André Bénard

Professor

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Michigan State University

Research Interests: Multiphase Flows, Heat Transfer and Transport Phenomena, Sustainability, Finite Elements

Research

Current funded research projects (2023):

• Heat Exchanger Intensification through Powder Processing and Enhanced Design (HIPPED) - ARPA-E HITEMMP program
• Topology Optimization and Additive Manufacturing for Performance Enhancement of High Temperature Heat Exchangers - TOPEX, TINA ARPA-E
• Integrated Greenhouses for Food and Water Production with Light Splitting Material - NIFA/NSF
• Solar Desalination Chimneys DOE SETO Prize Competition
• SoFuel: Solid State Thermochemical Energy Storage for Long Duration Storage, DOE SETO Project

Other research projects:

• Turbulent multiphase flows
• Oil/water separation
• Inverse materials design

Recent Teaching

ME 410 : Introduction to Heat Transfer, ME 416 Design of Thermal Systems, ME 417 Design of Alternative Energy Systems, ME 872 Intro to the Finite Element Method

Our group graduate students and researchers

Research associate (postdoc researcher) : Xu Tan

PhD students: Aaron Feinauer, Mahyar Abedi, Parnab Shaha, Michael Hayes, Philipp Schmimmels, Raghav Bihani, Mizan Rahman, Farshid Kassei, Sanjida Islam

Recent publications

2023:

Incoporting the effect of the photon spectrum on biomass accumulation of lettuce using a dynamic growth model, Frontiers in Plant Science, V. 14, Abedi, M., Tan, X., Stallknecht, E.J., Runkle, E.S., Klausner, J.F., Murillo, M.S., and Benard, A.

Studying the potential of deploying integrated humidifcation-dehumidification desalination system with solar thermal system, Abedi, M., Saha, P., Tan, X., Klausner, J.F., and Benard, A., ASTFE 2023.

Effect of overall geometry on direct contact crossflow packed bed condenser, ASTFE 2023, Saha, P., Abedi, M., Bihani, R., Tan, X., Benard, A.,

Separation of volatile organic contaminants from water using a direct-contact dehumidifier, Nikooei, E, AuYeung, N., Lima, I., Tan, X., Benard, A., Abbasi, B., Journal of Water Process Engineering, 52, 2023.

Modeling and experimental validation of direct contact crossflow packed beds condenser used in HDH desalinaton systems, Tan, X., Saha, P., Klausner, J.F., Abbasi, B., and Benard, A., Desalination, 548, 2023.

Numerical investigation of the blockage phenomenon in packed columns, Roy, C., Klausner, J.F., Benard, A. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 190, 508, 2023.

Influence of header configuration on flow distribution within a U-type plate heat exchanger, Rahman, M.M., Jakkal, S.G., and Benard, A., ASTFE, 2023.

A comparison on the performance of data-driven surrogate model of a dehumidifier with mathematical model of humidification - dehumidification system, AIAA SciTech, 2023, Forum 2329.

Solar desalination chimneys: investigation of the feasibility of integrating solar chimneys with humidification - dehumidification systems, Abedi, M., Tan,X., Klausner, J.F., and Benard, A. Renewable Energy, 202, 88-102, 2023.