Brian Fellon, an MEM Senior who will graduate in June of 2007, was chosen as the recipient of the Robert F. Sammataro Pressure Vessel Piping Division Memorial Scholarship by the ASME Center for Education.

Portions of the research that Fellon has conducted as an undergrad in MEM enabled him to become eligible for the scholarship. Working with Dr. Pearlman during the winter 2006 term, Fellon and fellow MEM undergraduate Chris Ricciuti, designed, built and tested a small-scale catalytic combustion reactor. The research was based upon using nano-particles of pure platinum to invoke the combustion of methanol fuel-air mixtures, which were piped into the quartz reactor we built. No outside ignition source was necessary since the suspended platinum particles catalyzed the combustion reaction.

Fellon’s interests are in thermodynamics as well as thermal systems. He plans to become a Professional Engineer, while strengthening his relationship with ASME and hopes to help students like himself with their engineering-related endeavors.