From August 28th to December 19th, 2023, Professor Dr. Andre L. Boehman conducted a teaching and research stay at the Defense University Center located at the Spanish Naval Academy (CUD-ENM).
In 2014, the Center signed an agreement with the Fulbright Commission (whose goal is to promote and encourage the exchange of academics between the United States and Spain) in order to have a U.S. professor with expertise in one of the subjects taught in the final years of the degree in mechanical engineering, so that, in addition, by teaching it in English, the students’ English language proficiency can be improved.
For the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, the Fulbright Commission selected Professor Andre Boehman for his academic merits. This American professor completed his doctoral thesis at the prestigious Stanford University in the field of Mechanical Engineering, in particular, studying the control of vehicle emissions. For 18 years, he was teaching and researching in the Department of Mineral and Energy Engineering at Penn State University, focusing on fuel science, such as researching fuel formulation for a variety of automotive applications, among many other topics. He also worked throughout his career on research projects with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army, so he has a deep understanding of military fuels and military system requirements.
For the past 11 years, he has been teaching and researching in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. He specializes in internal combustion (IC) engine design and development, renewable and synthetic fuels, and combustion science. He has been studying the decarbonization of Spanish maritime operations and the Spanish Navy during his stay.
Academic activity
His stay at CUD-ENM lasted throughout the first semester of the academic year 2023-2024, participating, to a large extent, in the teaching of a subject of the degree in mechanical engineering, strongly linked to his specialty and experience. He has taught “Advanced Thermodynamics” in English to the fourth year students of the degree. English language was used for absolutely all class interactions, including seminars, labs, assignments and exams.
Research activity
On Thursday, September 14th, he made a presentation of his research activity to the faculty of the center, which led to subsequent contacts with researchers who visualized possible lines of collaboration by sharing concerns and research topics.
Instruction boat trips
On Wednesday, November 29th, accompanied by professors Lara Febrero, Antón Cacabelos and Arturo González, he participated in an organized outing with students in one of the training boats of the Spanish Naval Academy, which has allowed him to obtain more knowledge of the most accessible ships while at the ENM to guide the proposal of a Final Degree Dissertation. Related to his area of expertise, his line of research during this stay was oriented towards possible measures for “decarbonization” (reduction of carbon emissions) in the Navy and its naval operations.
As a result of these collaborations, he is co-directing in the second semester of the 2023-2024 academic year, three Final Degree Dissertations:
- Sustainable Naval Propulsion: Techno-economic feasibility study for its implementation in the national naval sector and in particular in the Navy with Professor Carlos Pérez Collazo.
- Experimental analysis of the use of biofuels in a conventional Perkins generator with Professors Antón Cacabelos Reyes and Carlos Pérez Collazo.
- Assessment of the potential for carbon intensity reduction through the adoption of renewable diesel in Navy ships with Prof. Lara Febrero Garrido.
Other activities during his stay
During the semester at CUD-ENM, Professor Boehman visited and networked with some of his research partners. This included a visit to Catalyxx, Inc. in Seville, Spain, with whom Professor Boehman’s research group is studying the applications of higher alcohols in diesel combustion. Taking advantage of this visit, Prof. Boehman and his wife Marita took time to visit the main sites in the city of Seville.
During his stay, he also visited Zurich and Arbon (Switzerland), to visit the headquarters of Fiat Powertrain Industrial (part of the Iveco Group), which is providing engine hardware for a new U.S. Department of Energy project on the development of agricultural engines to run on renewable dimethyl ether (rDME).
Professor Boehman also participated in the Fulbright Spain Mediterranean Research Seminar in Alicante.
During these months he was also able to make trips to Toledo and Ciudad Real to visit his colleagues at both campuses of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, with whom he has been collaborating since 2001. Coinciding with one of these visits, he attended the inauguration of a new institute at the UCLM-Toledo campus, called INAIA (Institute for Applied Research in the Aeronautical Industry) at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
Life with his family
He also took the opportunity to travel with his family to numerous locations in Galicia (Santiago de Compostela, A Lanzada, Pedras Negras) as well as the city of Porto during his months in Marin. Professor Boehman and his family enjoyed exploring the beaches, parks, landmarks and cities of Galicia. This also included attending the “Ciento” party at the Spanish Naval Academy (organized by the first year midshipmen prior to their embarkation on the “Juan Sebastián de Elcano” ship-school).
These events and family trips included Professor Boehman’s 60th birthday celebration in Porto, Portugal.
CUD-ENM farewell
He said goodbye to the CUD-ENM staff in an emotional ceremony on December 19th, 2023, accompanied by his wife Marita, and where he received a souvenir of his stay at the center, from the Director of the center, Mr. Jose Martin Davila. Professor Boehman thanked the treatment given by all the CUD-ENM staff throughout his stay and expressed his interest in maintaining the collaborations already initiated in lines of research shared with other professors of the center.
