About

Hugh Bruck is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland, where he also serves as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs. He holds a Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology, earned in 1994, and both his M.S. and B.S. degrees from the University of South Carolina. His research interests include bioinspired robotics, the development of multifunctional skins and compliant structures for robotics, and advanced manufacturing techniques for functionally graded and nanocomposite materials. Bruck has contributed to fundamental mechanical characterization and modeling of failure mechanisms in composite materials, as well as the development of new nanomechanical and multiscale characterization methods. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Distinguished Scholar-Teacher award at the University of Maryland in 2016, and is a Fellow of both the Society for Experimental Mechanics and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His work encompasses innovative applications such as microfluidic biosensing devices, bioinspired unmanned aerial vehicles, and energy-efficient power plant cooling technologies.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Structural engineering
• Materials science
• Composite material
• Engineering
• Mechanical engineering
• Engineering drawing
• Geometry
• Mathematics

Selected publications

• Analysis of Energy-Saving Opportunities in Two Large Public High Schools

  2025-05-30

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Design, fabrication, and hydrodynamic characterization of an additively-manufactured high power density multi-pass microchannel heat exchanger for extreme environment applications

  International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer · 2025-04-08 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Modeling and validation of an additively-manufactured multi-pass microchannel heat exchanger for high power density applications

  International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer · 2025-08-12 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Supercritical CO 2 (sCO 2 ) has attracted considerable attention in multiple thermal applications, such as power generation systems, aerospace, and electronics, due to its high energy density. Its unique properties facilitate the development of high-performance, cost-effective, and compact metal heat exchangers. In addition, innovative designs enabled by additive manufacturing can further enhance thermal performance by increasing surface area density while regulating the pressure drop. In this study, we developed a small-scale, multi-pass microchannel heat exchanger (MPMHX) with a volume of 115,679 mm 3 and a surface area density of 989 m 2 /m 3 , which experimentally achieved a high power density of 45.4 MW/m 3 . The additive manufacturing process used to fabricate the HX introduced a channel relative roughness of 9.6 %, which increased the pressure drop by an average of 172 % compared to the smooth channel. Meanwhile, the roughness improved thermal performance by 31 % on average. In a comparison with other compact HX concepts in the literature, the MPMHX performance experimentally demonstrated the highest compactness (Q/V = 45.4 MW/m 3 , Q/V/dT = 0.34 MW/m 3 /°C) with a low pumping power of 11.75 W. This is the first study to provide experimental results for the additively manufactured multi-pass microchannel heat exchanger, demonstrating enhanced performance for high efficiency, extreme environment, and power generation applications. • Development of a compact Multi-Pass Microchannel Heat Exchanger (MPMHX) with asurface area density of 989 m 2 /m 3 . • MPMHX with 9.6 % roughness (AM) raised pressure drop by 172 % and boosted thermal performance by 31 % vs smooth channel. • MPMHX has a high, experimentally validated power density (Q/V = 45.4 MW/m 3 ) with a low pumping power of 11.75 W.

  PublisherDOI

• Interface-Mediated Nanophase Network Formation of Poly(Urethane-Urea) in Aligned Carbon Nanotube Nanocomposites: Implications for Advanced Structural Composites

  ACS Applied Nano Materials · 2025-09-15

  article

  Poly(urethane-urea) (PUU) is a biphasic, structural polymer that allows for tuning of mechanical properties through tailoring of stoichiometries and interactions of hard and soft segments. In this work, we demonstrate that PUU self-assembles into nanophase networks when polymerized in situ in the presence of high-density aligned carbon nanotube (A-CNT) arrays, where spacing between CNT fibers is 10s of nanometers, revealing strong process-structure–property relations. PUU with two stoichiometric variations were investigated: a 2:1:1 (PUU211) and a 5:4:1 (PUU541) ratio of isocyanate:diamine:polyol at three A-CNT volume percents (0, 1, and 10 vol % A-CNTs). Along the A-CNT long axis, both PUU stoichiometries form elongated hard-segment structures, attributed to the preferential bonding of the urea moieties to the surfaces of the CNTs. The CNTs influence the nanophase self-assembly prior to polymerization, which leads to oriented nanophases in the cured matrix. The more stiff PUU541, with a greater extent of urea moieties, more readily patterns hard segments off the A-CNTs. Longitudinal stiffness of PUU541 in the CNT axial direction increased from 1.35 GPa in the neat polymer to 3.20 GPa in the polymer nanocomposite (PNC) with 10 vol % A-CNTs, significantly higher than 1.30 GPa for PUU211 PNC with 10 vol % A-CNTs. This represents a stiffness increase of 2800% and 137% in the PUU211 and PUU541, respectively, as a result of 10 vol % A-CNTs, a mechanical enhancement 3× higher than expected via rule of mixtures, and attributed to PUU biphasic network morphology change. Additionally, the mechanical anisotropy observed from nanoindentation correlates well with the PUU network morphology of the nanocomposites revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the changes in phase size found from wide- and small-angle X-ray spectroscopy (WAXS and SAXS) measurements. These strong property-structure relations between biphasic PUU and densely packed A-CNTs provide additional routes toward tuning of properties for PUU nanocomposites for advanced structural composites.

