Degree(s):

• Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Southern California
• M.S. in Aerospace Engineering, University of Michigan
• B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Lab/Center Affiliation(s):

• Combustion and Energy Research Laboratory (COMER)

Research interests:

• Energy conversion
• Fuel cells
• Combustion
• Thermal management
• MEMS

Current Research:

• Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs): Fuel cell materials synthesis and fabrication, catalyst development of electrodes, system integration and the fuel cell characterization
• Membranes for carbon dioxide recovery from combustion processes
• Co-generation system of electricity and syngas
• Gas-phase and catalytic combustion in counterflow, heat-recirculating combustors/exchangers
• Development of meso- and micro-combustors/heat exchangers
• Catalyst development for ultra low-temperature reaction
• Thermal transpiration based propulsion, pumping, and power generation
• Development of an integrated power generation system

Teaching Interests:

• Fuel cells
• Heat and mass transfer
• Fluid mechanics
• Thermodynamics
• Combustion
• HVAC

Honors and Awards:

• Recipient of Faculty Excellence Award, 2012
• Grand Prize Winner of the Nunan Lecture and Research Day Poster Competition, 2011
• Recipient of WSU MME Excellence in Teaching Award, 2008 – 2009
• Awarded in WSU Faculty Excellence Recognition Program, 2008
• Selected one of 8 finalists in The 2007 ASME Innovation Showcase (I-Show) Competition, 2007
• Who’s Who, 2007
• Member of Pi Tau Sigma, National Honor Mechanical Engineering Society
• Member of Alpha Pi Mu, National Honor Industrial Engineering Society

Select Publications:

Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of the Effects of Electrochemical Reactions on Complex Metal Tribocorrosion within the Human Body”, Heliyon, Vol. 7, pp. e07023 (2021).

Ryan J. Milcarek, Michael J. Garrett, Thomas S. Welles, Rhushikesh Ghotkar, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of Rapid, Moderate Temperature Change Thermal Cycles of a Micro-Tubular Flame-assisted Fuel Cell”, Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, Vol. 18, 041002-1 (2021).

Thomas S. Welles, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Novel Investigation of Perovskite Membrane Based Electrochemical Nitric Oxide Control Phenomenon”, Nature-Scientific Reports, Vol. 10, Issue 1, pp. 18750 (2020).

Ryan J. Milcarek, Rhushikesh Ghotkar, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of Temperature Limitations During Rapid Thermal Cycling of a Micro-Tubular Flame-Assisted Fuel Cell”, Energy Sustainability, pp. V001T05A001 (2020).

Brent B. Skabelund, Hisashi Nakamura, Takuya Tezuka, Kaoru Maruta, Jeongmin Ahn, and Ryan J. Milcarek, “Impact of Low Concentration Hydrocarbons in Natural Gas on Thermal Partial Oxidation in a Micro-flow Reactor for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications”, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 477, pp. 229007 (2020).

Ryan J. Milcarek, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Polarization and Impedance Variation with Thin Porous Samarium-Doped Ceria and Gadolinium-Doped Ceria Buffer Layer Thickness”, Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, Vol. 18, Issue 2, pp. 1-28 (2020).

Ryan J. Milcarek, Vincent P. DeBiase, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of Startup, Performance and Cycling of a Residential Furnace Integrated with micro-Tubular Flame-assisted Fuel Cells for micro-Combined Heat and Power”, Energy, Vol. 196, pp. 117148 (2020).

Ryan J. Milcarek, Hisashi Nakamura, Takuya Tezuka, Kaoru Maruta, and Jeongmin Ahn, “Investigation of Microcombustion Reforming of Ethane/Air and Micro-Tubular Solid Oxide Fuel Cells”, Journal of Power Sources, Vol. 450, Issue 29, pp. 227606 (2020).