Jon Mikkelsen, P.Eng.
Senior Instructor and Undergraduate Advisor
B.A.Sc., M.A.Sc. (Univ. of British Columbia)
ph: (604) 822-2709
fx: (604) 822-2403
email: mikk@mech.ubc.ca
Research Interests
- Naval Architecture/Fluid Mechanics
- Engineering Design
- Sustainable Development
Current Research Work
- Ocean Renewable Energy
British Columbia has a vast untapped renewable energy source in the form of ocean tidal and ocean wave power. Our team at UBC is working in collaboration with Blue Energy Inc. in the development of a vertical axis tidal turbine for power generation. With recent funding from Western Economic Diversification, our team developed an extensive testing platform for model testing the ocean energy device at the BC Research Ocean Engineering Centre. Extensive computational fluid dynamics modeling is also being used to optimize the design of the turbine blade and related support structure.
- Development of Selective Fishing Gear
A fishing gear research program has been conducted in partnership with several British Columbia First Nations including the Gitksan, Tsimshian, Stó:lō, Wet’suwet’en, and Gitanyow First Nations. This work has resulted in the improved design for selective harvest gear for commercial salmon fishing in British Columbia. These live capture technologies such as “fishwheels” and “fish traps” allow the selective harvest of target species such as Sockeye and Pink salmon while allowing threatened species such as Steelhead and Coho stocks to continue their spawning migration. The development of the fishwheels and fishtraps involved implementing traditional First Nation fishing techniques with modern materials and designs to produce robust and efficient designs for use on rivers and estuaries throughout the west coast.
- Mechanical Design
As the coordinator of the ME45X Capstone Design Program and faculty advisor to several undergraduate design competition teams, I am directly involved with design teaching in diverse areas such as naval architecture, mechanical systems, and vehicle design. The capstone design program has recently focused on having student design teams develop solutions for industry sponsored design needs. Recent accomplishments include having the 2006 Supermileage vehicle, the Mark V selected by TIME Magazine as a top invention for 2006, and the UBC Sailbot team winning the inaugural autonomous sailboat design challenge.
Selected Publications
- Mikkelsen J., Yellowley I., Hodgson A., Cramond P., McAdam D., Improvements to a University Capstone Design Program Through the Use of Industrial Mentors and Increased Milestone Deliverables, Proceedings, Second CDEN International Conference on Design Education, Innovation, and Practice, Canadian Design Engineering Network, Kananaskis, Alberta, Canada, 2005.
- Wang J., Calisal, S.M., Mikkelsen J., and Zealand S. The Wave Focussing Effect of a Parabolic Wall, Proceedings, 23rd Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering Conference, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Vancouver, Canada, 2004.
- Lovvorn, J.R., Liggins, G.A., Borstad, M.H., Calisal, S.M., and Mikkelsen, J., Hydrodynamic Drag of Diving Birds: Effects of Body Size, Body Shape and Feathers at Steady Speeds, Journal of Experimental Biology, Vol. 204, April 2001, pp. 1547-1557.
