Professor Daniel Mulvihill
- Professor of Materials Engineering and Tribology (Systems Power & Energy)
telephone:
5136
email:
Daniel.Mulvihill@glasgow.ac.uk
Room 514, School of Engineering,, James Watt South Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 9SW
Biography
Daniel M. Mulvihill is Professor of Materials Engineering and Tribology at the University of Glasgow (James Watt School of Engineering) and a faculty member of the Materials and Manufacturing Research Group (MMRG). Following undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering, he completed a doctorate in experimental mechanics and tribology at the University of Oxford (UK) in 2012. He then completed postdoctoral periods at the University of Limerick, EPFL Switzerland and the University of Cambridge prior to joining the University of Glasgow in 2016.
His research interests are mainly focused on tribology, experimental mechanics and materials for energy applications. His work has included contributions on, friction, wear, surface topography, triboelectrification and adhesion. He has also explored topics in composite materials and aerospace metal alloys. He is a ‘novel materials editor’ for Chemical Engineering Journal (Elsevier) and also editor for Results in Engineering (Elsevier). He is a Chartered Engineer in the UK (C.Eng.) since 2017 and was elected Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE) in 2023. Dr Mulvihill is also a former Institution of Mechanical Engineers Tribology Trust Bronze Medallist (2013). He presently leads a major £1.5M EPSRC project (EP/V003380/1) on next generation textile triboelectric nanogenerators. Much of his present work is focused on electro-mechanical problems especially that of triboeletrification and triboelectric nanogenerators. He chairs the British Society for Strain Measurement (BSSM) conferences committee (CONFCO) and is an active member of the IMechE Tribology Group. He was General Chair of the BSSM 17th International Conference on Advances in Experimental Mechanics (University of Glasgow, 30th Aug to 1st Sept 2023).
Career summary
- Professor of Materials Engineering and Tribology, University of Glasgow, James Watt School of Engineering (08/2024 - present)
- Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor), University of Glasgow, James Watt School of Engineering (08/2021 – 07/2024)
- Lecturer (Assistant Professor), University of Glasgow, James Watt School of Engineering (06/2016 to 07/2021)
- Research Associate, University of Cambridge, Cambridge Centre for Micromechanics, Department of Engineering (11/2014 - 05/2016)
- Visiting Researcher, EPFL Switzerland, Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics Modelling LAMMM, Institute for Mechanical Engineering (06/2014 - 10/2014)
- Irish Government Research Fellow, University of Limerick, Irish Composites Centre ICOMP, Dept. of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering (12/2012 - 05/2014)
- Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Solid Mechanics and Materials Engineering Group, Department of Engineering Science (10/2008 - 09/2012)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Mechanical Engineering (1.1), University of Limerick, Ireland (09/2004 - 08/2008)
Awards/Distictions
- Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (FIMechE) (2023)
- Chartered Engineer (CEng), UK Engineering Council (2017)
- IMechE Tribology Bronze Medal (2013)
- BSSM Young Stress Analyst, First Prize (2011)
- IMechE Frederic Barnes Waldron Prize (2008)
- Presidents Gold Medal, First Place Across all faculties, University of Limerick Graduating Class of 2008
Research interests
Daniel's research fields are Materials Engineering (behaviour of materials under loading) and Tribology (contact of materials). Specific research focus is mainly on problems in tribology, experimental mechanics and materials for energy applications. His work has included contributions on, friction, wear, surface topography, triboelectrification and adhesion. He has also explored topics in composite materials and aerospace metal alloys. Much of his present work is focused on electro-mechanical problems especially that of triboeletrification and triboelectric nanogenerators.
Tribology
Triboelectrification, Contact electrification, Friction, Adhesion, Contact mechanics, fretting, wear, nanotribology, frictional and bonded joints
Energy Materials and Energy Harvesters
Triboelectric nanogenerators, piezoelectric nanogenerators
Experimental Mechanics
Materials testing and measurement, tribological testing, materials imaging techniques (Optical, XRAY, SEM) and analysis (Digital image and volume correlation etc.).
Composite Materials
Conventional carbon fibre composites, nanocomposites, carbon nanotube and graphene based composites, composites forming, composites testing and characterisation, frictional interfaces in composites, bonded joints.
Computational Modelling
Finite Element Analysis, Molecular Dynamics etc.
