Dr. Gaius Chukwuka Nzebuka


Dr. Gaius Chukwuka Nzebuka

Senior Lecturer

B. Eng., MSc., PhD
Email: gaius.nzebuka@futo.edu.ng

Biography

Engr. Dr. Gaius Chukwuka Nzebuka is an experience Computational Fluid Dynamics expert in manufacturing processes such as Additive Manufacturing and Metal Casting Systems. Dr. Nzebuka has 9 years of experience in teaching and researching in the areas of Heat and Mass Transfer, Liquid Metal Flow, Magnetohydrodynamics Flow, Computational Engineering Product design, Vibrations, Engineering System Modeling and Simulation, Kinetics of Material Processing, Metal Forming Processes, Simulation with ANSYS FLUENT, Measurements and Instrumentation and Mechanical Engineering Design. He has trained both undergraduate and postgraduate students in the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Materials and Metallurgical Engineering Federal University of Technology Owerri, Nigeria. Dr. Nzebuka has published several papers in the areas of additive manufacturing and metal casting systems in high-impact journals. Dr. Nzebuka completed primary education at Pioneer Primary School Edenta Awo-Idemili, Orsu LGA, Imo State Nigeria in 1996, and secondary school education at Bishop Patterson Comprehensive secondary school Mbosi, in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State, Nigeria in 2002. Further, he obtained his Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) degree in materials and metallurgical engineering, from the Federal University of Technology Owerri in 2010, Master of Science (MSc) degree, from the University of Lagos in 2014, and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, from the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta in 2021 both in Mechanical Engineering with Thermofluids specialization. Dr. Nzebuka’s expertise in CFD modeling has gained him an international reputation leading to his being hired as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution at Texas A&M University College Station from January 2022 to April 2023. He has attended and presented technical papers at international conferences in additive manufacturing and materials science and engineering. He is a member of professional bodies such as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the National Association of Black Engineers (USA), the National Association of Postdoctoral Researchers (USA), the Nigerian Society of Engineers, the American Society of Heating Ventilation and Aircoditioning Engineers, and a Registered License Engineer with Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria.

Academic Qualification

  • Postdoctoral Researcher (Texas A&M University ) 2022-2023
  • PhD – Thermofluids (FUNAAB) 2021
  • MSc – Mechanical Engineering-Thermofluids (UNILAG) 2014
  • B.Eng – Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (FUTO) 2010

Honours/Awards

Tertiary Education Trust Fund Ph.D. Award (2016 – 2020)

 

Affiliations

  1. Professional Member of American Society of Mechanical Engineers-2022
  2. American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers-2016
  3. National Association of Black Engineers (USA)-2023
  4. Texas A&M University Postdoctoral Association-2022
  5. National Association of Postdoctoral Association (USA)-2022
  6. Nigeria Society of Engineers-2015

Courses Assigned to Teach

  1. MCE 508-SYSTEM MODELING AND SIMULATION
  2. MCE 507- VIBRATIONS
  3. MCE 518- COMPUTER PRODUCT MODELING
  4. MCE 504 MEMS & VLSI
  5. MCE 407-MEASUREMENT AND INSTRUMENTATION
  6. MCE 304-MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
  7. MCE 301-MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DESIGN
  8. ENG 304- HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER

Experience

Research Experience (Texas A&M University 2022-2023)

  • Development of complex CFD codes specific for modeling and simulation of fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing system for process parameter optimization.
  • Development of multi-scale multiphysics CFD codes specifically for modeling and simulation of melt-pool in metal additive manufacturing systems such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) using the VOF and multiphase model.
  • Development of multi-scale multiphysics CFD codes specific for modeling and simulation of microstructural evolution, melting, and solidification kinetics in metal additive manufacturing systems such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF).
  • Design of experimental methods for rheological characterization and thermal analysis of polymers and high-filled polymers.
  • Design an experimental method for measuring extrusion force, extrusion pressure, and nozzle tip and stand-off temperature.
  • High-filled polymer material development for fused filament fabrication of metals and ceramics.
  • Research team coordinator in the Digital Manufacturing and Development (DMD) laboratory at Texas A&M University.
  • Develop and facilitated proposal writing for submission to NSF and DARPA.
  • Designed and conducted a flow visualization CFD experiment to predict flow recirculating vortex in the liquid metal sump of a DC casting system for casting parameter optimization.
  • Developed CFD MATLAB codes for airflow in a rectangular enclosure using the finite volume method (FVM).
  • Developed CFD FVM codes for solving diffusion-controlled heat and mass transfer in solidification/melting and other thermofluid systems.

 

Teaching And Mentoring Experience (FUTO)

Teaching Responsibilities:

Computer Software Engineering , Mechanical Engineering Design, Manufacturing Technology, Simulation and modeling of engineering, Measurement and Instrumentation, Heat and Mass Transer, Engineering Mathematics, Mechanical Vibrations, and Computer product modeling.

