Meet the Editor: Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering

In the summer of 2017, Canadian Science Publishing welcomed Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering to its journal portfolio, with Dr. Marius Paraschivoiu of Concordia University appointed as the new editor. Here, Dr. Paraschivoiu shares the human, environmental, and industrial facets of mechanical engineering research.

Why did you choose to pursue engineering?

Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut. I read about the education of some of the astronauts and came to the conclusion that engineers make very good astronauts. My father is also an aerospace engineer, so that also helped me choose engineering, but a more fundamental aspect was that I liked math and physics. I didn’t really like biology, so engineering was a perfect match.

What interests you the most about mechanical engineering?

I like engineering in general. It combines sciences with applications and professionalism. I like the fact that sciences and technology are used in engineering to design new products or systems. I also like the professionalism of engineering where we have to consider regulations, business, and the environment in all the decisions that lead to any engineering creation. Mechanical engineering is just a subfield that deals with motion in general. In my particular case, my work is more related to devices that use fluid flow such as airplanes and wind turbines.

What did you do in your role as Research Chair in Simulations for Clean Energy Production and Storage at Concordia University?

I held this research chair until 2016, and my two main research focuses were related to vertical axis wind turbine analysis and hydrogen high-pressure reservoir simulations. In the first case, my research group and I developed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to simulate the flow around wind turbines faster and more accurately. Similarly, regarding the high-pressure reservoirs, we developed tools that are able to capture the flow physics related to the release of hydrogen in case of failure of the reservoir valve. Since then, I have focused entirely on wind turbines. Currently, I am looking at the energy potential of wind turbines in urban areas. My graduate students are simulating the flow in actual areas of large cities and identifying the best location to place small wind turbines to extract the most power based on the actual changing wind.

As a professor at Concordia, you’re preparing the next generation of engineers. What are some exciting, new things going on in your lab, and why is it important to inspire young engineers?

Our graduates work in all transportation fields such as aerospace and automotive, including formula one cars. They also work in the medical field to design artificial hearts. The graduate students that I supervise work in renewable energy to design wind turbines. Mechanical engineering is such a wide field it is hard to cover everything. An education in mechanical engineering teaches the fundamentals to contribute to some of the areas just listed.

Can you describe some of the ways your work your work has benefitted society?

If I just look at wind turbines, the progress that has been made over the last decades is remarkable—not only to improve the design and size of the turbines but also in terms of installed capacity worldwide. This will certainly continue as manufacturers are looking at designing and building turbines in the range of 10 to 20 megawatts that are two to four times larger than today’s largest turbines.

How do you think the field of mechanical engineering and technology will advance in the near future?

The other exciting areas that are expanding today in mechanical engineering are related to electric propulsion systems, robotics, and microelectromechanical systems, but each year new areas are appearing. I personally am very excited about electric cars and autonomous driving. These types of cars will change our lives in urban cities. It will be convenient, cheap, and safe! I have decided that my next car will be fully electric.

What is one piece of advice you would give to other engineers currently employed in the field?

The engineering career is technically both exciting and challenging, but engineers need to remember the human aspect of all this work. First of all, all the work is done to help society become a better place, so engineering needs to consider environmental and social aspects. Secondly, engineers need to be more involved to make the world a better place by actively participating in professional societies and more generally in different community organizations.

What interested you in becoming the editor of this journal?

I have been involved with the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering for many years. Continuing to help out the organization by becoming the editor of Transactions of the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering is both an honour and a privilege.  It gives me the opportunity to have a wide view of the research that is done in mechanical engineering both nationally and internationally. I also like the challenge of significantly improving the reputation of the journal, and I believe that with the help of Canadian Science Publishing, we are headed in the right direction.

What do you do like to do when you’re not in the office?

Spending time with my family and friends is what I prefer doing with my free time. I am fortunate enough to have great neighbours and friends. Summer time is great—being outside with friends around a nice dinner is wonderful.