RUEL A. (TONY) OVERFELT
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
282 Wilmore Lab Building
Phone: (334) 844-5940, Fax: (334) 844-3400
 

EDUCATION

• 1984 - Ph.D., Materials Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University
• 1981 - M.S., Materials Science and Engineering, Vanderbilt University
• 1978 - B.S., Engineering Science, Tennessee Tech University

EXPERIENCE

• 2001 - Present: Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University
• 2003 - Present: Director, Materials Processing Center, Auburn University
• 1997 - 2005: Director, NASA and industry supported Solidification Design Center, Auburn University
• 1997 - 2000: Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Auburn University
• 1991 - 1997: Senior Research Fellow, Space Power Institute, Auburn University
• 1990 - 1991: Acting Director, Center for Space Processing of Engrg Materials, Vanderbilt University
• 1986 - 1991: Asst. Research Professor, Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Vanderbilt University
• 1981 - 1986: Metallurgical Engineer, Electric Motor Business Group, General Electric, Fort Wayne, IN
• 1979 - 1980: Process Control Metallurgist, Materials Laboratory, General Dynamics Corp., Fort Worth, TX

SCIENTIFIC AND PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES

• 1995 - Present: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• 1990 - Present: American Foundry Society

INSTITUTIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

• 1998 - Present: Editorial Review Board - Metallurgical and Materials Transactions
• 1997 - 2005: K7 Committee on Thermophysical Properties - Joint ASME and AIChE Committee
• 2001 - 2004: Space Station Utilization Advisory Subcommittee - NASA
• 2001 - 2004: Commercial Advisory Subcommittee - NASA
• 1991 - 2003: 1F Process Design and Modeling Committee - AFS

HONORS AND AWARDS

• 2003: Outstanding Materials Engineering Faculty - Auburn University.
• 2002: Philpott-WestPoint Stevens Distinguished Professor - Auburn University.
• 2000: Engineering Division Best Paper Award - American Foundry Society.
• 1995: Investment Casting Division Best Paper Award - American Foundry Society.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

• Materials processes in manufacturing including solidification, casting and particulate molding; computational simulation of materials processes; extraterrestrial materials processes
• Eelctromagnetic levitation and thermophysical property measurements of liquid metals including benchmark measurements using low-g
• Biomechanical and biomaterials engineering of less-lethal control and constraint technologies

SELECTED RECENT PUBLICATIONS

• Sayavur Bakhtiyarov, Mihai Dupac, Ruel A. Overfelt and Sorin Teodorescu, “Fraction Solid Measurements on Solidifying Melt,” Sayavur Bakhtiyarov, Ruel A. Overfelt and Sorin Teodorescu, Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 126, No. 2, (2004)  pp. 193-197.

• Sayavur Bakhtiyarov, Mihai Dupac, Ruel A. Overfelt and Sorin Teodorescu, "On Electrical Conductivity Measurements of Molten Metals by Inductive Technique,” Journal of Fluids Engineering., Vol. 126, No. 3 (2004) pp. 468-470.

• S.I. Bakhtiyarov, R.A. Overfelt and C.H. Sherwin, "Hot Distrortion Studies in Phenolic Urethane Cold-Box System," AFS Transactions, Vol. 112 (2004) pp. 555-573.

• S.I. Bakhtiyarov and R.A. Overfelt, "First V-Process Casting of Magnesium," AFS Transactions, Vol. 112 (2004) pp. 959-970.

• Sayavur Bakhtiyarov and Ruel A. Overfelt, “Effect of Porosity and Metallic Insertions on Electrical Resistivity of a A2011 Aluminum Alloy” Materials Science and Technology, June 2004, Vol. 20, No. 6, pp. 790-794.

• Amnon J. Meir, Paul G. Schmidt, Sayavur I. Bakhtiyarov and Ruel A. Overfelt, “Numerical Simulation of Steady Liquid-metal Flow in the Presence of a Static Magnetic Field," J. Appl. Mechanics, 71 (2004) pp. 786-795

• Mihai Dupac, David G. Beale, Ruel A. Overfelt, “Three-Dimensional LumpeMas/Lumped Spring Modeling and Non-Linear Behavior of a Levitated Droplet,” Non-Linear Dynamics, in press.

• Rui Shao, Rick Williams and Ruel A. Overfelt, “The Fluidization Behavior of Fine Powders in Reduced Gravity Conditions,” accepted for publication in the Journal of Thermophysics and Heat Transfer.

• K.F. Wall, S.H. Bhavnani, R.A. Overfelt, D.S. Sheldon, and K. Williams, "Investigation of the Performance of an Expandable Polystryrene Injector for Use in the Lost Foam Casting Process", Met. and Mat. Trans., Vol. 34, pp 843-851, 2003.
• D. Basak, R. A. Overfelt and D. Wang, "Measurement of Specific Heat Capacity and Electrical Resistivity of Industrial Alloys Using Sub-Second and Super-Second Pulse Heating Techniques", Int. J. Thermophys., Vol. 24, No. 6, pp 1721-1733, 2003.
• Y.A. Fasoyinu, J. Barry, M. Sahoo, P. Labelle, D. Wang, and R.A. Overfelt, "Thermophysical Properties of Magnesium Alloys AE42, AJ52x and AM60B", AFS Transactions, Vol. 111, pp 1031-1052, 2003.
• S.I. Bakhtiyarov, R.A. Overfelt, A.J. Meir, and P.G. Schmidt, "Experimental Measurements of Velocity, Potential, and Temperature Distributions in Molten Metals during Electromagnetic Stirring", J. Appl. Mechanics, Vol. 70, pp 351-358, May. 2003.
• Y. Liu, S. I. Bakhtiyarov and R.A. Overfelt, "Numerical Modeling and Experimental Verification of Mold Filling and Evolved Gas Pressure in Lost Foam Casting Process", J. Mat. Science, Vol. 37, pp 2997-3003, 2002.
• L. Li and R.A. Overfelt, "Influence of Directional Solidification Variables on the Cellular and Primary Dendrite Arm Spacings of PWA1484", J. Mat. Science, Vol. 37, pp 3521-3532, 2002.
• R. A. Overfelt, S.I. Bakhtiyarov, and R.E. Taylor, "Thermophysical Properties of A201, A319 and A356 aluminum casting alloys", High Temp. - High Pressures, Vol. 34, pp 401-409, 2002.
• Nathaniel Hudson, Sushil Bhavnani, Ruel A. Overfelt, "CFD Modeling of the Hydrodynamics of Fluidization in the Sand Surrounding a Lost Foam Casting Pattern", Met. and Mat. Transactions, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp 564-575, 2002.
• Sayavur I. Bakhtiyarov and Ruel A. Overfelt, "Numerical and Experimental Study of Aluminum Casting in Vacuum-Sealed Step Molding", AFS Transactions, Vol. 110, pp 55-66, 2002.
• Harry S. Whitesell and Ruel A. Overfelt, "Influence of Solidification Variables on the Density and Porosity of Directionally Solidified Mar-M-247", Mat. Sci. and Engineering A, Vol. 318, pp 264-276, 2001.

PATENTS

• R.A. Overfelt and J.T. Teubert, "Platinum-Cobalt Alloy Permanent Magnets of Enhanced Coercivity", Patent issued, No. 4,983,230, 1991.
• Overfelt, Hofmeister, Bayuzick, Robinson, Wells, Dillard, "Method and Apparatus for Making Rapidly Solidified Metallic Particulate", Patent issued, No. 5,032,172, 1991.