John R. Howell
Professor
Mechanical Engineering
Baker Hughes Incorporated Centennial Professor
Ernest Cockrell, Jr. Memorial Chair In Engineering
Phone: (512) 471-3095
Fax: (512) 471-1045
Email: jhowell@mail.utexas.edu
Dr. John Howell earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Case Institute of
Technology (now Case Western Reserve University) in 1962. He joined the faculty
of The University of Texas at Austin in 1978. In 2005, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.
Dr. Howell researches thermal radiative transfer, where heat flows from regions
of higher to lower temperature by radiation, through the emission and absorption
of photons. He is considered the principal developer of the application of Monte
Carlo methods in radiative transfer, an area he pursued and perfected in the
1960s while working at NASA. The Monte Carlo method provides solutions to a
variety of mathematical problems by performing statistical sampling experiments
on a computer. He began work on the Monte Carlo method in 1963 as a researcher
with NASA’s Lewis Research Center (now Glenn Research Center), and has continued
to develop, refine and characterize the method throughout his career. Currently,
his research focuses on inverse analysis techniques for designing and
controlling thermal systems with significant radiation transfer. He continues to
develop web-based tools for heat transfer and thermodynamics.
Research interests:
- Radiative energy transfer
- Heat transfer in energy systems
- Heat transfer with combined modes