Brennan Tymrak

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About

  • B.S. Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech with Minor in Electrical Engineering, 2012
  • M.S. Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech, Peace Corps Master's International, 2016 expected graduation
  • National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow


I am a Master's student in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University in the Peace Corps Master's International Program (PCMI) currently serving in Senegal, West Africa as an Agroforestry Extension Agent. My academic and professional interests are in renewable energy, appropriate technology for poverty reduction in developing countries, and international development. I perform research as part of the Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Research Group.

Research

Current

My current research is on improving appropriate technologies for developing countries. I am focused on making performance improvements to treadle pumps available to farmers in the West African country of Senegal. Specifically my research involves testing new materials for piston seals, a component of the pump that is costly and quickly wears out.

Previous

To add to the knowledge base of open source 3-D printing, I have done materials testing to characterize the the mechanical properties of printed parts under realistic environmental conditions and compared them to the properties of commercially printed components. My research has shown that open source 3-D printed parts can have similar tensile strengths and elastic moduli as commercial parts.

I have also researched fabrication methods using open-source laser welding of polymers for designing expanded microchannel heat exchangers.

Publications

Experience

  • Agroforestry Extension Agent - United States Peace Corps, Senegal, West Africa
  • Product Engineering Intern - John Deere, Construction and Forestry Division - Tracked Feller Buncher Engineering
  • Product Engineering Intern - John Deere, Agriculture Division - Instrumentation Engineering
  • Michigan Tech Alternative Fuels Group Enterprise - Solar Car Team - Founder and Project Leader
  • United States Forest Service - Timber Stand Improvement and Wildland Firefighting

Contributions

Evaporative cooling
Mechanical Properties of Components Fabricated with Open-Source 3-D Printers Under Realistic Environmental Conditions
Mechanical testing of polymer components made with the RepRap 3-D printer
RepRap Mechanical Testing Literature Review
Open-source laser system for polymeric welding

Interests

International development
Renewable energy - solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, wind
Appropriate technology for developing countries
Agriculture and forestry
Thermal Sciences
Programming
Poverty reduction
Participatory Co-Design

Links

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