Research Directions and Publications

Research Areas

As of late, I have pursued active learning as applied to engineering. To support my principal laboratory for active learning, the rocketry-based Engineering Laboratory course, I have also pursued inertial measurement and Kalman filtering, vibrational system ID, the physics of rocket flight, MEMS and other sensors, data acquisition and error analysis.

I was also recently involved in the engineering of an adaptive-optics retrofit to the Table Mountain telescope operated by Pomona College. My principal areas were the structural integrity and vibration isolation.

My previous research was principally in the area of high-temperature processing of materials — both in fundamental science and engineering applications. My primary thrust was in heterogeneous reaction kinetics and diagnostics. Specific areas of research were the intrinsic and overall kinetics of solid or liquid aerosols reacting at high temperatures with a gas, e.g., carbon combustion, metal-oxide formation, carburization and metal-carbide formation, gaseous reduction of metal oxides and oxidation of metal sulfides. The morphologies of the products and of the solid reactants as controlled by the reaction kinetics are also of interest.

As an adjunct to the materials research, I have pursued the areas of containerless processing of materials, non-contact temperature measurement, computer-controlled experimental design, radiative scattering, absorption and emission from metallic and non-metallic aerosols, tribocharging and charge stability on heated aerosols, and supercooling of metals and ceramics. In addition, process-sensors and feedback-control are of great interest to me.

Publications

Refereed Journal Articles

  1. Rhim, W.K., Ohsaka, K., Paradis, P.F., Spjut, R.E., “Noncontact Technique for Measuring Surface Tension and Viscosity of Molten Materials Using High Temperature Electrostatic Levitation ,” Rev. Sci. Instrum., 70 (6), 2796-280 (1999)
  2. Rhim, W.K., Chung, S.K., Rulison, A.J., Spjut, R.E., “Measurements of Thermophysical Properties of Molten Silicon by a High-Temperature Electrostatic Levitator,” Int. J. Thermophys., 18 (2), 459-470 (1997).
  3. Bowman, R.C., Jr., Freeman, B.D., Ryba, E.L., Spjut, R.E., Liu, E.A., Penso, J.M., Lynch, F.E., “Performance testing of a vanadium hydride compressor,” Z. Phys. Chem. (Germany), 183, pt.1-2, 245-50 (1994)
  4. Rhim, W.K., Chung, S.K., Barber, D., Man, K.F., Gutt, G., Rulison, A., Spjut, R.E., “An electrostatic levitator for high-temperature containerless materials processing in 1-g,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 64 (10), 2961-2970 (1993).
  5. DeVries, J., Wakisaka, S.S., and Spjut, R.E., “Measurement of the Work-Function of Y1Ba2Cu3O7–δ Under Ambient Conditions,” J. Mater. Res. 8 (7) 1497-1500 (1993).
  6. Spjut, R.E., “Transient Response of Least-Squares Based Multiwavelength Pyrometers,” Optical Engineering, 32 (5), 1068-1072 (1993).
  7. Bolsaitis, P.P., Spjut, R.E., and Elliott, J.F., “High-Temperature Pulses in Small Alumina Particles,” High-Temp.-High Pressures 21, 601-611 (1989).
  8. Bar-Ziv, E., Jones, D. B., Spjut, R. E., Dudek, D. R., Sarofim, A. F., Longwell, J. P., “Measurement of combustion kinetics of a single char particle in an electrodynamic thermogravimetric analyzer,” Combustion and Flame 75 (1), 81-106 (1989).
  9. Libera, M.R., Bolsaitis, P.P., Spjut, R.E. and VanderSande, J.B., “Liquid Supercooling and Droplet Cooling rates of Remelted Argon-Atomized Fe-30Ni Powder Particles,” J. Mater. Res. 3 (3) 441-452 (1988).
  10. Fincke, J.R., Jeffery, C.L. and Spjut, R.E., “Measurement of the Emissivity of Small Particles at Elevated Temperatures,” Optical Engineering, 27 (8), 684-690 (1988).
  11. Greene, W.M., Spjut, R.E., Bar-Ziv, E., Sarofim, A.F. and Longwell, J.P., “Photophoresis of Irradiated Spheres: Absorption Centers: errata,” Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 5, 866 (1988).
  12. Spjut, R.E., “Transient Response of One- and Two-Color Optical Pyrometry Systems,” Optical Engineering, 26 (5), 467-472 (1987).
  13. Spjut, R.E., Bar-Ziv, E., Sarofim, A.F. and Longwell, J. P., “Electrodynamic Thermogravimetric Analyzer,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 57, 1604-1610 (1986).
  14. Spjut, R.E., Sarofim, A.F. and Longwell, J.P., “Laser Heating and Particle Temperature Measurement in an Electrodynamic Balance,” Langmuir 1, 355-360 (1985).
  15. Greene, W.M., Spjut, R.E., Bar-Ziv, E., Sarofim, A.F. and Longwell, J.P., “Photophoresis of Irradiated Spheres: The Complex Index of Refraction,” Langmuir 1, 361-365 (1985).
  16. Greene, W.M., Spjut, R.E., Bar-Ziv, E., Sarofim, A.F. and Longwell, J.P., “Photophoresis of Irradiated Spheres: Absorption Centers,” Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 2, 998-1004 (1985).

