Young Professionals Profile: Hamed Ghaednia
Karl Phipps | TLT Careers February 2017
This Ford tribology researcher focuses on lubrication systems to reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
Hamed Ghaednia graduated with a bachelor’s of science in mechanical and chemical engineering and a master’s of science in mechanical engineering from the Tehran Polytechnic. He received his doctorate in mechanical engineering with an emphasis in tribology from Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s tribology and lubrication science minor program. He is a 2014 recipient of the STLE E. Elmer Klaus Fellowship and currently works as a tribology research engineer at the Ford Motor Co. in the Powertrain Research and Advanced Engineering Group.
Hamed Ghaednia
TLT: How did receiving the STLE E. Elmer Klaus Fellowship help with your tribology research?
Ghaednia: I was encouraged by my supervisor, Dr. Robert Jackson, to apply for the STLE E. Elmer Klaus Fellowship. The main focus of my proposed tribology research was on the performance of nanoparticle laden lubricants (nanolubricants) and specifically on identifying the active mechanisms governing the enhancement induced by the nanoparticle lubricant. Nanolubricants have proven to be of great tribological benefits, especially in terms of friction enhancement. Full understanding of the mechanisms governing nanolubricants performance would result in the design and employment of optimal nanolubricants. A carefully designed and prepared nanolubricant could reduce both friction and wear.
The preliminary result and proof of concept for the proposed research was obtained during the course of a U.S. Department of Energy-supported project. The funding for the project was limited and not enough to complete the research. The STLE fellowship was essential and kept us working on the project while using the new results to seek new funding opportunities.
TLT: How has your involvement in STLE helped in your career path?
Ghaednia: I have been presenting my research at STLE annual meetings for several years and have always been impressed with the collaborative and volunteer spirit of STLE. I have been serving in the Nanotribology Technical Committee for the past four years. It has been a great experience working in the committee to solicit presentations, organizing the nanotribology education course as well as overseeing and chairing the technical sessions. In addition, I’ve also attended the STLE Detroit Section meetings. The talks are always informative and sometimes fascinating. We’ve heard presentations on the tribology of small jet engines used for heating in Alaska and the tribology of curling! I like to acknowledge all the officers of the Detroit Section for organizing the talks and facilitating the events.
STLE is a great hub for tribologists to get involve and give back to the community. As the saying goes, “the more you put in, the more you get out of it.” I encourage everyone, especially the young tribologists, to get involved with STLE.
STLE has played an important role in my career in tribology. As a student, I always enjoyed presenting my work to the rest of the community and receiving feedback from my peers in the field. Along the way, I’ve developed numerous lasting relationships with my peers and colleagues. I have continued collaborations with fellow tribologists that I have met through STLE. The pinnacle of this is probably the fact that I found my current job at Ford through a job board posting at the STLE annual meeting. I contacted the number that resulted in an interview during the meeting and eventually I was hired.
TLT: What (or who) inspired your interest in tribology?
Ghaednia: Looking back, I remember a couple of events over the course of my studies that prepared and got me interested in the field of tribology. While I was working on my undergraduate degree, I was offered a chance to enter a double-major program as part of an honors program. I was given the choice to select a second major, and I chose to study chemical engineering because of my fascination with chemical processes. I did not know it at the time, but the mechanical/chemical engineering combination gave me a boost through my career in the field of tribology.
My first exposure to tribology research was when I started working on my master’s degree. I was looking for research topics that included both of my majors, so I started working on the semi-active control of a rotor mounted on magnetorheological journal bearings. My research involved numerical simulations of a rotor’s vibrations, MR fluid journal bearing modeling and design of a fuzzy control system. My master’s thesis was partly related to tribology. However, I had the opportunity to engage in a variety of research topics related to tribology when I began my doctoral research at Auburn. That was when I began to really appreciate the complexity and interdisciplinary approach to tribology in solving unique and cutting-edge problems, which got me interested in tribology.
TLT: Why is tribology an important field of study?
Ghaednia: It is well known that one of the biggest challenges ahead is global warming and carbon emissions. The next generation of engineers and scientists will tackle this challenge in search of sustainable solutions to energy consumption. This will probably result in new technologies around alternative fuels and electrification of transportation.
Tribology has two prominent roles to play in this area. In its core, tribology aims at efficiency and how we take advantage of the full potential of energy. The other role is that tribology is an enabler for new technologies. An example is the recent trend to turbocharge the gasoline engines for direct injection, which results in higher combustion pressure. This, in turn, has adverse effect on ring-block contact. A solution to this problem offered through tribology is an improved coating on the rings. So tribology helps improve efficiency of our energy use and is a solution provider for other technologies, and that makes it a crucial field of study.
TLT: Tell us about your current job.
Ghaednia: Transportation recently became the biggest contributor to the CO
2 emissions due to an increase in transportation units and population. The transportation industry is on the verge of a fundamental transformation. This transformation involves fundamental changes to the internal combustion engines and hybridization—all of the technologies involved will require tribology solutions to be implemented. I am part of the Mechanical Friction and Lubrication Science (Tribology) Group at Ford’s Research and Advanced Engineering. Our primary goal is to understand the tribology and reduce friction of different engine components and units. This is done through experimental and analytical studies on various technologies, including coatings, lubricants, material and new designs. This is very well aligned with current challenges facing the energy industry to reduce emission and fuel consumption.
TLT: What gets you excited about going to work every day?
Ghaednia: As I mentioned earlier, the automotive industry is about to go through a fundamental transformation to substantially reduce carbon emissions. This means there is a great opportunity for young tribologists to be a part of this transformation and the next big solution in this field. Additionally, vehicles are such a prominent part of our everyday life and are so abundant that the slightest improvement to them can have a pronounced effect on people’s lives. That’s why tribology research is exciting, practical and has meaningful and lasting effects.
TLT: What advice would you give to high school or college students who might want to pursue a career in tribology?
Ghaednia: Graduate school is usually stressful, lengthy and typically revolves around your research. Therefore, take plenty of time to explore your possibilities and choose the research topic that you like and enjoy learning about. This can significantly improve your graduate school experience.
Tribology mainly explores the contacts between different materials. These can be in different phases and are governed by different physical or chemical principles. Tribology links different physical and chemical concepts together in search of an answer. So if you want to be involved in this field, my advice is to be willing to bridge the gaps and learn every day.
You can reach Hamed Ghaednia at hghaedni@ford.com.