  PublisherDOI

• A novel air-cooled heat sink for high-powered cylindrical heat sources

  Applied Thermal Engineering · 2025-10-31 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Hydraulic Performance Analysis of an Additively Manufactured Multipass Microchannel Heat Exchanger

  2024-05-28 · 1 citations

  article

  Heat exchangers operating in extreme environments need to meet strict size, weight, and power consumption (SWaP) requirements to enable an efficient thermal system. The development of high-performance, low-cost, and highly compact metal heat exchangers can be attractive and beneficial to multiple sectors, like aerospace, power generation, and electronics. This study investigates the implementation of the microchannel approach in the heat exchanger design to optimize heat transfer and endure high-pressure scenarios in such challenging environments. However, the design's complexity and compact nature pose significant challenges to traditional fabrication methods. To overcome this issue, direct metal laser sintering, as one of the additive manufacturing (AM) methods, was employed to customize and fabricate such type of heat exchanger with lower cost and achieve small fins (0.18 mm width) and channels (0.3 mm width). Upon creating a demonstration unit, experimental characterization was conducted, and the results were compared with model predictions to evaluate the heat exchanger’s hydraulic performance in laminar and turbulent flow regimes while accounting for roughness factors. This study demonstrates the feasibility of fabricating a compact microchannel heat exchanger using AM, while offering insights into its hydraulic performance through both empirical and computational techniques.

  PublisherDOI

• Layered Jamming Functional Polymer-Based Composite Structures

  Conference proceedings of the Society for Experimental Mechanics · 2024-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Design and Fabrication of an Additively-Manufactured High Power Density Multi-Pass Microchannel Heat Exchanger for Extreme Environment Applications

  SSRN Electronic Journal · 2024-01-01

  preprintOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• Development Of An Integrated Statics And Strength Of Materials Curriculum With An Emphasis On Design

  2024-01-31 · 4 citations

  articleOpen access

  Traditionally, statics and strength of materials courses have been taught separately with the intent of emphasizing the mechanics of rigid bodies in statics and transitioning to the mechanics of deformable bodies in strength of materials.While this approach has proven to be effective in reinforcing students' understanding of basic principles in mechanics, it has been less than effective in providing students with an understanding of the relationship between the two subjects and their importance in designing structures.At the University of Maryland, the Mechanical and Civil Engineering departments are seamlessly integrating these two courses together, better preparing students to apply mechanics principles in the design of solutions to engineering problems.The new courses are centered around a simple, but well-developed, design project and efforts have been initiated to enhance the instruction with demonstration experiments and computer tools that will be delivered in new interactive, multimedia "Studios".Metrics for success concentrate on comparative evaluation of student performance in the traditional and integrated versions of the curriculum, as well as student feedback on the curriculum's satisfaction of ABET 2000 criteria.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A Retrospective of Project Robo Raven: Developing New Capabilities for Enhancing the Performance of Flapping Wing Aerial Vehicles

  Biomimetics · 2023-10-12 · 8 citations

  reviewOpen access1st author

  Flapping Wing Air Vehicles (FWAVs) have proven to be attractive alternatives to fixed wing and rotary air vehicles at low speeds because of their bio-inspired ability to hover and maneuver. However, in the past, they have not been able to reach their full potential due to limitations in wing control and payload capacity, which also has limited endurance. Many previous FWAVs used a single actuator that couples and synchronizes motions of the wings to flap both wings, resulting in only variable rate flapping control at a constant amplitude. Independent wing control is achieved using two servo actuators that enable wing motions for FWAVs by programming positions and velocities to achieve desired wing shapes and associated aerodynamic forces. However, having two actuators integrated into the flying platform significantly increases its weight and makes it more challenging to achieve flight than a single actuator. This article presents a retrospective overview of five different designs from the "Robo Raven" family based on our previously published work. The first FWAVs utilize two servo motors to achieve independent wing control. The basic platform is capable of successfully performing dives, flips, and button hook turns, which demonstrates the potential maneuverability afforded by the independently actuated and controlled wings. Subsequent designs in the Robo Raven family were able to use multifunctional wings to harvest solar energy to overcome limitations on endurance, use on-board decision-making capabilities to perform maneuvers autonomously, and use mixed-mode propulsion to increase payload capacity by exploiting the benefits of fixed and flapping wing flight. This article elucidates how each successive version of the Robo Raven platform built upon the findings from previous generations. The Robo Raven family collectively addresses requirements related to control autonomy, energy autonomy, and maneuverability. We conclude this article by identifying new opportunities for research in avian-scale flapping wing aerial vehicles.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• NRI: Small: Compliant Multifunctional Robotic Structures for Safety and Communication by Touch

  NSF · $600k · 2013–2017

• Principles for Formation of Transversely Modulated Heterophase Nanostructures

  NSF · $360k · 2009–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Avraham Rasooly

  National Cancer Institute

  91 shared

• Satyandra K. Gupta

  Free University of Bozen-Bolzano

  75 shared

• Yordan Kostov

  52 shared

• Minghui Yang

  Central South University

  47 shared

• Joshua Balsam

  Center for Devices and Radiological Health

  30 shared

• Ares J. Rosakis

  California Institute of Technology

  20 shared

• Alan L. Gershon

  University of Maryland, College Park

  17 shared

• Paul D. Funkenbusch

  University of Rochester

  16 shared

Education

• phd

  caltech

  1994

• MS, mechanical engineering

  University of South Carolina

  1989

• BS, mechanical engineering

  University of South Carolina

  1988

Awards & honors

• Distinguished Scholar-Teacher, University of Maryland (2016)
• NSF Promise Outstanding Faculty Mentor (2015)
• Fellow, Society for Experimental Mechanics (2015)
• Best Paper Award at ASME Mechanisms & Robotics conference (2…
• Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (2008)