Principal Investigator

Sayan Biswas, PhD

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Education

PhD, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, 2017
MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Connecticut, 2012
BE, Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, India, 2010

Previous Employment

Postdoctoral Researcher, Sandia National Laboratories, 2017-20
R&D Specialist, Praxair Inc., 2017

Research Interests

Low-temperature plasma, Combustion and energy, Optical diagnostics and laser spectroscopy, Ultrafast lasers and novel imaging techniques, Renewable E-fuels, Carbon-neutral fuels, Supersonic and hypersonic propulsion, Plasma propulsion, Internal combustion engines, Hybrid electric vehicles.

Awards and Honors

Impact Innovation Case Award, Office of The Vice President for Research, University of Minnesota, 2022 Read More
ASME Service Recognition, E-Fest Steering Committee, 2022
ASME ECLIPSE Fellowship, Early Career Leadership Intern Program to Serve Engineering, 2020 – 2021
Research Spot Award, Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA, 2019
Best Paper Award, JSAE PFL 2019 Meeting, Kyoto, Japan, 2019
Springer Thesis Award, Springer Science, 2018
Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Engineering, Purdue University, 2016, 2017
Combustion Art Special Recognition Award, Central States Meeting, Knoxville, TN, 2016
Dean’s Summer Research Fellowship, College of Engineering, Purdue University, 2016
First Place in Combustion Art, US National Combustion Meeting, Cincinnati, OH, 2015
Gold Medal, Meera-Rani Mitra Memorial Award, Jadavpur University, India, 2010
Best Paper Award, National Conference on MEMS, Smart Structures & Materials, India, 2009

Q&A with Professor Biswas

Current 3P Lab Members

David Del Cont-Bernard
Position: Research Scientist
Education:  PhD, Mechanical Engineering, KAUST, 2021
MS, Aeronautical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 2016
BS, Aerospace Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 2013
Biography: Davide is a researcher specializing in laser diagnostics for plasmas and flames. He is keenly interested in the emerging, novel applications of plasma chemistry, particularly those with positive environmental impacts and industrial relevance. He loves electronics, often working on his own projects and doing technical reading. He also enjoys being outdoors, especially hiking, running, and diving.

Akash Dhotre
Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn
Position: PhD Student
Education: MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2021
BE, Mechanical Engineering, University of Pune, India, 2018
Biography: Akash is a PhD student studying complex reacting flows, synthetic fuels, and energy storage for cleaner and better energy generation technologies. Central to his work is using experimental and numerical techniques to understand the physics and kinetics of these flows. In his spare time, Akash loves hiking, backpacking, and camping. He also loves to write, play chess, and follow the unfortunate travails of the Minnesota Timberwolves with misplaced optimism.

Gabe Holum
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: PhD Student
Education: BA, Mathematics and Physics, Concordia College Moorhead, 2022
Biography: Gabe is a PhD student investigating supersonic flow and plasma propulsion. He does experimental work with plasmas using a miniature supersonic tunnel with variable Mach 1.2 to 3.5. Gabe enjoys going on trips and outdoor activities with his wife in his free time. He also likes to play hockey and watch the Minnesota Wild.

Daipayan Sen
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: PhD Student
Education: BE, Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, India, 2021
Biography: Daipayan is a PhD student working on plasma ignition and complex reacting flows. His work revolves around experimental and numerical investigations of pre-chamber combustion characteristics to develop novel ignition technologies. Daipayan loves to bike around and practice digital art in his spare time. He is also an avid soccer fan and follows the trials and tribulations of FC Barcelona.

Aritri Halder
Email: [email protected]  LinkedIn
Position: PhD Student
Education: BE, Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, India, 2023
Biography: Aritri is a PhD student studying thermal control systems and ionic fluids. Her work focuses on both experimental and computational methods of synthesizing novel ionic fluids for thermal control systems. Her hobbies include reading books, swimming, and painting.

Vincent Twin
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics, University of Minnesota, 2023 (expected)
Biography: Vincent is an undergraduate researcher developing an open-source parametric calculator for the zeroth-order design of bipropellant liquid rocket engines. His research interests include liquid rocket engines, manned spaceflight hardware, and turbomachinery. In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and photography. He is a member of AIAA and the University of Minnesota Rocket Team.

