Sample Projects

Sample Research Projects

Student participants in the AERIM REU program will work on automotive and energy-related research topics in mechanical engineering with a special emphasis on combustion and fuels, automotive materials and tribology, alternative propulsion systems, batteries and technologies that aim to improve efficiencies at the vehicle-level. The links below provided information on projects completed by REU students in past years and are meant to provide an overview of the type of research that students could be involved in. The actual list of projects will be finalized prior to the start of each summer program. We will aim for a mix of projects of varying levels of complexity to accommodate students at different stages of their coursework. The actual project list and details will be tailored to the students' interests and ongoing faculty projects. Most of the projects will involve experimental work, although some may also involve computational work such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Note that research project assignments will be made the first week of the program and will be based on a matching of student preferences, course background and project availability. Most projects will involve teams of two or three students and students will be given the opportunity to discuss each project with the faculty involved prior to having to state a preference.