Book Chapters

  1. “Chapter 6 Design Modeling, Analysis and Optimization”, Engineering Design: A Project Based Introduction, 3rd Ed, C. Dym, & P. Little, with E. Orwin, & R.E. Spjut, Wiley, New York (2008)
  2. “Chapter 7 Communicating the Design Outcome (I): Building Models and Prototypes”, Engineering Design: A Project Based Introduction, 3rd Ed, C. Dym, & P. Little, with E. Orwin, & R.E. Spjut, Wiley, New York (2008)
  3. “Chapter 24. An Introduction to Signal Processing with Csound”, The Csound Book, Tutorials in Software Synthesis and Sound Design, R. Boulanger Ed., MIT Press (March 2000)
  4. “Chapter 30. Convolution: Traditional and Novel Applications”, The Csound Book, Tutorials in Software Synthesis and Sound Design, R. Boulanger Ed., MIT Press (March 2000)

Conference Proceedings

  1. S. A. Severson, P. I. Choi, K. E. Badham, D. Bolger, D. S. Contreras, B. N. Gilbreth, C. Guerrero, E. Littleton, J. Long, L. P. McGonigle, et al. Kapao first light: the design, construction and operation of a low-cost natural guide star adaptive optics system. In SPIE Astronomical Telescopes+ Instrumentation, pages 914839–914839. International Society for Optics and Photonics, (2014).
  2. Severson, S.A.; Choi, P.I.; Contreras, D.S.; Gilbreth, B.N.; Littleton, E.; McGonigle, L.P.; Morrison, W.A.; Rudy, A.R.; Wong, J.R.; Xue, A.; Spjut, E.; Baranec, C.; Riddle, R. “KAPAO: a MEMS-based natural guide star adaptive optics system”, SPIE MOEMS-MEMS, 861709-861709-10, International Society for Optics and Photonics (2013).
  3. W. Rhim, K. Ohsaka, and R. E. Spjut. Undercooling limits and thermophysical properties in glass forming alloys. NASA Conference Publication, pages 547–552, (1999).
  4. Ryba, E.L., Freeman, B.D., Bowman, R.C. Jr., Spjut, R.E., Liu, E.A., Budic, P., Okado, C.,“Assessment of a Hydrogen Joule-Thomson Expander and Vanadium Hydride Sorption Beds for 20K Cryocoolers”, 7th International Cryocooler Conference Proceedings, Phillips Laboratory, Kirtland A.F.B., NM (April 1993).
  5. Spjut, R.E., and Bolsaitis, P.P., “Three Channel Optical Temperature Measurement of Laser-Heated Reacting Particles,” Materials Processing in the Reduced Gravity Environment of Space, MRS Symposia Proceedings, Vol. 87 Doremus, R.H., Nordine, P.C., ed., Materials Research Society (1987).
  6. Spjut, R.E., Elliott, J.F., and Bolsaitis, P.P., “Thermogravimetric Measurements in an Electrodynamic Balance,” Materials Processing in the Reduced Gravity Environment of Space, MRS Symposia Proceedings, Vol. 87 Doremus, R.H., Nordine, P.C., ed., Materials Research Society (1987).

