• Fluid power.
• Fluid powered devices:
  • Energy efficient excavator.
  • Hydraulic hybrid passenger car.
  • Rescue bot.
  • Orthosis and fluid powered hand tools.

Kim Stelson is the founding director of the Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), a National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center. His research is creating novel energy-saving hydraulic innovations for wind power and commercial off-road vehicles. Stelson is an expert on mechanical design, manufacturing, system modeling, actuation and control and an advocate for teaching the bond graph modeling method for dynamic systems.

Lab
Hydraulic Power Transmission Lab - ME 72

ME Research Areas
Fluid Power
Sensing & Controls

ME Impact Areas
Energy Transition
Environment & Sustainability

Education

Sc. D. 1982, S. M. 1977, Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.S. 1974, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University

Professional Background

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1981-1987
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1987-1994
Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 1994-2015
Distinguished CSE Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 2015-present

Scientific & Professional Societies

Honors and Awards

• Phi Beta Kappa (1973)
• Tau Beta Pi (1973)
• N.S.F. Fellow (1974-77)
• Terman Award (Stanford University, 1974)
• Outstanding Teacher Award (Institute of Technology, University of Minnesota, 1983 &
• 1986)
• Presidential Young Investigator Award (N.S.F., 1985)
• Young Engineer of the Year Award (Minnesota Chapter, A.S.M.E., 1985)
• North American Manufacturing Research Institute (S.M.E., 1986)
• Sigma Xi (1986)
• Dow Award (A.S.E.E., 1987)
• Visiting Senior Lecturer (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 1992-93).
• Visiting Associate Professor (University of Auckland, 1996)
• Rudolf Kalman Award for best paper in the Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement
• and Control (A.S.M.E.; 1997, 2005)
• Visiting Professor (University of Bath, 2001-02)
• A.A.A.S. Fellow (2002)
• Distinguished College of Science and Engineering Professor (University of Minnesota,
• 2015)
• Robert E. Koski Medal (A.S.M.E., 2016)
• A.S.M.E. Fellow (2018)
• Joseph Bramah Medal (I.Mech.E., 2018)

Selected Publications

• Deppen, T. O., A. G. Alleyne, J. J. Meyer and K. A. Stelson, “Optimal Energy Use in a Light Weight Hydraulic Hybrid Passenger Vehicle,” to be published in Transactions of A.S.M.E., Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement and Control.
• Wang, Y., Z. X. Sun and K. A. Stelson, “Modeling, Control and Experimental Validation of a Transient Hydrostatic Dynamometer,” I.E.E.E. Transactions on Control Systems Technology, Vol. 19, no. 6, Nov. 2011, pp. 1578-1586
• Secord, T. W., K. A. Stelson, and S. C. Mantell, “Scaling Analysis and a Critical Thickness Criterion for Thermosetting Composites,” Transactions of ASME, Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, Vol. 133, no. 1, Feb. 2011.
• Stelson, K. A., “Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP), A National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center, United States,” Journal of the Japan Fluid Power Society, Vol. 41, No. 1, Jan. 2010, pp. 60-63.
• Yu, X., R. Rajamani, K. A. Stelson and T. Cui, “Fabrication of Carbon Nanotube Based Transparent Conductive Films using Layer-by-layer Technique,” Surface and Coatings Technology, Vol. 202, No. 10, Feb. 15 2008, pp. 2002-2007.

Google Scholar Profile