Dr. Ebenezer Ekow Essel

Assistant Professor, Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering

Research areas: Turbulence Bluff body aerodynamics Jets Turbulent boundary layers Particle image velocimetry Computational fluid dynamics Bioassay analysis Machine learning

Contact information

Email:

ebenezer.essel@concordia.ca

Websites:

Turbulence Research Lab
Google Scholar

ORCID:

0000-0002-6317-0352

Biography

Dr. Essel completed his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. After this, he obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in the area of Experimental Fluid Mechanics from the University of Manitoba. While doing his Ph.D., Dr. Essel completed a 3-year certification program in higher education teaching. Soon after his Ph.D., he held a PDF in the Civil Engineering Department, University of Manitoba and performed research on river-ice hydraulic engineering. He won the prestigious NSERC PDF 2019 and did his tenure at the University of Windsor with research focused on experimental and numerical investigations of ground vehicle aerodynamics, wall-mounted bluff bodies and jets. Afterwards, he became a Research Associate at the Turbulence Research Laboratory at the University of Toronto and worked on bioassay analysis using machine learning techniques and turbulence control. He joined the Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering at Concordia University in August, 2022.

Dr. Essel's research focuses on turbulence, free and confined jets, separated and reattached flows and bluff body aerodynamics. Most of his research is experimental, however, he complements this with numerical analysis to gain improved physical insights into these complex three-dimensional unsteady turbulent flows. His applied research focuses on developing effective flow control strategies for improving energy efficiency in homes and industries, reducing flow-induced vibrations of structures and buildings, and improving the aerodynamic performance of low-Reynolds number aircraft and ground vehicles.

Teaching activities

Undergraduate courses

MECH 361: Fluid Mechanics II

Graduate courses

MECH 6121: Aerodynamics

Publications

Google Scholar

Refereed Journal Papers

1. Ho, H. H., Essel, E. E., & Sullivan, P. E. (2022). The interactions of a circular synthetic jet with a turbulent crossflow. Physics of Fluids, 34(7), 075108.

2. Kim, M., Essel, E. E., & Sullivan, P. E. (2022). Effect of varying frequency of a synthetic jet on flow separation over an airfoil. Physics of Fluids, 34(1), 015122.

3. Murray, A., Essel, E., & Dow, K. (2022). Particle image velocimetry investigation of void seepage through a simulated ice jam. Cold Regions Science and Technology, 196, 103493.

4. Essel, E. E., Tachie, M. F., & Balachandar, R. (2021) Time-resolved wake dynamics of finite wall-mounted circular cylinders submerged in a turbulent boundary layer. Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 917, A8.

5. Kang, N., Essel, E. E., Roussinova, V., & Balachandar, R. (2021). Effects of approach flow conditions on the unsteady three-dimensional wake structure of a square-back Ahmed body. Physical Review Fluids, 6(3), 034613.

6. Essel, E. E., Clark, S. P., Dow, K., & Tachie, M. F. (2021). Experimental and numerical investigation of three-dimensional open channel with simulated partial ice-covers. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 59(6), 977-988.

7. Nyantekyi-Kwakye, B., Essel, E. E., Dow, K., Clark, S. P., & Tachie, M. F. (2021). Hydraulic and turbulent flow characteristics beneath a simulated partial ice-cover. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 59(3), 392-403.

8. Essel, E. E., Roussinova, V., & Balachandar, R. (2020). Free surface effects on spanwise turbulent structure in the far-field of submerged jets. Physics of Fluids, 32(3), 035108.

9. Essel, E. E., Das, S., & Balachandar, R. (2020). Effects of rear angle on the turbulent wake flow between two in-line Ahmed bodies. Atmosphere, 11(4), 328.

10. Essel, E. E., & Tachie, M. F. (2018). Submerged turbulent twin jets interacting with a free surface and a solid wall. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 71, 27-38.

11. Rahman, M. S., Tay, G. F. K., Essel, E. E., & Tachie, M. F. (2018). Effects of offset height on the turbulent characteristics of a surface attaching jet. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 71, 305-321.

12. Essel, E. E., & Tachie, M. F. (2017). Flow characteristics of submerged twin jets interacting with free surface. AIAA Journal, 55(10), 3622-3625.

13. Essel, E. E., & Tachie, M. F. (2017). Upstream roughness and Reynolds number effects on turbulent flow structure over forward facing step. International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow, 66, 226-242.

14. Essel, E. E., Nematollahi, A., Thacher, E. W., & Tachie, M. F. (2015). Effects of upstream roughness and Reynolds number on separated and reattached turbulent flow. Journal of Turbulence, 16(9), 872-899.

15. Essel, E. E., & Tachie, M. F. (2015). Roughness effects on turbulent flow downstream of a backward facing step. Flow, turbulence and combustion, 94(1), 125-153.

16. Essel, E. E., Tachie, M. F., Agelin-Chaab, M., Koupriyanov, M., & Tully, B. (2013). Particle image velocimetry measurements in curved turbulent jets produced from a slot diffuser. Experimental thermal and fluid science, 49, 169-184.

