Yiannis Levendis
COE Distinguished Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Affiliated faculty, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Office
- 303 SN
- 617.373.3806
Lab
- 302 SN and 012F FR
- 617.373.2388
Research Focus
Gasification and combustion of solid fuels, generation and containment of combustion-generated pollution, synthesis and characterization of combustion-generated materials, fire suppression – fire extinction, engine design and operation
Education
- PhD (1987), Environmental Engineering Science, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
- M.S. (1982) Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
- B.S. (1981) Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan
Honors & Awards
- National Academy of Inventors Fellow 2020
- The Royal Society of Chemistry Fellow 2019
- Fellow, Combustion Institute 2018
- Elected to the Steering committee of the Greek Energy Forum 2016
- ASME/AIME Percy Nicholls Award 2015
- George Westinghouse Gold Medal, American Society of Mechanical Engineers 2013
- Honorable Mention as co-advisor of best engineering thesis, Brazilian Ministry of Education, 2012
- AEA Environmental Award, Brazilian Association of Automotive Engineering, 2012
- Outstanding Oral Presentation Award, SAE International Congress / Exposition, 2010
- Outstanding Teaching Award, ASEE New England Section, 2007
- John J. McCambridge Award, Institute of Hazardous Materials Management, 2007
- Elected Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE, 2007
- Elected Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME, 2006
- Elected Distinguished Professor College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2006
- SAE Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, SAE, 2005
- Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2005
- Outstanding Research Award, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2001
- Elected member of ΦΚΦ, Northeastern University, 2000
- Excellence in Teaching Award, University-wide, Northeastern University, 1995
- Outstanding Mechanical Engineering Professor (students’ choice) 2010, 2002, 1998, 1995, 1993
- SAE Faculty Advisor Recognition Award, SAE, 1997
- SAE Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award, SAE, 1994
- Ralph E. Teetor Educational Award SAE, 1993
- Charipar Fellow, Cummins Engine Company, 1982 and 1983
Teaching Interests
- Combustion – Air Pollution
- Energy Harvesting – Power Generation – Sustainability
- Internal Combustion Engines
- Engineering Design
Professional Affiliations
- Fellow of the Combustion Institute
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)
- Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
- Member of the honorary research society Sigma Chi (ƩX)
- Member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
- Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International
- Member of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE)
- Member of The Combustion Institute
- Member of the honorary societies: TBΠ, ΠTΣ and ΦΚΦ.
Research Overview
Gasification and combustion of solid fuels, generation and containment of combustion-generated pollution, synthesis and characterization of combustion-generated materials, fire suppression – fire extinction, engine design and operation
Selected Research Projects
- Containment of Greenhouse Gases Through use of Refrigerants that are based on Petroleum-derived Products and Recycled Carbon Dioxide
Principal Investigator, Funded by The American Chemical Society - Synthesis of Carbon Nanotubes from Waste Polymeric Materials using Various Catalysts
Principal Investigator, Canon Virginia Inc
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- Panahi, A., Toole, N., Wang, X., Levendis, Y.A. (2020). On the Minimum Oxygen Requirements for Oxy-Combustion of Torrefied Biomass. Combustion and Flame, 213, 426-440.
- Levendis, Y.A., Kowalski, G., Lu, Y., and Baldassarre, G. (2020). A Simple Experiment on Global Warming. Royal Society Open Science, 7, 192075, 1-11.
- Panahi, A., Sun, X., Song, G., Levendis, Y.A. (2020). On the Impact of Carrier Gas Type and Flowrate on the Catalytic Growth of Carbon Nanotubes on Stainless Steel. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 59, 31, 14004–14014.
- Panahi, N. Vorobiev, M. Schiemann, M. Tarakcioglu, M. Delichatsios ,Y.A. Levendis, Combustion Details of Raw and Torrefied Biomass Fuel Particles with Individually-Observed Size, Shape and Mass, Combustion and Flame, 207, 2019, 327-341
- Z. Wang, S.C. Yelishala, G. Yu, H. Metghalchi, Y.A. Levendis Effects of Carbon Dioxide on Laminar Burning Speed and Flame Instability of Methane/Air and Propane/Air Mixtures: A Literature Review, Energy and Fuels, 33, 2019, 9403-9418
- Panahi, Z. Wei, G. Song, Y.A. Levendis, Influence of Stainless-Steel Catalyst Substrate Type and Pretreatment on Growing Carbon Nanotubes from Waste Postconsumer Plastics, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 58, 2019, 3009−3023
Jan 17, 2020
Levendis Selected as Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors
Yiannis Levendis, Distinguished Professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern, focuses on creating reusable products, cleverly repurposing our waste, and lighting a remarkable number of things on fire.
Sep 26, 2019
Levendis Selected as Fellow of The Royal Society of Chemistry
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis has been admitted by the council to The Royal Society of Chemistry as a Fellow for his impact in the field of the chemical sciences.
Aug 13, 2018
Levendis Awarded $240K NSF Grant
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis was awarded a $240K NSF grant to determine the “Combustion characteristics of pulverized torrefied biomass for use in co-firing boilers”.
Feb 26, 2018
Levendis Selected Fellow of The Combustion Institute
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis was selected as a fellow of The Combustion Institute, for excellent research in the combustion of fossil and alternative fuels including the evolution and control of pollutants.
Aug 24, 2017
Levendis Awarded Patent
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis was awarded a patent for developing “carbon nanostructures from pyrolysis of organic materials”.
Jun 14, 2017
Fuel and Power Generation
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis awarded a patent for "Method and device for fuel and power generation by clean combustion of organic waste material". Abstract Source: USPTO Disclosed herein are systems and methods for the conversion of solid organic waste material, such as waste plastics, into fuel for the generation of heat and power. In addition, […]
Oct 06, 2015
Levendis Quoted in Scientific American & Herald
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis was quoted in Scientific American and Boston Herald for the environmental impact that VW emissions have had.
Jun 17, 2015
Levendis Receives Percy Nicholls Award
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis was awarded the ASME/AIME Percy Nicholls Award for 2015 for his scientific contributions in the field of Solid Fuels.
Jun 09, 2015
Carbon Nanostructures
MIE Professor Yiannis Levendis has been awarded a patent for his method of creating “Carbon nanostructures from pyrolysis of organic materials”
Dec 04, 2013
Are plastics the new natural gas?
Yiannis Levendis, Distinguished Professor Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern, keeps a photograph of a burning plastic foam cup tacked to the wall above his desk. Thick black smoke emanates from the receptacle, which, subsequent pictures reveal, was reduced to a sooty powder by the end of the combustion process. The photo represents a mission for Levendis, whose […]