01ORNL · Fusion
Fusion Tokamak Probe Optimization
1,000 s target dwell
Genetic algorithm optimization of WEST tokamak probe cooling channels via coupled plasma heat flux → CFD → structural simulation, fully automated.
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mechanical engineering · instrumentation · automation
Abrian Abir
M.S. Mechanical Engineering · E.I.T. · CSWA
I design measurement systems and software that turn complex manufacturing data into reliable engineering decisions — currently as an Applications Engineer for Advanced Manufacturing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Currently building
measurement systems for advanced manufacturing
measurement systems for advanced manufacturing
04journal papers
07+years hardware + software
E.I.T.TN licensed
01 — about
Mechanical engineer with a strong software background, developed through building custom measurement and automation systems for research and production environments.
My work spans manufacturing, software, controls, and experimental research — designing sensor systems, automating multi-physics simulation workflows, and developing data analysis methods for process characterization.
Currently I design, install, and calibrate image-based and multi-sensor monitoring systems, and develop the data acquisition software that ensures dataset quality for downstream analysis and model training.
Across research, production, and teaching roles, I have built process instrumentation, automated simulation workflows, and translated experimental data into engineering decisions.
The work-history timeline and project write-ups below keep the organizations, roles, and dates in one place so the technical story can be read without repeating a résumé.
Recurring technical themes
- Instrumenting processes with limited or no optical access.
- Coupling multi-physics simulations into automated workflows.
- Standardizing manual analysis into reproducible, automated methods.
- Root cause analysis where initial hypotheses prove incomplete.
Credentials
- E.I.T. — TN, 2025
- M.S. Mechanical Engineering, UTK — 4.00 GPA
- B.S. Mechanical Engineering + CS minor, UTK — 3.99 GPA, Summa Cum Laude
- CSWA — 2023 · Order of the Engineer
- 1794 Honors Scholar · Outstanding Senior & Junior in Mechanical Engineering
View full credentials, skills, and interests →
Four peer-reviewed publications, an E.I.T. license in Tennessee, and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering.
02 — selected projects
Selected projects
Five technical write-ups plus two proprietary projects. Each write-up includes problem context, technical approach, key challenges, and results.
02UTK · TN-MADE
AFSD Process Monitoring Research
2 event classes detected
In-situ defect detection and metallurgical change monitoring via signed Wasserstein distance applied to raw machine telemetry — no optical access required.
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03GE Hitachi Nuclear
Nuclear Fuel Failure Prediction
200+ bundles · 5 sites
200+ BWR fuel bundles across five reactor sites. Physics-based failure signature library with predictive matching for at-risk rod identification.
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04Eastman Chemical
Automated Film Separation System
40% final roll radius
Closed-loop C++ tension control for separating a micron-thin film from a continuously shrinking supply roll. Regulates tension directly rather than modeling roll radius.
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05UTK · Compton Lab
Machine Vision Material Characterization
0 manual extraction steps
Custom 3-point bend rig with OpenCV displacement tracking and an automated material property extraction tool that standardized analysis across the research group.
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06DENSO Manufacturing Tennessee, Inc.
Production Automation & Controls
Proprietary · production line
New product introduction, vision-guided robotics, capacity studies, and root cause analysis on an automotive electronics production line. Project details are proprietary — available to discuss in conversation.
07Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Applications Engineer for AM
Proprietary · AM systems
Advanced image and multi-sensor system design, custom data acquisition software development, and R&D for the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF). Project details are proprietary — available to discuss in conversation.
03 — technical skills
Technical skills by domain
A focused selection of tools and methods used across the projects above.
Simulation & Modeling
Multi-physics solver coupling, thermal-structural analysis, and optimization.
- ANSYS Fluent
- ANSYS Mechanical
- pyAnsys
- CFD
- FEA
- topology optimization
Programming
Production-quality code for automation, analysis, and instrumentation.
- Python
- C++
- embedded C / Arduino
- Git
- python stack: NumPy · SciPy · OpenCV · TensorFlow · pandas · matplotlib
Controls & Automation
Closed-loop systems, real-time feedback, and sensor integration.
