EDUCATION
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1974
- M.M.E., Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 1970
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Mississippi State University, 1968
EXPERIENCE RECORD
- 2008-Present, Director of Energy Institute, Director of Sustainable Energy Research Center, Interim Director of Institute for Clean Energy Technology, Mississippi State University (MSU), Mississippi State, MS
- 2005-Present, Bobby Shackouls Professor, Bagley College of Engineering
- 1997-Present, Giles Distinguished Professor, MSU
- 1995-1996, 2004, 2007-2008, Interim Dean of Engineering, MSU
- 1990-2008, Head of Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), MSU
- 1985-Present, Professor of ME, MSU
- 1980-1985, Associate Professor of ME, MSU
- 1979-1980, Assistant Professor of ME, MSU
- 1978-1979, Supervisor, Westinghouse Electric Corp. (WEC), Bettis Atomic Power Lab (BAPL), West Mifflin, PA
- 1974-1978, Sr. Engineer, WEC, BAPL
SPECIALTY AREAS
Uncertainty Analysis, Experimental Techniques, Heat Transfer, Energy Systems
RESEARCH SUMMARY
Uncertainty Analysis. Dr. Steele's primary area of specialization is uncertainty analysis. He has made significant contributions to the methodology of uncertainty analysis and its application to experimental programs. This uncertainty analysis work has been incorporated into most of Dr. Steele's funded research projects totaling over $38 million, sponsored by NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other agencies. Dr. Steele's current research in uncertainty analysis deals with using it to validate computational design tools.
Uncertainty analysis is also the primary focus of Dr. Steele's involvement with national and international committees on the development of new standards for experimental error analysis. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) National Standards Committee on Performance Test Codes and is vice-chair of the test code committee responsible for the ANSI/ASME standard on measurement uncertainty. Dr. Steele is also a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers Measurement Uncertainty Committee and was a member of an international ISO committee that updated the uncertainty analysis methodology in the ISO fluid flow measurement standard. In 2002, Dr. Steele was invited to spend his sabbatical leave in England where he participated in a ship design computer code validation project. He provided the uncertainty analysis expertise for the team, which included representatives from Great Britain, France, Italy, and Holland. In addition, Dr. Steele has been invited numerous times to present short courses on uncertainty analysis for government, industry, and professional agencies to U.S. and international audiences.
In recognition of his work, Dr. Steele received the Abernathy Measurement Uncertainty Paper Award in 1995 at the 41st International Instrumentation Symposium. In 1996, Dr. Steele was named an Associate Fellow by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and in 1998, he was elected to the grade of Fellow by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
In 2004, Dr. Steele received the MSU Bagley College of Engineering Career Achievement Award and the National AIAA Ground Testing Award for engineering efforts in experimental uncertainty analysis.
Energy Systems. Dr. Steele's energy related research has included thermal energy storage funded by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratory and desiccant system development funded by Oak Ridge, the Gas Technology Institute, and Mississippi Valley Gas. His current energy research, sponsored by the U.S. DOE, involves CHP (Cooling, Heating, and Power) for buildings and biofuels development. Dr. Steele currently serves as the director of the MSU Energy Institute, which coordinates energy research in the Sustainable Energy Research Center, the Micro-CHP and Biofuels Center, the Southeast CHP Applications Center, the Industrial Assessment Center, and the Institute for Clean Energy Technology.
PUBLICATIONS
Selected Recent Publications
- Steele, W. G. and Schneider, J. A., “Undergraduate Laboratory Experiences Using Uncertainty Analysis to Validate Engineering Models with Experimental Data,” International Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 23, No. 2, 2007, pp. 387-393.
- Mago, P. J., Chamra, L. M., and Steele, W. G., “A Simulation Model for the Performance of a Hybrid Liquid Desiccant System During Cooling and Dehumidification,” International Journal of Energy Research, Vol. 30, 2006, pp. 51-66.
- Steele, W. G. and Coleman, H. W., "Experimental Uncertainty Analysis," in Chapter 19, "Mathematics," CRC Handbook of Mechanical Engineering, Second Edition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2005, pp. 19-113 - 19-128.
- Chamra, L. M., Steele, W. G., and Huynh, K., “The Uncertainty Associated with Thermal Comfort,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 109, Pt. 2, 2003, pp. 356-365.
- Hodge, B. K. and Steele, W. G., "A Survey of Computational Paradigms in Undergraduate Mechanical Engineering Education," Journal of Engineering Education, Vol. 91, No. 4, Oct. 2002, pp. 415-417.
- Jalalzadeh-Azar, A. A., Steele, W. G., and Hodge, B. K., “Performance Characteristics of a Commercially Available Gas-Fired Desiccant System,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 106, Pt.1, 2000, pp. 95-104.
- Ames, W. F., Cain, G., Tong, Y. L., Steele, W. G., Coleman, H. W., Kautz, R. L., Frangopol, D. M., and Norton, P., Mathematics for Mechanical Engineers, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 2000.
- Coleman, H. W. and Steele, W. G., Experimentation and Uncertainty Analysis for Engineers, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1999. (650 citations, scholar.google.com, “uncertainty analysis”) (Third Edition under contract for publication in 2009).
- Coleman, H. W. and Steele, W. G., "Uncertainty Analysis,"Chapter 39, CRC Handbook of Fluid Dynamics, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, 1998.
- Brown, K. K., Coleman, H. W., and Steele, W. G., "A Methodology for Determining Experimental Uncertainties in Regressions," Journal of Fluids Engineering, Vol. 120, No. 3, Sept. 1998, pp. 445-456.
- Jalalzadeh-Azar, A. A., Hodge, B. K., and Steele, W. G., “Thermodynamic Assessment of Desiccant Systems with Targeted and Relaxed Humidity Control Schemes,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 104, Pt. 2, 1998, pp. 313-319.
- Adebiyi, G. A., Nsofor, E. C., Steele, W. G., and Jalalzadeh-Azar, A. A., "Parametric Study on the Operating Efficiencies of a Packed Bed for High-Temperature Sensible Heat Storage," Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, Vol. 120, No. 1, Feb. 1998, pp. 2-13.