Vanier Scholar Profile

Name: Getu Woube Hailu

School, department: Ryerson University, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering

Title of Research Project: Erosive wear of polymeric materials

Researcher’s Vision:

“My research will contribute to the development of cleaner and low-cost micro-manufacturing processes leading to sustainable economic growth. It also contributes to efforts made in advancing Canadian competitiveness in the global market through innovative manufacturing processes.”

Description of Research:

Getu Woube Hailu is studying solid particle erosion of polymeric materials, or the removal of materials from a solid surface due to the repeated impact of particles. This type of particle erosion occurs in industrial equipment that involves high velocity flows, such as gas turbines, pipelines, cars and aircraft.  

Usually, solid particle erosion produces undesirable wear effects. However, it can also be used in low-cost environmentally friendly micro-machining processes, such as abrasive jet micro-machining. This is a process that directs a jet of tiny particles through an opening in an erosion-resistant mask to make micro-sized features such as pressure sensors in car tires and micro-devices in ink jet printers).

Hailu’s work will have wide industrial applications for any machine subjected to high velocity flows. His findings will also help develop new erosion-resistant polymeric materials and will lead to cleaner, low-cost micro-manufacturing processes, such as abrasive jet micro-machining.   

Hailu is pursuing doctoral studies in mechanical and industrial engineering at Ryerson University.