Refereed Conference Papers

1. Khodr J., Essel E.E., and Sullivan P.E. (2022, August). Vortex identificationin large eddy simulations under the Lattice Boltzmann framework with a Smagorinsky subgrid model. In ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

2. Khodr J., Essel E.E., and Sullivan P.E. (2022, August). Visualization of coherent structures in a three-dimensional lid-driven cavity at high Reynolds Number. In ASME Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Toronto, Canada.

3. Essel E. E., Nyantekyi-Kwakye B., Dow K., Tachie M. F. and Clark S. P. (2019, May) Laboratory study of turbulent flow in open channels with partial ice-cover. In 20th Workshop on the Hydraulics of Ice-Covered Rivers, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

4. Murray A., Essel E. E., Dow K. (2019, May) Laboratory investigation of void seepage and flow under simulated ice jams. In 20th Workshop on the Hydraulics of Ice-Covered Rivers, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

5. Essel, E. E., Cui D., and Tachie M. F. (2017, July) Submerged turbulent twin jets interacting with a free surface and a solid wall. In 10th International Symposium on Turbulence and Shear Flow Phenomena (TSFP), Swissotel, Chicago-IL, USA.

6. Essel, E. E., and Tachie, M. F. (2016, July) Turbulence structure in free-surface twin jets’, IMA Conference on Turbulence, Waves and Mixing (In Honour of Lord Julian Hunt’s 75th Birthday), Cambridge, UK.

7. Essel, E. E., Laban, A., Mali, S., and Tachie, M. F. (2016, June) Turbulent characteristics of submerged twin jets. In 46th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference, Washington D.C., USA: 4251.

8. Essel, E. E., Laban, A., Rahman, M., and Tachie, M.F. (2016, June) Turbulent structure of submerged twin jets. In 46th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference, Washington D.C., USA: 4252.

9. Mali, S., Nematollahi, A., Essel, E. E., and Tachie, M. F. (2015, May-June) Experimental and numerical study of flow characteristics through a gradual contraction. In 25th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics, London, Ontario, Canada.

10. Essel, E. E., Mali, S., Thacher, E. W., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, September) Upstream roughness effects on reattached turbulent flow over forward facing step. In 10th International ERCOFTAC Symposium on Engineering Turbulence Modelling and Measurements (ETMM), Marbella, Spain.

11. Essel, E. E., Sharkey, L. R., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, September) Turbulent shear flow past a square cylinder adjacent to smooth and rough walls. In 10th International ERCOFTAC Symposium on Engineering Turbulence Modelling and Measurements (ETMM), Marbella, Spain.

12. Essel, E. E., Thacher, E. W., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, August) PIV investigation of Reynolds number effects on a closed channel. In ASME 2014 4th Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Chicago, USA: V01DT27A005.

13. Essel, E. E., Sharkey, L., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, August) Effects of gap ratio on flow past a square cylinder. In ASME 2014 4th Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Chicago, USA: V002T11A004.

14. Essel, E. E., Atamanchuk, K., D’Auteuil, S., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, August) Low Reynolds number effect on open channel flow over a rib. In ASME 2014 4th Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Chicago, USA: V01CT16A010.

15. Nyantekyi-Kwakye, B., Essel, E. E., Clark, S., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, August) Experimental study of shallow open channel turbulent flows over rough walls. In ASME 2014 4th Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Chicago, USA: V01CT16A011.

16. Afriyie, Y. Y., Essel, E. E., Thacher, E. W., and Tachie, M. F. (2014, August) Roughness effect downstream of flow over a forward-facing step. In ASME 2014 4th Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Division Summer Meeting, Chicago, USA: V01DT27A007.

17. Essel, E. E., and Tachie, M. F. (2013, June) Experimental study of separated and reattached turbulent flow over rough walls. In 8th World Conference on Experimental Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics (ExHFT), Lisbon, Portugal.

18. Essel, E. E., Tay, G. F. K., and Tachie, M. F. (2013, August) Roughness effects on turbulent shear flow downstream of a backward facing step. In 8th International Symposium on Turbulence and Shear Flow Phenomena (TSFP), Poitiers, France.

19. Essel, E. E., Agelin-chaab, M., and Tachie, M. F. (2013, June) Backward facing step flow in adverse pressure gradient. In 24th Canadian Congress of Applied Mechanics (CANCAM), Saskatoon, Canada.

20. Essel, E. E., Nyantekyi-Kwakye, B., Clark, S., and Tachie, M. F. (2013, May) PIV study of shallow open channel turbulent flows over rough beds. In 21st Canadian Hydrotechnical Conference, Banff, Canada.

21. Essel, E. E., Tachie, M. F., Agelin-Chaab, M., Ampadu-Mintah, A. A., Koupriyanov, M., and Tully, B. (2012, September) Experimental study of turbulent flow in a slot diffuser. In the 7th International Symposium on Turbulence, Heat and Mass Transfer (THMT), Palermo, Italy.

22. Essel, E. E., Tachie, M. F., Agelin-Chaab, M., Koupriyanov, M., and Tully, B. (2012, June) An experimental study of plane free jet from a vertical slot diffuser. In Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME) Conference, Winnipeg, Canada, 4-6.