Main Page
From MEPS
Welcome to the Mechanical Energy & Power Systems (MEPS) Lab at WPI advised by Dr. James D. Van de Ven
Goal: Improve Efficiency and Compactness of Energy Generation, Conversion, and Storage Technologies towards the aim of Sustainable Energy.
Recent Posters:
Allan Katz - High-Speed Hydraulic Valve
Rich Jorgenson - Constructal Heat Exchanger
Greg Cole - Variable Area Piston
Current Projects:
Liquid Piston Stirling Engine
High-Speed On-Off Valve Design
Switch-Mode Continuously Variable Transmission
Hydraulic Hybrid Vehicles
MEPS Meetings:
11/12/09 5:00pm - HL 102 - Presenter: Andy Judge
10/29/09 5:00pm - HL 102 - Presenters: Flywheel-Accumulator and Hydraulic Dyno MQPs
10/08/09 5:00pm - HL 102 - Presenters: Jessy Cusack and Jeslin Wu
09/24/09 5:00pm - HL 102 - Presenter: Lak Kin Wong
09/10/09 5:00pm - HL 102 - Presenter: Rich Jorgenson
08/27/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
08/20/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
08/13/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
07/09/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
06/25/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
06/18/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
06/11/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
06/04/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
05/28/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
05/21/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
05/14/09 12:00pm - HL 201 - Research Meeting
05/08/09 10:00am - HL 102 - Summer Research Retreat
05/03/09 5:30pm - Spring Party
Current Members:
James Van de Ven - Assistant Professor
Richard Jorgenson - PhD Student
Andrew Judge - PhD Student
Greg Cole - MS Student
Jessy Cusack - MS Student
Rohan Samant - MS Student
Lak Kin (Billy) Wong - MS Student
Jeslin Wu - MS Student
Ashik Gowdar - Undergraduate Student
Kushi Sellahennedige - Undergraduate Student
Bohua (Jack) Wang - Undergraduate Student
Past Members:
Prasanna Banwat - MS 2009
Allan Katz - MS 2009
Indraneel Sircar
Cecil Piya
Ben Mies
Tyler Forbes
SharePoint Site Internal Documents
News and Events:
11/13-19/09: ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition - Lake Buena Vista, FL -- Papers: "Design of a High-Speed On-Off Valve," "Numerical Modeling of Liquid Piston Gas Compression," and "Design of a Variable Radius Piston Profile Generating Algorithm."
09/14/09: Allan Katz and Prof. Van de Ven featured in NFPA Reporter article "CCEFP Graduate Wins 2009 Kalenian Award."
08/18-19/09: National Fluid Power Association - Educators Summit - Chicago, IL -- Poster: "High-Speed On-Off Valve"
08/03/09: International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference - Denver, CO -- Papers: "Fluidic Variable Inertia Flywheel" and "Switch-Mode Continuously Variable Transmission Prototype Design and Testing."
06/09/09: Allan Katz and Prof. Van de Ven received the Kalenian Award for innovation for the "High-Speed Hydraulic Valve for Mobile Applications & Renewable Energy Technologies."
05/28/09: Allan Katz successfully defended his M.S. thesis titled "Design of a High Speed Hydraulic On/Off Valve." Congratulations!
05/25/09: Professor Van de Ven quoted in AP article "Company looks to bring air-powered cars to US"
04/29/09: Indraneel Sircar named to the Second Team in USA Today’s 2009 All-USA College Academic Team.
04/23/09: MQP Presentation Day -- 1st Place Mech Engr: Liquid Piston Gas Compression by Cecil Piya and Indraneel Sircar -- Honorable Mention: Switch-Mode CVT by Jeff Araujo, Mike DeMalia, Chris Lambusta, and Anthony Morocco
04/01/09: Graduate Student Poster Symposium at WPI -- Greg Cole, Rich Jorgenson, Allan Katz, and Rohan Samant presented posters on their work.
03/30/09: Indraneel Sircar receives the Tau Beta Pi Fellowship Award.
03/09: Cecil Piya and Indraneel Sircar accept graduate school offers from Purdue University.
03/06/09: Kushlani Sellahennedige receives the Gertrude R. Rugg Award for outstanding first-year women students.
11/05/08: ASME International Mech Engr Congress & Expo -- Paper: "Switch-Mode Continuously Variable Transmission with Flywheel Energy Storage."
10/19/08: MEPS Laboratory featured in "WPI Research Discovery Video." See video titled "Making and Saving Energy Sustainably."
08/01/08: International Energy Conversion Engineering Conference -- Paper: "Developments Towards a Liquid Piston Stirling Engine."
04/28/08: Professor Van de Ven quoted in Design News article: "Hydraulic Hybrid Cars: No Batteries Required"
Research Sponsors:
California Energy Commission

