, 1993
  • EML 5402 Turbomachinery (Gas Turbine Theory, MMAE graduate)
  • EML 4142 Heat Transfer (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EML 3701 Fluid Mechanics I (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EML 4703 Fluid Mechanics II (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EGN 3343 Thermodynamics of Mechanical Systems (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EGN 3358 Thermo-Fluids Heat Transfer (nonMMAE undergraduate)
  • EML 3303 Mechanical Engineering Measurements Laboratory – I (MMAE
    undergraduate)
  • EML 4304 Mechanical Engineering Measurements Laboratory – II (MMAE
    undergraduate)
  • EAS 3800 Aerospace Engineering Measurements – I (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EAS 3810 Aerospace Engineering Measurements – II (MMAE undergraduate)
  • EML 5105 Gaskinetics and Statistical Thermodynamics (MMAE graduate) – introduced at UCF, 1995

Selected Publications

Ruey-Hung Chen (2017) Foundations of Gas Dynamics – Cambridge University Press, 418 pp. (ISBN 978-1-107-08270-0)

J. Sheppard. R. Ma, Ruey-Hung Chen, and Y. Lan (2025) Freeze casting of porous copper with lamellar morphology for enhancing through-plane thermal conductivity, International Journal of Thermophysics, Vol. 46:109 (26 pages).

J. A. Ahumada Lazo and Ruey-Hung Chen (2025), Dynamic behavior of Coulombic fissions and shell morphology of evaporating nanofluid droplets, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 239, Article 126519 (15 pages)

J. A. Ahumada Lazo and Ruey-Hung Chen (2024), Self-similar behavior of successive Coulombic fissions of evaporating charged water droplets, to appear in International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer Vol. 209, Article 124897 (13 pages).

J. A. Ahumada Lazo and Ruey-Hung Chen (2023), Evaporation of alcohol droplets suspended by electrodynamic balance, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 209, Article 124118 (9 pages).

J. A. Ahumada Lazo and Ruey-Hung Chen (2022) Effects of nanoparticle concentration and Peclet number on nanofluid droplet evaporation behavior, International Journal of Thermal Sciences, Vol. 178, Article 107582 (14 pages).

T. Munuhe, Ruey-Hung Chen, L. Zhu, and R. Ma (2022) Modeling molten droplet spreading and infiltration into non-isothermal thermal barrier coatings, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 182, 121942 (17 pages).

J. A. Ahumada Lazo, F. Shu, Ruey-Hung Chen (2019) Characterization of Recirculating Structures in the Near Field of Under-expanded Swirling Jets,” Experiments in Fluids, Vol. 60, Article 180 (15 pages).

Y. Wei, F.S. Segura, W. Deng, and Ruey-Hung Chen (2018) Ignition of counter-flow diffusion flames: effect of diluents and diffusive-thermal properties, accepted for publication, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 123, 988-993.

Y. Wei, F.S. Segura, W. Deng, and Ruey-Hung Chen (2018) Ignition of counter-flow diffusion flames: effect of diluents and diffusive-thermal properties, accepted for publication, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 123, 988-993.

Holguin, K. Kota, S. Wooten, Ruey-Hung Chen, S. Ross (2017) Enhanced boiling heat transfer on binary surfaces, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 114, 1105-1113.

Y. Wei, W. Deng, and Ruey-Hung Chen (2016) Effects of internal circulation and particle mobility during nanofluid droplet evaporation, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 103, 1335-1347.

Y. Wei, W. Deng, and Ruey-Hung Chen (2016) Effects of insoluble nano-particles on nanofluid droplet evaporation, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 97, 725-734.