Valentin Soloiu

Allen E. Paulson Distinguished Chair of Renewable Energy and Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Georgia Southern University

  • Statesboro GA

Valentin Soloiu is an expert in Renewable and Sustainable, Biofuels Advanced Combustion Technologies, and Heat Transfer and Emissions.

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Georgia Southern secures National Science Foundation Grant for innovative STEM research, education and outreach

Georgia Southern University’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing and College of Education are teaming up to bring the latest innovative research on renewable energy to STEM educators and their classrooms across Georgia. That’s all thanks to a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to establish the Engaging Educators in Renewable Energy (ENERGY) program. The funds will support a three-year-long initiative that will bring Valentin Soloiu, Ph.D.’s energy research into high school and technical college classrooms. Soloiu and engineering graduate students from Georgia Southern will conduct research related to renewable energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and mitigating climate change, covering topics like renewable and alternative energy (solar and wind), climate change, enhanced energy technologies and the development of sensors and controls for energy applications and smart grids. Soloiu, the Allen E. Paulson Distinguished Chair of Renewable Energy, will be joined by mechanical engineering professor Mosfequr Rahman, Ph.D. and Elise Cain, Ph.D., director of the Educational Leadership Program in the College of Education, in developing the program. “The core requirement is to conduct state-of-the-art, transformative research in science and engineering,” explained Soloiu. “After that is complete, we bring high school and technical college teachers in to translate this research into classroom-ready modules.” Teachers will be selected from a large pool of statewide applicants to work alongside faculty and graduate students from the College of Engineering and Computing. They’ll also receive funds to incorporate that research into their curriculum. Soloiu will oversee the program as the principal investigator, with Cain serving as the education lead, bringing a multidisciplinary approach to the program. “I think interdisciplinary collaborations are vital in academic work,” noted Cain. “Faculty from the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing contribute their technical knowledge and skills related to renewable energy, while I bring my College of Education perspectives on educational contexts and pedagogy. Working together allows us to create a robust program with immediate and lasting impacts.” Educators will visit local companies and interact with leaders in renewable energy, such as Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, Georgia, and Rolls-Royce Power Systems in Aiken, South Carolina. These experiences are designed to help teachers share career opportunities with students they might not otherwise encounter. “This program reflects the essence of our institutional mission,” said Cain. “It’s about discovery, teaching, and community engagement—all grounded in excellence and innovation.” Soloiu echoed those sentiments. “Many teachers and students in rural areas don’t even know what we do here at Georgia Southern,” explained Soloiu. “By engaging with educators directly, we’re creating awareness, inspiration, and pipelines to higher education and high-tech careers. This is reflective of the University’s dedication to our communities as we move towards R1 status.” Looking to know more about this important  research happening at Georgia Southern Valentin Soloiu is available to speak with media. Simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

Valentin Soloiu

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Biography

Dr. Soloiu is the Endowed Chair of Renewable Energy in GSU. Research directions are in renewable and sustainable first and second generation biofuels, with emphasis on new advanced combustion technologies, heat transfer and emissions, spray dynamics, and mixture formation, smart-engine control strategies, and engine tribology. The Biofuels Combustion laboratory has 8 graduate students and 12 undergraduate students working in biofuels research.

Areas of Expertise

Heat Transfer and Emissions
Renewable and Sustainable Biofuels
Advanced Combustion Technologies

Articles

Partially Premixed Compression Ignition of Fischer Tropsch Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (S8) With PFI of N-Butanol

ASME 2017 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference

Valentin Soloiu, Remi Gaubert, Jose Moncada, Spencer Harp, Kyle Flowers, Marcel Ilie

2017

The combustion in an experimental medium duty direct injected engine was investigated in a dual mode process known as partially premixed compression ignition (PPCI). Both a common rail fuel injection system and port fuel injection (PFI) system have been custom designed and developed for the experimental single cylinder engine in order to research the combustion and emissions characteristics of Fischer Tropsch synthetic paraffinic kerosene (S8) with PFI of n-butanol in a low temperature combustion mode (LTC). Baseline results in single fuel (ULSD) combustion were compared to dual fuel strategies coupling both the low and high reactivity fuels. The low reactivity fuel, n-butanol, was port fuel injected in the intake manifold at a constant 30% fuel mass and direct injection of a high reactivity fuel initiated the combustion. The high reactivity fuels are ULSD and a gas to liquid fuel (GTL/S8). Research has been conducted at a constant speed of 1500 RPM at swept experimental engine loads from 3.8 bar to 5.8 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP). Boost pressure and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) were added at constant levels of 3 psi and 30% respectively. Dual fuel combustion with GTL advanced ignition timing due to the high auto ignition quality and volatility of the fuel. Low temperature heat release (LTHR) was also experienced for each dual-fuel injection strategy prior to the injection of the high reactivity fuel. Peak in-cylinder gas temperatures were similar for each fueling strategy, maintaining peak temperatures below 1400°C. Combustion duration increased slightly in ULSD-PPCI compared to single fuel combustion due to the low reactivity of n-butanol and was further extended with GTL-PPCI from early ignition timing and less premixing. The effect of the combustion duration and ignition delay increased soot levels for dual fuel GTL compared to dual fuel ULSD at 5.8 bar IMEP where the combustion duration is the longest. NOx levels were lowest for GTL-PPCI at each load, with up to a 70% reduction compared to ULSD-PPCI. Combustion efficiencies were also reduced for dual fuel combustion, however the atomization quality of GTL compared to ULSD increased combustion efficiency to reach that of single fuel combustion at 5.8 bar IMEP.

