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Laurens E. Howle

Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
239 Hudson Hall, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708-0300
239 Hudson Eng Bldg, Box 90300, Durham, NC 27708-0300

Overview


Professor Howle's research interests span the disciplines of thermal science, fluid dynamics, and nonlinear dynamics. His present research projects - visualization of convective fluid patterns, stabilization of the no-motion state in free convection and bifurcation in imperfect or distributed parameter systems - are split evenly between experimental and computational methods.

A key problem facing researchers studying convection in fluid-saturated porous media is the lack of a general, non-invasive method for pattern visualization and wave number measurement. Professor Howle designed innovative porous media which allow optical techniques to be used for the first time as a pattern visualization tool in the study of porous media convection.

Computational spectral methods are efficient methods of simulation of small aspect ratio convection systems. For large problems, these methods can become too expensive to be practical. Professor Howle developed a reduced Galerkin method which decreases the execution time by orders of magnitude for large problems. This extends the range of problems for which certain spectral methods may be used. He is currently studying porous free convection in systems with distributed properties and binary convection using the reduced Galerkin method.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science · 2023 - Present Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Pratt School of Engineering
Associate Professor of Radiology · 2014 - Present Radiology, Clinical Science Departments
Associate Professor in the Division of Marine Science and Conservation · 2018 - Present Marine Science and Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment

Education, Training & Certifications


Duke University · 1993 Ph.D.