Dr. Kenneth A. Cunefare, Professor

Education

Ph.D.	1990, Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University
M.S.	1988, Acoustical Engineering, University of Houston
B.S.	1982, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois

Experience

Professor, 2006 - present, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering

Associate Professor, 1996 - 2006, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering

Assistant Professor, 1990 - 1996, Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Mechanical Engineering

ASA F. V. Hunt Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, 1990-91, Technical University of Berlin

Research Assistant, NASA GSRP, The Pennsylvania State University, 1988-1990

Research Assistant, NASA GSRP, The University of Houston, 1987-1988

Senior Engineer, Exxon USA, Houston, Texas 1986-1987

Senior Project Engineer, Exxon USA, Midland, Texas 1984-1986

Project Engineer, Exxon Gas Systems, Inc., Houston, Texas, 1982-1984

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Research Interests

Active and passive control in acoustics and vibrations, optimal structural acoustic design, structural acoustic modeling, acoustic radiation modeling.

Some Current Research Projects

Control of vibration and noise radiation of plates with embedded passive and active periodicity (In progress)

Sponsor: National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA)

Student: Ben Beck, Mark Michener

Co-PI: Prof. Massimo Ruzzene

This project explores the design, development and testing of passive and hybrid vibration and sound control treatments exploiting shunted piezoelectric materials. Single shunted patches as well as periodic arrays of shunted piezoelectric components will be investigated. The control of the shunting parameters will allow tailored vibration reduction capabilities. In addition, in contrast to passive shunted components that target discrete modes, negative capacitance shunted piezoelectric sensoriactuators offer the potential for broadband control from the low Hertz into the kilohertz range. The adaptive characteristics of the shunting configuration will be used to tune vibration attenuation characteristics in response to varying operating conditions and external disturbances.

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Noise control in fluid power system using passive means (In progress)

Sponsor: National Science Foundation (NSF)

Students: Ken Marek, Nick Earnhart, John Giglio (REU)

This project is part of larger effort in fluid power, the Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power. Noise and vibration represent a significant barrier for the application of fluid power systems. For passive noise control, opportunities exist through the application of optimally designed components using non-traditional materials, e.g., composites, functionally graded materials, and microvoided polymers. In addition, though there are near-term opportunities it is highly likely that other ERC projects will present novel noise control challenges that will need to be addressed so that new noise and vibration barriers do not impede the success of those projects and test beds. Near term efforts in this project will explore a novel silencer design, both theoretically and experimentally.

 

 

Descriptions of some past research projects

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Students Currently Working in My Research Group

Jeff Badertscher	Ken Marek	Ben Beck	Nick Earnhart

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My Past Graduate Students

Keith Oglesby 1994	Scott Crane 1995	Steve Shepard 1996	Noelle Currey 1996	Brian Dater 1997	David Moon 1998
Janeen Jones 1998	Jesse Ehnert 1998	Aaron Graf 2000	Ryan Rye 2000	Mark Fowler 2001	Mawuli Dzirasa 2002
Patrick Saussus 2003	Wayne Johnson 2004	Gaylon Hollis  2004	Tina Famighetti 2005	Mark Holdhusen 2005	Michael Michaux 2005
Alex Michaud 2007	Anne Marie Albanese-Lerner 2008	Jamie Wilson 2009

Visiting Scholars TOP

Dr. Francesco Franco, University of Naples "Frederico II", Naples, Italy. Francesco worked on a project investigating optimization of composite panel core properties for maximum transmission loss during the fall semester, 2003.	Alberto Ortecho and Ricardo Borjas, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Carracas, Venezuala. Alberto and Ricardo worked on the active control of brake squeal project during the fall semester, 2002.
Dr. Victor Rastelli and Dr. Nila Montbrun, Universidad Simon Bolivar, Carracas, Venezuala. Victor and Nila worked on the active control of brake squeal project during the fall semester, 2000.	Eugenio Ventura-Villagrasa Worked in the Active control of brake squeal project in Spring of 2005, and participated with GTMS.
Dr. Manuel Collet Research Fellow with the CNRS at the Applied Mechanical Laboratory R. Chaléat of Besançon. Worked on boundary impedance control for vibration suppression from July 2006 to July 2007.	Professor Chan Il Park Department of Precision Mechanical Engineering, Kangnung National University, Korea. Worked on noise control in fluid hydraulic systems from August of 2006 to August of 2007.

