Information About

Richard M. Lueptow Professor Co. Director, Master of Program Development Program Senior Associate Dean for Research, McCormick School Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, B222 -or- Ford Motor Co. Engineering Design Center, 2-321 Northwestern University Evanston, IL 60208-3111, USA TEL: 847-497-0510 (Mech. Eng.) TEL: 847-491-4265 (Ford Building) FAX: 847-491-3915 r-lueptow@northwestern.edu link to research site BS, Michigan Technological University(1978) SM (1980), ScD, Massachusetts Institute of Technology(1986)

Honors and Awards

• Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
• Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science Teacher of the Year Award (2 times)
• Society of Automotive Engineers Teetor Educational Award
• American Society for Engineering Education Dow Outstanding Young Faculty Award
• William M. Carey Award, National Fire Protection Research Foundation (2 times)
• Space Act Award from the NASA Inventions and Contributions Board

Research: Experimental Fluid Mechanics and Applications

Professor Richard Lueptow's research focus is the application-driven investigation of fundamental physical phenomenon related to fluid and granular flow, concentrating in several areas: Taylor Couette flows, filtration and reverse osmosis systems, granular flows and slurries, fire sprinkler sprays, and acoustic sensors.  Although our approach is experimental, primarily Particle Image Velocimetry, theoretical and computational methods are also used.  Design and product development drive both teaching and research programs.

• A rich variety of phenomena occur in granular flows including mixing or segregation of particles of varying sizes or densities, chaotic advection, and pattern formation. Professor Lueptow's work has focused on laser-based measurement techniques to characterize the granular flow in dry and wet partially-filled rotating drums.

• The flow in the annulus between a rotating inner cylinder and a fixed outer cylinder, known as Taylor Couette flow, is a rich dynamical system. Professor Lueptow's work has focused on investigating the velocity field in Taylor Couette flow using Particle Image Velocimetry and applying the flow to dynamic filtration in order to recycle wastewater for manned space flight.

• Although fire sprinklers are common fire protection systems in nearly all public buildings, the spray characteristics and their interaction with fire are largely unexplored. Professor Lueptow has collaborated with Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. to make the first Particle Image Velocimetry measurements of fire sprinkler sprays and their interactions with fire plumes.
  

• Molecular relaxation and the classical mechanisms of viscosity and heat conduction cause the absorption of sound in a mixture of gases. Professor Lueptow is exploiting these characteristics to develop an acoustic sensor to measure gas composition.

In the classroom

Professor Lueptow is the co-Director of Northwestern University's Master of Product Development Program, the premier program in Product Development in the US.  The program is designed for experienced professionals eager to master the concepts and tools of product design and development. Students learn about managing creativity and design, form and function, project management, customer-focused innovation, research, and financial issues, all from the perspective of product development in a highly focused curriculum. Designed to accommodate the schedules of working engineering and technical professionals, the two-year graduate program takes place on alternating Fridays and Saturdays.

When Professor Lueptow teaches a course, he strives to lay the groundwork for learning not only the standard course material, but also the context, tools, techniques, and practical problems of applying the course material in the real world of engineering, whether it be at the level of a line engineer or an academic researcher. By going beyond the basic material, this approach provides a student with a cornerstone of knowledge and experience that will lead to a successful career.  Courses are enhanced with in-class exercises, group projects, homework, lectures, individual meetings, and demonstrations that go beyond the typical bounds of an engineering course.

He has also published textbooks on engineering graphics (Graphics Concepts, Prentice-Hall, 2007) and computer-aided design (Learning SolidWorks, Prentice-Hall, 2002).

Selected publications