Kazuya Tajiri

Dr. Kazuya Tajiri is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) department at Michigan Technological University, where he also serves as Director of Graduate Studies. He leads the Multiscale Transport Process Laboratory (MTPL), focusing on multiscale/multiphase transport phenomena in energy conversion systems. His primary research areas include proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), renewable energy systems, and shock wave dynamics in microchannels.

Education: He holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Tokyo, a Master's from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. Prior to academia, he worked at Nissan Motors and Argonne National Laboratory.

Research Interests: Tajiri's work emphasizes fuel cell diagnostics, multiphase flow characterization, and thermo-fluid system optimization. His lab explores topics such as water transport in PEMFCs, gas-liquid two-phase flows in microchannels, and catalyst layer fabrication using advanced printing techniques. Recent studies include capillary penetration methods for material characterization and oxygen transport mechanisms in interdigitated fuel cell flow fields.

Teaching: He instructs courses on applied thermodynamics, fuel cell technology, and propulsion systems. His teaching philosophy emphasizes hands-on learning through research integration.

Labs/Teams: The MTPL collaborates on projects involving fuel cell system modeling, shock wave compression, and renewable energy applications. Current opportunities include special-topic research credits for motivated students.