Gerald Morrison
Professor
Office: 120 Mechanical Engineering Office Building
Phone: 979-845-5414 Fax: 979-845-3081
Email: gmorrison@tamu.edu
Interest Areas
Fluid Mechanics and Heat Transfer, Turbulence, Acoustics, Flow Instabilities, Flow Induced Noise, Turbomachinery, Pumps, Compressors, Computerized Data Acquisition and Analysis, Laser Anemometry
Education
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 1973.
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 1974.
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, Oklahoma State University, 1977.
Background
Dr. Morrison has worked in the areas of fluid mechanics, metrology, and turbulence since 1973. His initial work dealt with how plumes of air (subsonic and supersonic) generate noise and the coherent structures present in those flows. Shortly after coming to Texas A&M University, he began working on turbomachinery. He has guided experimental studies on flow inside seals used on pumps, compressors, and turbines using laser and thermal anemometry to measure the flows inside these items. Extensive experimental and computational work on obstruction flow meters resulted in several patents being issued for a new type of flow meter useful in multi-phase flows. Dr. Morrison has performed leading research on 3-D laser Doppler anemometry and Doppler global anemometry and their use in turbomachines. Turbulence measurement and analysis using advanced signal analysis techniques are an area of his expertise. Devices used for measurement include pressure probes, thermal anemometry, and laser anemometry systems.
Research
Currently, Dr. Morrison is working in four areas of research.
1) The velocity and pressure fields inside an open faced impeller pump are being measured to determine the affects of off design operating conditions, impeller/housing clearances, and balance hole design upon the performance of the pump. This is being linked with computer simulations to anchor the CFD code which can then be used for further studies. The goal is to extend the operational life of a pump and increase it’s efficiency. Initial results show changing clearances can reduce thrust bearing load by over 30% while having no affect upon the performance of the pump.
2) A Doppler global velocimeter system is being developed for use on a centrifugal compressor. This device can measure the velocity on a plane illuminated by light. The goal is to investigate how the velocity field behaves during the initial surging of the compressor.
3) Labyrinth and annular seals are used in most turbomachines. It has been shown that they can have a great influence upon the rotordynamic stability of the machine. Three dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter measurements have been made inside two such seals as well as wall pressure and wall shear stress measurements. The seals were operated in the ideal condition and when whirling at a whirl ratio of 1. Additional whirl ratios are currently being studied. This will allow the computation of the seal’s effect upon the shaft.
4) The slotted differential pressure flow meter has been under development at Texas A&M University for several years. Its applicability in two phase and multi-phase flows has been the recent objectives. This device responds well to two phase flows and does not require upstream flow conditioning.
Distinctions
Eagle Scout with God and Country Award
Halliburton Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, 1981-1982
Texas Engineering Experiment Station Research Fellow, 1983-1984, 1985-1987
Received a NASA Certificate of Recognition for work on Labyrinth Seals for Incompressible Flow, 1984
Texas Engineering Experiment Station Senior TEES Research Fellow.
Research Careers for Minority Scholars Program Mentor
Nelson-Jackson Professorship, 1993-present
Texas A&M Dept. Mech. Engr. Teaching Award, 1994.
Texas A&M University Association of Former Students College Level Teaching Award, 1997.
Patents
Patent 5295397: "Slotted Orifice Flowmeter" with K.R. Hall and J.C. Holste. Issued March 22, 1994.
Patent 5461932: “Slotted Orifice Flowmeter” with K.R. Hall and J.C. Holste, Issued October 31, 1995.
Patent 6055846: “Method and Apparatus for In Situ Calibration of Gas Flowmeters” with K.R. Hall and J.C. Holste, Issued May 2, 2000.
Patent 6345536B1; “Multiple-Phase Flow Meter” with K.R. Hall and J.C. Holste, Issued February 12, 2002.
Patent 6681189: “Method and System for Determining Flow Rates and/or Fluid Density in Single and Multiple-phase Flows Utilizing Discharge Coefficient Relationships” with K.R. Hall. Issued January 20, 2004.
Recent Journal Publications
Wawzyniak, M., Seyed-Yagoobi, J., and Morrison, G.L., “An Experimental Study of Electrohydrodynamic Induction Pumping of a Stratified Liquid/Vapor Medium,” Transactions of ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 122, pp. 200-203, Feb. 2000.
Morrison, G.L., and Hall, K.R., “Slotted Orifice Flow Meter,” Hydrocarbon Processing, Vol. 79, pp. 65-72, 2000.
Morrison, G.L., and Gaharan, C.A., Jr., “Uncertainty Estimates in DGV Systems Due to Pixel Location and Velocity Gradients,” Measurement Science and Technology, Vol. 12, No.4 (April 2001), pp. 369-377.
Morrison, G.L., Terracina, D., Brewer, C., and Hall, K.R., “Response of a Slotted Orifice Flowmeter to an Air/Water Mixture,” Flow Measurement and Instrumentation Volume 12, No.3 , June 2001, pp. 175-180.
Morrison, G.L., “Euler Number Based Orifice Discharge Coefficient Relationship,” ASME J. Fluids Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 1, pp. 189-191, January 2003.
Morrison, G.L., and Rudroff, D.J., “Simplicity Of An Orifice And Accuracy of High Tech Meters,” Pipeline and Gas Journal, Vol. 230, No. 7, July 2003.
