ACS – ACESS Joint Societies Meeting
January 16, 2025 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
$10.00 – $25.00
Space Tribology: A Primer
Dr. Christopher DellaCorte, Timken Endowed Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Director, Center for Engineered Surfaces and Lubrication Engineering, The University of Akron
VENUE: MISSING FALLS BREWERY, 540 S. Main St, Akron, Ohio in the Event Room
(Parking available in front of building, easy direct access to event room)
5:45 pm. Social- Networking time
6:30 pm. Dinner
7:15 pm. Speaker Presentation
Buffet, Cash Bar: Cost: $25 Employed Members of ACESS Societies and Guests; $10 Students, Retirees, or Unemployed. But tickets online at the links below.
ABSTRACT: Tribology is the study of contacting surfaces, friction, and wear. Tribological phenomena are part of our daily lives on earth and can often pose significant engineering challenges. In space, such challenges are amplified by the unusual conditions of vacuum, zero-gravity, and extreme temperatures. Planned future habitations on the moon and Mars will undoubtedly create additional tribological problems and opportunities for new engineering solutions.
In this lecture, basic tribological concepts are introduced alongside the unique characteristics of the space environment. Several examples of space tribology problems encountered on the International Space Station and their solutions are presented that illustrate the importance of good mechanical engineering and sound tribological practices essential to successfully living off-planet.
BIO: Dr. Christopher DellaCorte is a full, tenured professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Akron, in Akron Ohio. He is the newly appointed Director of the University of Akron’s Engineering Tribology Laboratory (AETL). Prior to joining academia in 2022, he concluded a long career in federal service as NASA’s Senior Technologist for Tribology and Rotating Machinery. He is a highly visible and widely recognized leader in the field of tribology, mechanical components and aerospace technology. His academic background includes degrees in Fluid and Thermal Sciences, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a deep emphasis in Materials Engineering. His career experience includes research on longstanding extreme tribology challenge areas such as the high temperatures, high speeds and high loads often encountered in spacecraft and aircraft.
He has published extensively in journals, government technical reports, book chapters and conference papers. His innovative research has resulted in eleven patents related to tribological coatings, high performance bearing alloys, materials processing, and mechanical components. He has a strong track record in forensic failure analysis of mechanical systems and has been frequently called upon to solve important and vexing NASA and industrial problems. He is now developing a vibrant research program within academia as a tool for student training.
Dr. DellaCorte’s research has been awarded major recognition by industry (R&D 100 awards), government and prominent professional societies. His work on coatings technology was recognized as NASA’s Government and Commercial Invention of the Year for 2018 and his pioneering work on NiTi alloys received the 2019 ASM Engineering Materials Achievement Award. He has helped solve major bearing and other mechanical system problems on the International Space Station (ISS) and for NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS). His forensic work has been recognized by NASA with many awards including the prestigious Silver Snoopy bestowed by the astronaut corps.
Dr. DellaCorte is deeply engaged with professional technical societies. He is a fellow of both the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE). He was the founding Editor of STLE’s highly regarded Tribology & Lubrication Technology (TLT) magazine and has served as the Editor-In-Chief of STLE’s peer reviewed journal Tribology Transactions since 2016.