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Combustion and Emissions of Jet-A and N-Butanol in RCCI Operation

ASME 2017 Internal Combustion Engine Division Fall Technical Conference

Valentin Soloiu, Jose Moncada, Remi Gaubert, Spencer Harp, Kyle Flowers, Marcel Ilie

2017

Jet-A was investigated in RCCI (Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition) given that the fuel is readily available and has a similar cetane number compared to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD#2). To promote emissions’ control, RCCI was conducted with direct injection (DI) of Jet-A and PFI (port fuel injection) of n-butanol. Combustion and emission characteristics of Jet-A RCCI were investigated for a medium duty DI experimental engine operated at constant boost and 30% EGR rate and compared to ULSD#2 RCCI and single-fuel ULSD#2 operation. DI fuel was injected at 5 CAD ATDC and constant rail pressure of 1500 bar. A 20% pilot by mass was added and investigated at timings from 15 to 5 CAD BTDC for combustion stability. The results showed that the effect of the pilot injection on Jet-A combustion was not as prominent as compared to that of ULSD#2, suggesting a slightly different spray and mixture formation. Ignition delay for Jet-A was 15–20% shorter compared to ULSD#2 in RCCI. When the pilot was set to 5 CAD BTDC, CA50 phased for ULSD#2 RCCI by 3 CAD later when compared to Jet-A RCCI. After TDC, the local pressure maximum for ULSD#2 RCCI decreased by 3 bar, resulting from a 15% difference in peak heat release rate between ULSD#2 and Jet-A in RCCI at the same pilot timing. NOx and soot levels were reduced by a respective maximum of 35% and 80% simultaneously in Jet-A RCCI mode compared to single-fuel ULSD#2, yet, were higher compared to ULSD#2 RCCI. Ringing intensity was maintained at similar levels and energy specific fuel consumption (ESFC) improved by at least 15% for Jet-A compared to ULSD#2 in RCCI. Mechanical efficiencies additionally improved at earlier pilot timing by 2%. In summary, Jet-A RCCI allowed for emissions control and increased fuel efficiencies compared to single fuel ULSD#2, however, injection should be further tweaked in order to reach lower soot levels.

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Free Convection Heat Transfer From Sierpinski Carpet Fractal Fins of Varying Size

ASME 2017 International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition

David Calamas, Daniel Dannelley, Jennifer Shaffer, Valentin Soloiu

2017

This works experimentally investigates the thermal performance of extended surfaces inspired by the first four fractal iterations of the Sierpinski carpet fractal pattern in a free convection environment. Fractal fins inspired by the Sierpinski carpet fractal pattern can result in an increase in surface area for convective heat transfer coupled with a simultaneous decrease in mass and are thus desirable in aerospace applications. The thermal performance of the Sierpinski carpet fractal fins was quantified based on fin efficiency, fin effectiveness, and perforated fin effectiveness. When compared with a solid rectangular fin, without perforations, and of an equal base area and package volume a fin inspired by the fourth iteration of the Sierpinski carpet fractal pattern was found to be more effective at dissipating heat by convection. The impact of fin size on the thermal performance of the fractal fins was investigated for a range of power inputs applied at the base (2.5 W, 5 W, and 10 W). A 5.08 cm × 5.08 cm (2 in × 2 in × 1/16 in) fractal fin inspired by the fourth iteration of the Sierpinski carpet fractal was found to have a convective effectiveness, convective efficiency, and convective effectiveness per unit mass, 10.91% more, 10.31% less, and 77.65% more, than a traditional solid (non-perforated) rectangular fin of equal height, width, and thickness. Similarly, a 10.16 cm × 10.16 cm (4 in × 4 in × 1/8 in) fin inspired by the fourth fractal iteration was found to have a convective effectiveness, convective efficiency, and convective effectiveness per unit mass, 3.97% more, 15.91% less, and 66.54% more, than a traditional solid (non-perforated) rectangular fin of equal height, width, and thickness. Thus, the thermal performance of the fractal fins increased as the size of the fins decreased. Regardless of size, the contribution of thermal radiation was significant (often greater than 50%) and should not be neglected. In general, for a fin with a uniform cross-section, intersurface thermal radiation accounts for a significant percentage of thermal radiation heat transfer, particularly as the size of the perforations decreases.

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