Umesh A. Korde is a research professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering. He has been a researcher since 1982 when he began working in the field of wave energy. Since then, Korde has also contributed to the fields of robotics, deformable structures, and noise-shielding.

In addition to wave energy, Korde’s current research interests include the utilization of environmental energy for persistent environmental sensing, seafloor energy conversion from nonlinear interactions of multi-directional surface waves and near-shore surface waves with the seafloor.  His research applications include carbon dioxide sensing, propagation of low-frequency acoustic-seismic wave systems through the ocean, utilization of ocean wave phenomena to understand certain impacts of climate change, and the effect of waves and tides on near-shore heat, and mass transfer processes.

Korde’s areas of expertise include wave dynamics, wave-body dynamics, and variational optimization and control. He collaborates with scientists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Naval Information Warfare Center, Sandia National Laboratories, the Johns Hopkins University Earth and Planetary Sciences Department and the Applied Physics Laboratory. His current and recent research sponsors include the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, the Naval Facilities Center, the Naval Information Warfare Center, Sandia National Laboratories, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. His work has been published in several peer-reviewed journals, and his books include Hydrodynamic Control of Wave Energy Devices, and Engineering Mathematics of Marine Applications.

Korde is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He was formerly a professor of mechanical engineering at Michigan Tech University and South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, his master’s degree from the University of Tokyo, and his PhD from the University of Notre Dame.

Education History

  • BTech (Honors) Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
  • MEng Ocean Engineering, University of Tokyo
  • PhD Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame

Work Experience

Research Professor, Johns Hopkins University

Publications

Selected Publications (of over 110): (mathematical modeling focused)

Korde U.A., Song JJ, Robinett RD, Abdelkhalik O, ‘Hydrodynamic design and near- optimal wave-by-wave control of a small wave energy device for ocean measurement applications’, Marine Technology Society Journal, November/December 2017
Korde U.A., Lyu JY, Robinett RD, Wilson DG, Bacelli G, Abdelkhalik O, ‘Constrained near-optimal wave-by-wave control of a wave energy device in three oscillation modes’, Applied Ocean Research, v. 69, November 2017, pp. 126-137
Korde UA, Robinett RD, Wilson DG, ‘Wave-by-wave control in irregular waves for a wave energy converter with approximate parameters’ J. Ocean Engineering and Marine
Energy, DOI 10.1007/s40722-016-0068-0, March 2016; pp. 501-519
Korde, U.A., Ringwood, J.V, Hydrodynamic Control of Wave Energy Devices, Cambridge University Press, 2016; ISBN 9781139942072
Korde U.A., ‘Near-optimal control of a wave energy device in irregular waves with deterministic-model driven incident wave prediction’, Applied Ocean Research, v. 53, 2015, pp. 31-45
Korde U.A., Ertekin, R.C. ‘On wave energy focusing and conversion in open water’, Renewable Energy – an international journal, v. 62. February 2014, pp. 84-99
Korde, UA, ‘Large-displacement electrostatic actuation of membrane reflectors through mechanical control of electrode-membrane gap’, J. Intelligent Material Systems and Structures, v. 21, January 2010, pp. 61-82
Korde, U.A., Wickersham M.A., Carr S.G., ‘Effect of a negative capacitance circuit on the out-of-plane stiffness and dissipation of piezoelectric membranes’, J. Smart Materials and Structures, 17 (2008) 035017 (13pp)
Korde, U.A., ‘Study of a jet-propulsion method for an underwater vehicle’, Ocean Engineering, v. 31, pp. 1205-1218, 2004
Korde, U.A., ‘Systems of reactively controlled oscillating bodies in wave energy conversion’,
Applied Ocean Research, v. 25, n. 2, pp. 79-91, 2003
Korde, U.A., ‘On providing a reaction for efficient wave energy absorption by floating devices’, Applied Ocean Research, v. 21, n. 6, pp. 587-599, 1999
Korde, U.A., ‘Performance of a wave-energy device in shallow-water, nonlinear waves: Part I, Applied Ocean Research, v. 19, no. 1, pp. 1-12,1997
Korde, U.A., ‘Performance of a wave-energy device in shallow-water, nonlinear waves: Part II, Applied Ocean Research, v. 19, no. 1, pp. 13-20, 1997
Korde, U.A., ‘A power take-off mechanism for maximizing the performance of an oscillating water column wave energy device’, Applied Ocean Research, v. 13, no. 2, pp. 75-81, 1991
Korde, U.A., ‘Study of a wave energy device for possible application in communication and spacecraft propulsion’, Ocean Engineering, v. 17, no. 6, pp. 587-599, 1990

In review or in progress:
Korde, UA, ‘Enhancing the resilience of energy systems: optimal deployment of wave energy devices following coastal storms ’, submitted, February 2019
Korde, UA, ‘Wave energy conversion under wave-by-wave impedance matching with amplitude and phase-match limits’, in review, December 2018
Korde, U. A., Engineering Mathematics for Marine Applications, Cambridge University Press, in preparation.

Professional Organizations

American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Marine Technology Society
American Geophysical Union