Postgraduate Teaching Experience

Lecturer I – Mechanical Engineering (January 2021- December 2021)

Turbulent Flow and Transport, Computational Fluid Dynamics, and Advanced Engineering Mathematics

Lecturer I – Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (January 2021- December 2021)

-Solidification Processes

 

 Federal University of Technology Owerri Imo, Nigeria

Lecturer II – Materials and Metallurgical Engineering (September 2014- December 2016)

Engineering Drawing, Engineering Workshop Practice, Measurement and Instrumentation, Introduction to Engineering Materials, Fuels and Furnace Technology, Kinetics Processes in Materials, Metal Forming Processes, Foundry.

Industry Experience

CDIM Design Consultant NIG LTD Lagos, Nigeria

Sales Technical Engineer (August 2011 – July 2014)

  • Design and recommend sales programs for AUTODESK CAD software.
  • Evaluates and implements appropriate new sales techniques to increase sales volume.
  • Technical training of engineers on how to use the AutoCAD software effectively.

Teletok Nigeria Ltd Lagos, Nigeria

Design Engineer (January 2011 – December 2014)

  • Design of site location of BTS, MSC, BSC.
  • Survey and design of optical fiber route.
  • Trenching excavation, backfilling, blowing, Trans-boring, and other fiber optics works
  • Telecommunication tower design and installation management.
  • Monitory Transmission of optical fiber signal.
  • Proposed Lightning protecting system design for Chevron Escravos.

Tower Aluminium Rolling Mill Ogun, Nigeria

 National Youth Service (June 2010 – June 2011)                                 

  • Planning the material requirement for alloy A1200 melting and maintaining ISO records.
  • Mechanical testing.
  • Monitory melting furnace operation.

Research Interest

  • Additive Manufacturing.
  • Heat and Mass Transfer.
  • Fluid Mechanics.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics application in manufacturing and engineering Systems
  • Modeling and simulation of fluid flow and heat transfer in an additive manufacturing system.
  • Modeling and simulation of fluid flow, heat, and mass transfer in metal casting and solidification system.
  • Modeling and simulation of MHD-liquid metal coupled turbulence flow and fluid structure interaction (FSI).

Publications

  1. C. Nzebuka et al. (2022) ” Numerical modeling of the effect of nozzle diameter and heat flux on the polymer flow in fused filament fabrication.” Manufacturing Processes 82, 585-600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2022.08.029
  2. O. Ufodike, and G. C. Nzebuka (2022) “Investigation of thermal evolution and fluid flow in the hot-end of a material extrusion 3D Printer using melting model.” Additive Manufacturing 49: 102502. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2021.102502
  3. (2021) ‘Influence of Various Aspects of Low-Reynolds Number Turbulence Models on Predicting Flow Characteristics and Transport Variables in a Horizontal Direct-Chill Casting’. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 179, 121648. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2021.121648
  4. C. Nzebuka and M.A. Waheed (2020) ‘Thermal evolution in the direct chill casting of an Al-4 pct Cu alloy using the low-Reynolds number turbulence model’. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 147, 106152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2019.106152
  5. A. Waheed, G.C. Nzebuka, C.C. Enweremadu (2020) ‘Potent turbulence model for the computation of temperature distribution and eddy viscosity ratio in a horizontal direct-chill casting’. Numerical Heat Transfer, Part A: Applications, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10407782.2020.1845557
  6. A. Waheed and G.C. Nzebuka (2020) ‘Analysis of thermally driven flow pattern formation in aluminium DC casting for different Rayleigh numbers and billet diameters.’ Thermal Science and Engineering Progress, 18, 100536. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsep.2020.100536
  7. A. Waheed and G.C. Nzebuka (2020) ‘Investigation of macrosegregation for different dendritic arm spacing, casting temperature, and thermal boundary conditions in a direct-chill casting’. Applied Physics A, 126(9), pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-020-03920-9
  8. C. Nzebuka, M.A. Waheed, S.I. Kuye, B.I. Olajuwon (2019) ‘Accounting for Melt Flow Pattern and Solid Fraction Evolution in DC Casting of Al-Cu Alloy Using v^2-f Turbulence Model’. Metallurgical and Materials Transaction B, Vol. 50(2), pp. 866-880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-018-01502-y
  9. C. Nzebuka and M.A. Waheed (2018) ‘Numerical Modeling of Heat and Specie Transfer in a Diffusion Dominated Continuum Model of Binary –Alloy Castings’. Defect and Diffusion Forum, Vol. 389, pp. 183-194. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/DDF.389.183
  10. C. Nzebuka and C.O. Ufodike (2022) ‘Numerical Transient Thermal Development of Melting a Solid Filament in a Hot-end of a Material Extrusion System’. 2022 International Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium. http://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/44367

Research/Publication Links

ORCID: 

Research Gate Profile URL: 

Google Scholar Page URL: gc nzebuka – Google Scholar