Conference Presentations

  1. “KAPAO: a MEMS-based natural guide star adaptive optics system”, Scott A. Severson ; Philip I. Choi ; Daniel S. Contreras ; Blaine N. Gilbreth ; Erik Littleton, et al.
 , Proc. SPIE 8617, MEMS Adaptive Optics VII, 861709 (March 5, 2013);
  2. “KAPAO: A natural guide star adaptive optics system for small aperture telescopes.” S. A. Severson, P. Choi, E. Spjut, D. Contreras, B. Gilbreth, L. McGonigle, W. Morrison, A. Rudy, A. Xue, C. Baranec, et al., In American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts# 220, volume 220, (2012).
  3. “Kapao-alpha: An on-the-sky testbed for adaptive optics on small aperture telescopes.”, W. Morrison, P. Choi, S. Severson, E. Spjut, D. Contreras, B. Gilbreth, L. McGonigle, A. Rudy, A. Xue, C. Baranec, et al. In American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts# 220, volume 220, 2012.
  4. “Remelting and Solidification of Individual Gas-Atomized Metal Powder Particles,” with M.R. Libera, P.P. Bolsaitis, J.B.VanderSande and J.F. Elliott, AAAR Annual Meeting, Chapel Hill NC, Oct. 1988.
  5. “Combustion Kinetics of Spherocarb as Measured In an Electrodynamic Thermogravimetric Analyzer,” with D.B. Jones and A.F. Sarofim, AAAR Annual Meeting, Chapel Hill NC, Oct. 1988
  6. “The Use of an Electrodynamic Thermogravimetric Analyzer to Measure Carbon Oxidation Kinetics,” with D.B. Jones and A.F. Sarofim, Eastern Section Combustion Institute, Bethesda MD, Nov. 1987
  7. “The Use of an Electrodynamic Thermogravimetric Analyzer to Measure Carbon Oxidation Kinetics,” with D.B. Jones and A.F. Sarofim, AAAR Annual Meeting,Seattle WA, Oct. 1987
  8. “High-Temperature Single-Particle Behavior of Alumina and Silica,”with P.P. Bolsaitis, and J.F. Elliott, TMS-AIME Annual Meeting, Denver CO, Feb. 1987.
  9. “Design of Experiments for the Electrodynamic Thermogravimetric Analyzer,” with P.P. Bolsaitis, and J.F. Elliott, TMS-AIME Annual Meeting, New Orleans LA, March 1986.
  10. “A High-Temperature Single Particle Thermogravimetric Analyzer,” with P.P. Bolsaitis, and J.F. Elliott, TMS-AIME Annual Meeting, New Orleans LA, March 1986
  11. “The Application of an Electrodynamic Balance for measuring heterogeneous kinetics at High Temperatures,” with A.F. Sarofim and J.P. Longwell, ACS Annual Meeting, Philidelphia PA, August 1984.

Manuscripts in Preparation

  1. Spjut, R.E., and Cardenas, M., “Teaching General Engineering Through Rocketry, Assessment of Revision of a Sophomore Engineering Laboratory,” (in preparation)

Other Publications

  1. Spjut, R.E., “Report on the Multicolor Pyrometry Session,” in Proceedings of the Second NCTM Workshop , JPL Publication 89-16 , Pasadena CA, 1989 pp. 317-318.
  2. Spjut, R.E., “Electrodynamic Thermogravimetric Analyzer,” Freshman Engineering Seminar, Harvey Mudd College, April 1989
  3. Spjut, R.E., “Common but Unappreciated Sources of Error in One, Two, and Multiple Color Pyrometry,” in Non-Contact Temperature Measurement , NASA Conference Publication 2503, Washington DC, 1988 pp.182-213.
  4. Jones, D. B., Spjut, R. E., Dudek, D. R., Sarofim, A. F., “Study of Oxidation Kinetics of Submillimeter Spherocarb in an Electrodynamic Balance,” Chem. Phys. Processes Combust., 23/1-23/4 (1987).
  5. Spjut, R.E., Bolsaitis, P.P., and Elliott, J.F., “High Temperature Gas-Solid Reactions,” Proceedings, Proc. Process Technol. Conf., 6th, Iron Steel Soc.,Warrendale PA, (1986).