Kuldeep Prasad (Fed)

Dr. Kuldeep R. Prasad is a mechanical engineer in the Engineered Fire Safety Group of the Fire Research Division (FRD) of the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Dr. Prasad develops mathematical and numerical models for simulating complex multi-dimensional, multi-phase chemically reacting fluid flows. His research interests include numerical simulation of chemically reacting fluid flows with detailed finite rate kinetics, mathematical and numerical modeling of various physical and chemical processes and large scale computing using DNS or LES models. He has also developed expertise in using finite element methods for heat transfer and coupling of fire models with structural analysis software.

Dr. Prasad received a Bachelor of Technology degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology in 1986 and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1991. His doctoral thesis was done under the direction of Profs. Edward Price, Warren Strahle and Ben Zinn, was entitled "Numerical Simulation of Chemically Reacting Fluid Flows Through Two-Dimensional Burners." Dr. Prasad did post-doctoral research at Yale University with Prof. Mitch Smooke, where he designed a comprehensive multi-layered combustion model for studying the burning rates of solid rocket propellants.

Prior to joining NIST, Dr. Prasad worked as a Senior Scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory through a contract with Science Applications International Corporation. At NRL, he developed models for studying liquid methanol pool fires and performed numerical simulations to optimize water-mist injection characteristics for maximum flame suppression. He also developed a domain decomposition technique based on the multiblock Chimera approach to solve the unsteady compressible Navier Stokes nist-equations inside a large fire compartment. Computations for a 1310 kW fire in a multi-compartment geometry that replicates the ex-USS Shadwell were performed.

Dr. Prasad has over thirty publications in refereed journals and has also authored numerous internal reports. He has made over eighty presentations as an invited or meeting speaker. His efforts at NIST has focused on development of multiblock grid embedding models using the domain decomposition techniques, development of the fire-structure interface (FSI) as part of the NIST technical investigation into the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers, development of analytical models for hydrogen release and dispersion in partially enclosed compartments, mathematical modeling of heat and mass transfer through fire fighter protective clothing and numerical simulation of flame spread over cellulosic materials in microgravity.