MEMSDUKEPRATT School of engineering

Education

  • PhD, Duke University, 1993
  • MS, Duke University, 1991
  • BSE, Duke University, 1989
Laurens E Howle
  • Office Location: 225 Hudson Eng Ctr
  • Office Phone: (919) 660-5331, (919) 660-5366
  • Email Address: laurens.howle@duke.edu

    • Professor Howle's research interests span the disciplines of thermal science, fluid dynamics, and nonlinear dynamics. His present research projects - visualization of convective fluid patterns, stabilization of the no-motion state in free convection and bifurcation in imperfect or distributed parameter systems - are split evenly between experimental and computational methods.

    A key problem facing researchers studying convection in fluid-saturated porous media is the lack of a general, non-invasive method for pattern visualization and wave number measurement. Professor Howle designed innovative porous media which allow optical techniques to be used for the first time as a pattern visualization tool in the study of porous media convection.

    Computational spectral methods are efficient methods of simulation of small aspect ratio convection systems. For large problems, these methods can become too expensive to be practical. Professor Howle developed a reduced Galerkin method which decreases the execution time by orders of magnitude for large problems. This extends the range of problems for which certain spectral methods may be used. He is currently studying porous free convection in systems with distributed properties and binary convection using the reduced Galerkin method.

    Specialties
    Chaos, Dynamics
    Nonlinear Dynamics
    Thermodynamics
    Fluid Mechanics
    Nonlinear Systems
    Manufacturing

    TEACHING (Fall 2009)

    ME 229.01, COMP FLD MECH & HEAT TRN, TuTh 01:15 PM-02:30 PM

    TEACHING (Spring 2010)

    ME 131.001, ME ANALYSIS FOR DESIGN,
    ME 131.01R, ME ANALYSIS FOR DESIGN,
    ME 131.02R, ME ANALYSIS FOR DESIGN,

    Recent Publications More Publications

    1. P. W. Weber and L. E. Howle and M. M. Murray and F. E. Fish, Lift and drag performance of odontocete cetacean flippers, Journal Of Experimental Biology, vol. 212 no. 14 (2009), ppt. 2149 -- 2158 [abs]
    2. R. D. Vann and P. J. Denoble and L. E. Howle and P. W. Weber and J. J. Freiberger and C. F. Pieper, Resolution and Severity in Decompression Illness, Aviation Space And Environmental Medicine, vol. 80 no. 5 (2009), ppt. 466 -- 471 [abs]
    3. F. E. Fish and L. E. Howle and M. M. Murray, Hydrodynamic flow control in marine mammals, Integrative And Comparative Biology, vol. 48 no. 6 (2008), ppt. 788 -- 800 [abs]
    4. D. S. Miklosovic and M. M. Murray and L. E. Howle, Experimental evaluation of sinusoidal leading edges, Journal Of Aircraft, vol. 44 no. 4 (2007), ppt. 1404 -- 1408
    5. D. S. Miklosovic and M. M. Murray and L. E. Howle and F. E. Fish, Leading-edge tubercles delay stall on humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) flippers, Physics Of Fluids, vol. 16 no. 5 (2004), ppt. L39 -- L42 [abs]

    Research Interests

      Thermal science, fluid dynamics, and nonlinear dynamics

    The mission of Duke's Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science educational programs is to provide the knowledge, skills, and credentials needed to be successful in the practice of engineering; the preparation necessary to undertake professional registration; an educational preparation for graduate or professional study; and an education background that is the basis for professional growth and leadership throughout a career that may encompass a broad range of endeavors, both technical and non-technical.