For more than 80 years, a fundamental principle of fluid dynamics assumed that smoother surfaces produce less aerodynamic drag. However, a research group led by Associate Professor Aiko Yakeno at the Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, has overturned this long-standing assumption. By applying Distributed Micro-Roughness (DMR) – irregular microscale surface textures – to a […]

Prof. Samuel L. Manzello’s (Energy Dynamics Laboratory) research on Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) fires was featured on the Tohoku University website.Tohoku University Researcher Fuels the Global Drive for Better Large Outdoor Fire ModellingPublication Details:Title: The 2025 Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Fire Disaster in Ofunato City, JapanAuthors: Sayaka Suzuki and Samuel L. ManzelloJournal: Fire TechnologyDOI: 10.1007/s10694-026-01884-5Title: Prediction of […]

Aluminum die-cast components are widely used in automotive and precision machinery applications due to their combination of low weight and structural strength. However, internal defects known as porosity – voids formed by entrapped air during casting – remain a persistent challenge. These defects are difficult to detect through external inspection and can compromise mechanical integrity […]

Developing new materials can involve a dizzying amount of trial and error for different configurations and elements. It is no wonder that artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen a surge of popularity in energy materials research for its potential to streamline this time-consuming process. However, fully autonomous workflows that connect high-precision experimental knowledge to the discovery […]