Further information
More information on Dr Mulvihill's research can be found on the MMRG group website and on Google Scholar.
Grants
Principal Investigator (PI)
EPSRC Standard Grant (2021-2025) ‘Next Generation Energy Autonomous Textile Fabrics based on Triboelectric Nanogenerators’ (NextGenT-TENG). Role: Overall project PI. Total value: £1,509,817. Ref. EP/V003380/1.
Leverhulme Project Grant (2018-2022) ‘Fundamental mechanical behaviour of nano and micro structured interfaces’. Role: Overall project PI. Value: £281,479. Ref. RPG-2017-353.
Taiho Kogyo Tribology Research Foundation (TTRF) Research Grant (2020-2021) ‘Tribology of Triboelectric Nanogenerators: Understanding how Interface Mechanics effects Electrical Output’. Role: Overall project PI. Value: 29,827 USD.
EPSRC Capital Award: Early Career Equipment Grant, ‘Measurement and analysis of surface topography’ (2018-2019). Role: Overall Project PI. Value: £49,200. Ref. EP/S017984/1.
Irish Research Council (IRC) ‘Empower’ Research Grant. (2012-2014) “Mechanical Properties of Graphene and Carbon Nanotube based Nanocomposites: Effects of Functionalisation and Interfacial Bonding”. Role: Overall project PI. Value: €78,920.
Co-Investigator (Co-I)
EPSRC Manufacturing the Future (2024-2027), 'Induction Melt Incremental Thermoforming of Advanced Thermoplastic Composites, Role Co-I (25%): Value: £670K. Ref. EP/X02766X/1 (PI: Dr Philip Harrison).
Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) (2023-2025), ‘Injection Moulding of Microfluidic devices’ Role: Co-I (50%): Value £181,317. (PI: Prof Nikolaj Gadegaard)
Supervision
PhD and post-doctoral opportunities
Dr Mulvihill is always keen to supervise high quality PhD or post-doctoral researchers. He is also keen to support national and international studentship and fellowship applications. Please contact him at daniel.mulvihill@glasgow.ac.uk if you are interested in current opportunities related to tribology, materials engineering, solid mechanics, experimental mechanics or composite materials. He is also happy to work with motivated self-funded doctoral students.
Current PhD Opportunities:
1. Mechanics and Tribology of Triboelectric Nanogenerators
2. Processing and/or structural integrity of composite materials
For further information, see the division's PhD opportunities:
https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/engineering/research/systems/phdopportunities/
- He, Zixuan
Optimising textile & stretchable triboelectric and flexoelectric nanogenerator performance - Kahavitage Dona, Himanthi Nimrekha Kahavita
Investigation of Thermoplastic Composite Forming Processes
Past PhD Students
Dr Iain Campbell (Research Engineer, National Nuclear Laboratory, UK)
Dr Saad Bin Jaber (Assistant Professor, Iman Mohammad Ibd Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia)
Dr Jack Perris (Research Associate, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK)
Dr Alex Hamilton (Research Associate, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK)
Dr Guanbo Min (Assistant Professor, Beijing Institue of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China)
Dr Scott Sneddon (Manufacturing Engineer, Precision Tooling Services, Prestwick, UK)
Past Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr Guarav Khandelwal (Research Fellow, University of Groningen, Netherlands)
Dr Charchit Kumar (Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India)
Dr Shalu Rani (Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad, India)
Dr Yang Xu (Assistant Professor, Hefei University of Techology, Hefei, China)
Teaching
Dr Mulvihill was College Lecturer at Hertford College, Oxford for the academic years 2009/10 and 2010/11 covering undergraduate mechanics courses (statics, dynamics, vibrations and strength of materials).
Subsequently, at Cambridge, Daniel was tutor for the third year Machine Design course for the academic year 15/16
Dr Mulvihill presently teaches on the following courses at Glasgow:
Mechanics of Solids 3 (ENG3037)
Mechanics of Solids 4 (ENG4094/ENG5053)
Materials 1 (ENG1033)
Additional information
Group Website:
https://www.materials-glasgow.org/
Postal Address:
Prof Daniel Mulvihill,
James Watt School of Engineering,
James Watt South Building (Room 514),
University of Glasgow,
Glasgow,
G12 8QQ, UK