Biographical Data of
Professor Kenneth K. Kuo
Education
Ph.D.
Princeton University, 1971, Dept.
of Aerospace & Mechanical Sciences
M.S.
University of California, Berkeley,
1964, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
B.S.
National Taiwan University, 1961,
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Employment
|
Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and
Director of the High Pressure Combustion Laboratory
|
Penn State University
|
1990 - Present
|
|
Distinguished Alumni Professor of Mechanical Engineering
|
Penn State University
|
1985 - 1991
|
|
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
|
Penn State University
|
1981 - 1985
|
|
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
|
Penn State University
|
1976 - 1981
|
|
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
|
Penn State University
|
1972 - 1976
|
|
Research Associate
|
Princeton University
|
1971 - 1972
|
|
Preliminary Design Engineer
|
AiResearch Manufacturing Company, Garrett Corporation
|
1964 - 1968
|
Honors
- Received Best Paper Award from 7th International Symposium on Special Topics in Chemical Propulsion (7-ISICP) Executive Committee, September, 2007.
- Received Best Paper Award from AIAA Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee, July, 2005.
- Received two JANNAF Best Paper Awards
from 24th Rocket Nozzle Technology Subcommittee, November, 2005.
- Received Excellence in Combustion Plaque
from the President of the Taipei-China Section of the Combustion Institute to honor the keynote speech given during the Local Sections Annual Combustion Meeting, March, 2004.
- Received Best Paper Award from AIAA Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee, July, 2003.
- Received Commander's "We Make a Difference" Medallion
in recognition of team and individual contributions to quality improvement and customer service, Picatinny Arsenal , US Army, May 17, 2001 .
- Served
as faculty advisor for the recipients of the First, Second, and Third Places of the Engineering Category of the 14th Annual Graduate Research Exhibition–Poster Competition at Penn State University , March, 1999.
- Received Best Paper Award from AIAA Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee, June, 1999
- Presented an Invited von Kármán Lecture on Hybrid Rocket Propulsion, February, 1997.
- Received Best Paper Award
from AIAA Hybrid Rockets Technical Committee, July 8, 1997.
- Received the American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics Propellants and Combustion Award for
"Outstanding Contributions in Theoretical and Experimental Research
of Solid-Propellant Combustion Processes and Active Leadership Promoting
Combustion Science," 1995.
- Awarded The Pennsylvania
State University Faculty Scholar Medal for Engineering for his
international leadership in Solid Propellant Rocket Propulsion Research,
1995.
- Received a citation plaque
for an invited talk at the 8th International Symposium on Transport Phenomena
in Combustion, 1995.
- Awarded the Certification of
Recognition for "Outstanding Contributions to Combustion Technology
and Service to JANNAF (Joint Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force)", October,
1992.
- Elected "Fellow" of
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1991.
- Received 1987 Penn State
Engineering Society Premier Researcher Award.
- Received 1983 Outstanding
Achievement in Research Award.
- Research work performed under
sponsorship of Army Research Office was rated "Accomplishment of
Special Merits," by ARO in 1976 and 1979.
- Presented invited paper in
Sixteenth International Symposium on Combustion, August, 1976.
- Received the Daniel and
Florence Guggenheim Fellowship at Princeton Univ., 1969-70.
Research Areas
Combustion, Rocket Propulsion, Ballistics, and Fluid Mechanics:
combustion and ignition of solid propellants, combustion in two-phase flows,
recession of carbon composite material, crack propagation in burning solid
propellants, flame-spreading processes of energetic materials, erosion of ablative
materials, ballistics of very high burning rate propellants, supersonic
combustion of solid fuels for ramjets, liquid jet breakup and atomization,
supercritical combustion of liquid oxygen and hydrogen, reacting boundary-layer
flows in hybrid rocket motors, liquid propellant and electro thermal guns,
combustion behavior of metal particles and sheets, air bag propellants, etc.
Research Accomplishments
- Established a first-class
University-scale propulsion and combustion laboratory with many sets of
advanced instrumentation and data acquisition devices including:
high-speed non-destructive real-time X-ray radiography system, UV/Visible
absorption spectroscopy, LDV, high-speed cameras, high-powered CO2 laser,
etc.
- Directed many team research
projects in propulsion and combustion studies for 25 years.
- Edited 10 books and authored 1
book on combustion.
- Published 444 technical
articles (among which are over 128 technical papers in refereed journals
and proceedings, 77 book chapters or parts of books, and 239 articles in
conference proceedings and JANNAF papers).
- Supervised 40 Ph.D., 77 M.S., 12 Undergraduate Honors students, and 4 National Science Foundation Honors students. Guided advanced research work for 17 Post Docs.
- Served as Principal
Investigator for more than 50 projects with a total funding exceeding $21
million. Under his leadership, PSU won a major University Research
Initiative Grant ($2 million) from the U.S. Army on "Ignition and
Combustion of High Energy Materials" for a 5-year period.
Address
The Pennsylvania State University
140 Research Building East
University Park, PA 16802 U.S.A.
Office Phone: (814) 863-6270
Lab Phone: (814) 863-2264
FAX: (814) 863-3203
E-Mail: kenkuo@psu.edu
URL: http://www.me.psu.edu/kuo/
Professor
Kenneth K. Kuo | kenkuo@psu.edu | Web Maintenance:
Sandi Richter | November 1, 2007