Ryan Preston
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2025 (expected)
Biography: Ryan is an undergrad working on plasma ignition and prechamber combustion. His work involves the assembly, testing, and modification of our lab's large constant-volume combustion chamber. Ryan is also involved with the Formula SAE team at the U of M, combining his automotive and product design interests. Ryan enjoys biking and photography in his free time, particularly near the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Austin Miller
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2025 (expected)
Biography: Austin is designing a supersonic wind tunnel to be used for future experiments, as well as working on other plasma and combustion-related projects. He is a member of Engineers without Borders on the East Africa project, where they are working with a rural school in Malawi. He enjoys outdoor activities such as skiing, hiking, and fishing.

Andrew Davis
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2024 (expected)
Biography: Andrew is an undergraduate researcher working on the ignition and combustion properties of propellants. He is also the curriculum board representative of the ME student council. In his free time, he likes to practice golf, play poker, and skateboard.    

Prithwish Das
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BE, Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University, 2026 (expected)
Biography: Prithwish is pursuing his bachelor's degree as an undergraduate chemical engineering engineer. His research involves computational techniques to develop unique ionic fluids for thermal control systems. Apart from his academic pursuits, he enjoys engaging in cricket, singing, and reading activities.

Nora Fritcher
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2026 (expected)
Biography: Nora is an undergrad researcher assisting on an experimental combustion project about gas turbine combustion instabilities. She is also the secretary of She is ME, a student group for women in mechanical engineering. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends, cooking, reading, and being outside.

Jaxen Lindsey
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2025 (expected)
Biography: Jaxen's work at 3P Lab involves assisting the development of plasma-assisted methane reforming. Jaxen is interested in pursuing a career in product development, particularly in the sustainable energy industry. In his spare time, he likes to restore his '86 BMW and tinker with electronics.

Mattias Dufault
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Undergraduate Researcher 
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2025 (expected)
Biography: Mattias is working on the dissociation of ammonia using non-thermal radio-frequency (RF) plasma, which allows for a more environmentally friendly potential fuel. Previously, Mattias was on the UMN rocket team. Mattias enjoys using telescopes, reading science fiction, and going on runs. 

Yash Dagade
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: High School Intern
Education: High School Diploma, Eden Prairie Senior High School, 2024 (expected)
Biography: Research, hobby, anything interesting: Yash is also a diver and loves to run in his free time.

Advaith Vishwanathan
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: High School Intern 
Education: Bellarmine College Prep, 2027 (expected)
Biography: Advaith is a high school freshman interested in autonomous systems for vehicles and robots. His hobbies include speech and debate, basketball, track & field, and playing the drums.

3P Lab Alumni

Fatih Evren
Email: [email protected] 
Position: PhD Student
Education: M.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Gazi University, Turkey, 2015
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, Gazi University, Turkey, 2012
Biography: As a Ph.D. student, Fatih worked on affordable and reliable measurement techniques for indoor environmental quality and building envelope studies for high-performance building research. In his recent work, he developed a novel method using low-resolution thermography for thermal comfort measurement. He likes hiking and watching sports. 

Himanshu Joshi
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn
Position: Master's Student
Education: BTech, Mechanical Engineering, Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune, India, 2019
Biography: Himanshu was a master's researcher working on developing reliable and robust objection detection algorithms (YoloV3, MaskRCNN) to enable autonomous driving during challenging weather conditions such as rain and snow. In collaboration with the University's Center for Transportation Studies (CTS), he adopted a sensor fusion approach – LiDAR scan, visible and thermal camera, 3D stereoscopic mapping mounted on a MnDOT vehicle, for his project. In his leisure, Himanshu likes to play strategic board games, travel, and cook different cuisines.

Hayoung Jeong
Email: [email protected] Linkedin
Position: Master's Student
Education: BS, Mechanical Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul, South Korea, 2021
Biography: Hayoung was a master's student investigating the underlying physics of laser-induced ablation of alumina, i.e., aluminum oxide, to enhance the precision and effectiveness of material removal or etching procedures applied to alumina-based materials like ceramics and electronic components. Hayoung likes to play tennis and golf in her free time.