Discover the dynamic world of movement and energy with undergraduate studies at UBC Mechanical Engineering! Learn about this exciting field with applications in wide-ranging industries, and our innovative hands-on curriculum that allows you to tailor your studies to your interests.
Summer Research Assistant for Emissions Project
| Project Name: | Emissions from aviation engines using Sustainable Aviation Fuels |
| Project Description: | The USRA will assist our team in developing and using novel methods to measure the particulate emissions from a gas turbine burning regular and sustainable fuels. |
| Special requirements: (department, GPA, specific courses, year level, skills): | Preferably 3rd year or higher MEch |
| Position duration (ie. May to Aug, 2026) | May to August 2026 |
| Total pay including award: | $6,000 award + $5000 top-up |
If you are interested in applying for this USRA position, please email Dr. Steve Rogak at rogak@mech.ubc.ca no later than February 24, 2026.
Summer Research Assistant in Fluid Mechanics I
Project Overview
Leakage of reservoir fluids from oil and gas wells is a major public concern due to the risks of groundwater contamination and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Wells often pass through sensitive geological formations containing brines and hydrocarbons. To maintain wellbore integrity, a steel casing is installed inside the wellbore, and cement is pumped to displace the resident fluids in the annular space between the casing and the surrounding rock, establishing a durable seal, ensuring long-term wellbore integrity. Despite its importance, inadequate cementing practices have resulted in thousands of leaking wells worldwide, contributing significantly to methane emissions.
This research project aims to improve fundamental understanding of displacement and exchange flows that occur during cementing processes. The work involves preparing and characterizing complex fluids, analyzing their rheological behavior and investigating the flow dynamics associated with displacing Newtonian and non-Newtonian (viscoplastic) fluids. Particular attention is given to the influence of wall irregularities, casing ovality and well inclination. A defining feature of viscoplastic fluids is their yield stress, which governs whether the material flows under applied stress, hence playing a critical role in buoyancy-driven displacement flows. By combining experimental investigation with modeling, this project seeks to generate insights that can inform improved industrial practices and help mitigate environmental risks associated with well leakage.
Student Role
You will:
- Assist with displacement flow experiments, including fluid preparation and rheological measurements.
- Conduct image processing and flow visualization to extract quantitative data from experiments.
- Learn the physical principles underlying well cementing and related industrial processes.
- Study the behavior of complex fluid flows in confined geometries.
- Contribute to modest mechanical design and assembly tasks related to the experimental apparatus.
What You’ll Gain
- Hands-on Laboratory Experience: Training in complex fluid preparation, rheometry, and flow visualization techniques.
- Research Training and Mentorship: Close collaboration with graduate researchers on cutting-edge problems in fluid mechanics.
- Broader Research Exposure: Participation in group meetings and exposure to a range of ongoing laboratory projects.
- Transferable Skills: A strong foundation in rheology, experimental methods, image processing, and data analysis, relevant to both academic research and industry careers.
Who Should Apply
This position is suited for undergraduate students in Engineering, Engineering Physics, Physics, or Chemistry who have prior laboratory experience and a strong interest in fluid mechanics, rheology, or experimental research. The position is in the research group of Dr Ian Frigaard and will be supported by either NSERC USRA of WLIURA programs. Hence students should have strong academic record as well as practical skills.
Contact: Yosef Rezaei (yrezaei@mail.ubc.ca) and/or Dr Soheil Akbari (soheil.akbari@ubc.ca)
Summer Research Assistant in Fluid Mechanics II
Undergraduate Research Opportunity
Influence of Substrate Roughness on Spreading of Viscoplastic Drops
Project Description
The spreading of liquid drops on solid surfaces is central to technologies such as 3D printing, spray coating, construction materials, and functional surface design. While drop spreading on smooth surfaces is now well understood, much less is known about how surface roughness interacts with viscoplastic (yield-stress) fluids—materials that behave like solids until a critical stress is exceeded.
This undergraduate research project combines experiments, rheology, and numerical simulations to investigate how controlled substrate roughness affects the spreading dynamics, contact line motion, and final morphology of viscoplastic droplets. Students will contribute to both laboratory measurements and computational modeling, gaining a unique perspective on how theory, simulation, and experiment work together in modern fluid mechanics research. The project is in the complex fluids lab, headed by Dr Ian Frigaard.
What You Will Do
- You will contribute to an integrated experimental–computational study by:
- Performing drop spreading and impact experiments with yield-stress fluids
- Preparing and characterizing fluids using basic rheometry
- Using high-speed imaging and image analysis to quantify spreading and arrest
- Assisting with numerical simulations of viscoplastic drop spreading
- Learning to interpret results by comparing experiments with model predictions
- Participating in group meetings and discussions in fluid mechanics and rheology
Students may focus more on experiments, simulations, or a combination of both, depending on interest and background.