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Classes

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Student Activities

• Dr. Cunefare is the Faculty Advisor to the GT Motorsports Formula SAE team (information on Formula SAE may be found here).
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2010 FSAE Detroit competition.
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2007 FSAE Detroit competition.
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2004 FSAE Detroit competition.
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2003 FSAE-A Australia competition. We won!
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2003 FSAE Detroit competition. GTMS claimed 4th.
  • Click here for a few images from 2002 FSUK event, GTMS finished #1, a repeat from 2001!!!
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2002 FSAE Detroit event, GTMS finished 3rd!
  • Click here for a few images from 2001 FSUK event, GTMS finished #1!!!
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 2001 FSAE Detroit competition.
  • Click here for a gallery of images from the 1999 FSAE Detroit competition.

• Dr. Cunefare is the faculty advisor for the GT Offroad team.
• Dr. Cunefare is the faculty advisor for the GT Wreckracing team.

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Awards

Metro Atlanta Engineer of the Year in Education, 1995

Ralph R. Teetor Educational Award, Society of Automotive Engineers, 1995

Josheph H. Anderer Endowed Faculty Fellow 2002-2007

Carroll Smith Mentor's Cup Award (FSAE Faculty Advisor Award) 2002

Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America, 2004

Consulting

• Acoustic Systems, Inc., qualification of anechoic chambers
• AmTec Engineering, Huntsville, Alabama. Design review of a proposed reverberation chamber at Redstone Arsenal for high-intensity testing
• Applied Ceramics, impact hammer noise mitigation.
• Applied Technical Services, vibration analysis, forensic acoustics
• Atlanta Mutual Housing Association, HUD noise analysis and mitigation plan
• Baker & McKenzie, Patent infringment litigation.
• Carleton Properties, Inc., Dallas, TX. HUD noise analysis and mitigation plan
• Children's Health Care of Atlanta, residential noise impact mitigation.
• City of Oxford, Airport noise impact
• City of Savannah, President's Street Treatment Plant. Noise & Vibration survey of aeration blowers
• Columbia Residential, Atlanta, Georgia. Architectural acoustics and HUD noise mitigation plans
• D&D Transportation, Athens, Georgia. Community noise impact assessment
• Epstein Becker and Green, Atlanta, GA. Concrete batch plant noise impact assessment
• Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI. Testing of anechoic chambers for free-field performance
• John Wieland Homes, Peachtree City, Georgia. Community noise impact assessment
• Kennesaw Transportation, White, Georgia. Community noise impact assessment
• Kimberly-Clark, Roswell, Georgia. Active control of an air horn
• Louisiana-Pacific, variety of community and industrial noise matters in locations across the United States
• Melaver, Inc., Savannah, GA. HUD noise assessment and mitigation plan
• Makita Power Tools, Inc., Buford, Georgia. Noise and vibration analysis of a power grinder
• Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., Gwinett Co., GA. Building vibration survey.
• Milliken & Co., Abbeville plant, Blacksburg, South Carolina. Noise control assessment and recommendations
• Milliken & Co., Live Oak Plant, Lagrange, Georgia. Design consulting, noise control
• Milliken & Co., Sharon Plant, Abbeville, South Carolina. Jacquard loom vibration assessment
• Newell Recycling, East Point, Georgia. Ground vibration survey
• Nucor Steel Berkely, South Carolina. Beam saw noice control assessment
• Parkway Court Villages, LP. HUD noise assessment study and mitigation plan
• Photocircuits Corp., Peachtree City, Georgia. Noise control recommendations and community noise impact assessment
• Portman Holdings, Inc. Noise and vibration source identification and remediation recommendations
• Progressive Redevelopment, Inc., HUD noise assessments and mitigation plans
• Respironics, Inc. Product noise assessment and noise control recommendations
• Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan, Power plant noise assessment
• TC American Monorail, Delta Technical Operations Center, Atlanta, GA. Engine lift vibration assessment
• The Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, Atlanta, Georgia. Assessment of potential community noise impact from condenser units
• Thermokinetics, Inc., Greenville, South Carolina. Radiated noise prediction for turbine enclosure design
• Troutman Sanders LLP, Atlanta, Georgia. Community noise assessment and litigation
• Tucker & Associates/M&Mars, Albany, Georgia. In-service analysis of vibration isolator effectiveness on fluidized bed cooler
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. Architectural acoustics, noise and vibration assessment and recommendations
• VonRoll, Inc., Savannah, Georgia. Noise survey of installed equipment

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Contact Information

Office Phone:	(404) 894-4726
Lab Phone:	(404) 385-0207
FAX:	(404) 894-7790
E-mail:	ken.cunefare@me.gatech.edu
PGP key:	kenskey.txt

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Visitor since 3/31/98