- closed-loop control
- PID / tension control
- vision-guided robotics
- DAQ system design
- multi-sensor calibration
Manufacturing & Design
Process development, documentation, and production-scale implementation.
- process engineering
- new product introduction
- PFMEA
- IATF 16949
- NQA-1
- GD&T
- AFSD / FDM / SLA
Research & Analysis
Experimental methods, data analysis, and peer-reviewed publication.
- experimental design
- statistical process monitoring
- time-series analysis
- root cause analysis
- machine vision
- thermal imaging
Leadership & Project Management
Cross-functional team coordination, technical leadership, and student mentorship.
- cross-functional coordination
- technical leadership
- student mentoring
- team direction
04 — publications
Peer-reviewed publications
Selected journal work spanning process monitoring, advanced manufacturing, and materials behavior.
A dissimilarity index for monitoring process consistency in additive friction stir deposition
Shows how in-situ machine telemetry can detect material-state changes and defect events in AFSD when optical access is blocked by the tool head and process environment.
Additive friction stir deposition of multi-layer aluminum-silicon carbide metal matrix composites
Demonstrates a scalable solid-state route to fabricate multi-layer Al-SiC metal matrix composites while avoiding the interfacial reaction problems common in melt-based methods.
Structural stability of thin overhanging walls during material extrusion additive manufacturing of thermoset-based ink
Establishes design criteria for thin overhanging thermoset walls, enabling geometry to be constrained within validated buckling limits before fabrication.
Linking thermoset ink rheology to the stability of 3D-printed structures
Connects measurable ink rheology to printed structural stability, providing a practical screening method for formulation development before costly build validation.
05 — engineering philosophy
Engineering principles
Start with data.
Hypotheses about process behavior should be evaluated against recorded telemetry rather than debated from experience alone. Measured data provides an objective basis for engineering decisions.
Automate repeatable work.
Tasks that execute more than twice should be automated. The lasting value of the tokamak optimization was the reusable workflow, not any single optimized geometry. Automated tools outlast the projects that created them.
Validate against hardware.
A simulation is a hypothesis encoded in software. Converged solutions can be confidently wrong when boundary conditions do not reflect the physical setup. When model predictions and experimental measurements disagree, the measurement takes precedence.
Root cause analysis requires depth.
Component replacement that resolves a symptom is not root cause identification. The relevant question is why that component failed in that position at that point in the cycle — and whether the failure mode will recur.
Document the solution.
Undocumented solutions are repeatedly re-derived at significant cost. Thorough documentation converts individual problem-solving into organizational knowledge.
06 — things i find interesting
Areas of technical interest
manufacturing systems
System-level constraints in production lines are often misidentified. Optimizing individual machines is less impactful than identifying and addressing the actual bottleneck.
fusion energy
Plasma-facing component engineering — the materials and thermal management challenges of building structures that survive sustained plasma exposure.
robotics
The engineering challenge of bridging demonstrated capability and reliable production-floor operation across all shifts and conditions.
computer vision
Industrial vision system deployment, where illumination and fixturing design typically determine performance more than algorithm selection.
simulation
Boundary condition specification and validation. Governing equations are well-established; solution accuracy depends primarily on how faithfully boundary conditions represent the physical system.
failure analysis
Fracture surface analysis and failure mode characterization. A fracture surface encodes the loading history and failure sequence in its morphology.
07 — contact
If you have a challenging technical problem in process monitoring, simulation, controls, or manufacturing, I would welcome the conversation.
Particularly interested in work involving process instrumentation, simulation automation, closed-loop controls, machine vision, and manufacturing processes that require deeper characterization.
Feel free to reach out by email. I am always open to a technical discussion.
- abrian.inbox@gmail.com
- linkedin.com
- /in/AbrianAbir
- ornl.gov
- /staff/Abrian-Abir
- github.com
- /AbrianAbir
- orcid.org
- /0000-0001-7257-1548
- google-scholar
- @ATV3ekIAAAAJ
- located
- Knoxville, TN
- status
- open to technical conversations