POTSDAM, N.Y. (AP) -- Two engineers from Clarkson University are trying to design a more aerodynamic sled for the U.S. luge team.
Mechanical engineering professors Douglas G. Bohl and Brian Helenbrook will use computer models and wind tunnels in an effort to reduce drag and increase the speed of the sleds. Bohl became involved after his son tried out for the USA Luge development team last year.
Luge and short-track speedskating are the only Winter Olympics sports measured in thousandths of a second. USA Luge CEO Ron Rossi says "a few fractions of a second in our sport could be gold - literally."
Rossi hopes to have new sleds for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The U.S. luge team has never won an Olympic medal in singles competition. It has won two silver and two bronze in doubles.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/more/01/13/clarkson.luge.ap/index.html#ixzz1BLi7cNkw
 

Dr.Douglas Bohl (a PhD graduate of ME Dept at Michigan State University)   was the advisee of Dr. Manoochehr Koochesfahani.