What You Will Gain
- Hands-on laboratory experience in rheology and fluid dynamics
- Training in experimental methods, imaging, and data analysis
- Close mentorship from graduate students and faculty
- Exposure to cutting-edge research in non-Newtonian fluid mechanics
- Transferable skills valuable for graduate school and industry careers
Who Should Apply
We welcome applications from undergraduate students in: Engineering, Engineering Physics, Physics, Materials Science, Applied Mathematics, or Chemistry
Ideal candidates will have:
- An interest in fluid mechanics, rheology, or computational modeling
- Some prior lab, coding, or technical experience (MATLAB, Python, or similar is an asset)
- A strong academic record as this will be funded via NSERC USRA or WLIURA
- Enthusiasm for hands-on research
How to Apply
Please email your CV or résumé and an unofficial transcript to: Dr. Kindness Isukwem (kindness.isukwem@ubc.ca)
Summer Research Assistant in Fluid Mechanics III
Non-Newtonian fluid mechanics and how it addresses real-world industrial challenges
Project overview
Background
Gas emissions are the key concern in the construction of oil and gas wells. The gas emission mainly occurs due to methane migration from constructed wells in which the annular space between the well’s wall and the rock layers is not sealed properly with cement slurry. The gas leakage reduces oil production rates and causes health issues. One of the key factors to avoid gas leakage problems is a successful primary cementing operation. As the annular space of constructed wells is initially filled with drilling mud, the main goal of this operation is to remove the drilling mud and replace with cement, to seal the annular space completely with cement layers.
Specific area for summer project
In this operation, the displacing fluid (cement slurry) is pumped at a high flow rate, and mixing between the drilling mud and the cement slurry occurs, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the cement layers in sealing the annular space. Cementing fluids behave as viscoplastic fluids: they switch from fluid to solid behaviour when they are not sufficiently stressed. In this project, we aim to investigate the influence of fluid properties and geometrical parameters on this displacement process, and to find a way to minimize mixing between the cement slurry and drilling mud, thereby making the cement layers more effective at sealing the annular space. To this end, we plan to simulate the process using a cementing model, namely the dispersive two-dimensional gap-averaged (D2DGA) model, and three-dimensional (3D) simulations, and finally compare the outcomes with those observed in experiment.
What intern will do (skills needed/developed)
A large number of experiments have already been conducted. The summer student will assist with organizing the experimental data and performing image processing for selected cases. Moreover, the summer student will help with running both D2DGA and 3D simulations for those scenarios. All these tasks require a strong passion and enthusiasm for learning viscoplastic fluid flows in an annular space and understanding how the proposed research study can contribute to designing a successful primary cementing operation. By the end of the project, the summer student will achieve a high level of experimental and computational skills in image processing and post-processing of computational results. The summer student will also develop strong teamwork, collaboration, and research skills through well-structured research training and mentorship.
Who should apply
This position could be suitable for undergraduate students in Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Engineering Physics or and Physics. Students who have successfully completed a fluid mechanics course are encouraged to apply. The student will work in the Complex Fluid Research Group led by Dr Ian Frigaard and will receive financial support through NSERC USRA or WLIURA programs, which are competitive – hence a strong academic record is needed.
How to apply
To apply for this position, please send your CV and transcript to Fatemeh Bararpour (Fatemeh.bararpour@ubc.ca). Take this opportunity and work within our innovative research group.
Summer Research Assistant in Fluid Mechanics IV
Undergraduate Research Opportunity in Fluid Mechanics and Rheology
Project Overview
Leakage of CH₄ and other gases from oil and gas wells is a major source of industrial greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. This risk becomes even more consequential as depleted or repurposed reservoirs are used for carbon capture and storage (CCS), where CO₂ can migrate along compromised wellbores, micro-annuli, and caprock discontinuities (e.g., faults and fractures). Data suggests that on the order of 10% of wells may exhibit leakage due to sustained integrity failures under current construction practices. Therefore, leak detection and integrity verification during decommissioning, which are necessary steps before final abandonment, are critical for long-term containment and highlight the urgent need for robust, scalable leakage-mitigation technologies. Squeeze cementing, in which cement slurry is injected through a perforated casing to fill leakage paths, is the standard repair process used to mitigate well leakage. However, squeeze cementing often has a low success rate, with only around 30% succeeding on the first attempt. This motivates the development of sophisticated, experiment-supported models to predict and optimize squeeze-cementing operations.
In this research project, the aim is to develop models, supported with experiments, that predict cement-slurry penetration into leakage pathways that form around the well casing. Such models will enable prediction of the pumping pressure required to ensure these pathways are effectively sealed. Because the geometry of these pathways is highly uncertain, the model must be fast enough to simulate thousands of leakage scenarios within a few minutes. These predictions can guide squeeze-cementing operations and improve their success rate. In addition to modeling, experiments will be conducted to validate and support the model predictions.
Student Role
You will:
- Contribute to modest mechanical design and assembly tasks related to the experimental apparatus.
- Assist with micromodel experiments, including fluid preparation and rheological measurements.
- Conduct image processing and flow visualization to extract quantitative data from experiments.
- Learn the physical principles underlying squeeze cementing and compare the experimental findings with model predictions
- Assist in generating results in form of tables and figures.
What You’ll Gain
- Hands-on Laboratory Experience: Training in complex fluid preparation, rheometry, and flow visualization techniques.
- Research Training and Mentorship: Close collaboration with graduate researchers on cutting-edge problems in experimental and theoretical fluid mechanics.
- Broader Research Exposure: Participation in group meetings and exposure to a range of ongoing projects.
- Transferable Skills: A strong foundation in rheology, experimental methods, image processing, data analysis and model development, relevant to both academic research and industry careers.
Who Should Apply
This position is suited for undergraduate students in Engineering, Engineering Physics, Physics, Mathematics or Chemistry with a strong interest in fluid mechanics, rheology, or experimental research. Prior laboratory experience is considered an asset. The student is encouraged to contribute in the modeling part as well, if interested. The position is in the research group of Dr Ian Frigaard and will be supported by either NSERC USRA of WLIURA programs. Hence students should have strong academic record as well as practical skills.
Contact: Dr. Hossein Rahmani (hossein.rahmani@ubc.ca)