EDUCATION
  -- Graduate courses

EXPERIENCE
 -- Research Experience
 -- Industrial Experience
 -- Teaching Experience

SKILLS
 -- Technical Skills
 -- Computer Skills

PUBLICATIONS
 -- Conference Presentations
 -- Journal articles

INVITED LECTURES

AWARDS

RESUME

CONTACT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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RAVIKUMAR VARADARAJAN Ph.D.

Research Associate
Center for Mechanical Characterization of Materials
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Case Western Reserve University
 Cleveland
Ohio 44106

Phone: 1-216-368-2649
Fax: 1-216-368-3209

Email Id: RAVIKUMAR@case.edu


Education

Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, (January 2007)
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
GPA: 3.83 / 4
Dissertation Title: On the nature of static and cyclic fracture resistance of conventional and crosslinked Ultra high molecular weight polyethylenes used in total joint replacements.

M.S. Mechanical Engineering, (May 2003)
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
GPA:
Thesis Title: Investigation of lumbar interbody fusion and its effect on the adjacent levels – A Finite element study.

B.E. Mechanical Engineering, (April 1999)
University of Madras, Chennai, India
GPA  79 / 100,  First class with distinction

Graduate Courses

  • Computer aided design
  • Finite element analysis
  • Object oriented programming
  • Solid mechanics
  • Experimental stress analysis
  • Fracture of materials
  • Fatigue of materials
  • Mechanical properties of metals and composites
  • Polymer engineering
  • Statistical methods
  • Advanced engineering mathematics
  • Engineering vibrations
  • Computational methods in multibody dynamics
  • Biomechanics
  • Computational biomechanics

Experience

Research Experience

1. Research Associate, Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2007 - Present

2. Ph.D. Candidate, Mechanical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, 2003 - 2006
  • Evaluation of environmental effects on static and cyclic fracture resistance of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)
  • Development of fatigue and fracture testing methodologies for UHMWPE

Projects

  1. Development of an automatic crack length monitoring system for fatigue crack propagation testing of conventional and crosslinked UHMWPE.
  2. Fatigue crack inception and propagation resistance of UHMWPE in a physiologically relevant environment.
  3. Evaluation of J-R curves for UHMWPE in a physiologically relevant environment using a validated single specimen normalization technique.
  4. Experimental evaluation of fracture initiation in various grades of UHMWPE.
  5. Effect of crack closure and overloads on the fatigue crack propagation behavior of UHMWPE.
  6. Finite element simulation of crack growth in UHMWPE.

3. Graduate Research Assistant, Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2001 - 2002
  • Development of 3D parametric finite element model of human lumbar spine developed using ProEngineer and Ansys.
  • Finite element study of combined effects of osteoporosis, disc degeneration and interbody fusion in human lumbar spine.

Projects

  1. 3D Parametric finite element modeling of Lumbar spine using Proengineer and Ansys
  2. Combined effect of osteoporosis and disc degeneration in stability of lumbar spine
  3. Effect of lumbar interbody fusion on the adjacent healthy discs.
  4. Finite element modeling of spinal interbody fusion cages
  5. Gait analysis of human lower extremity
  6. Multibody dynamics of open loop system

Industrial Experience

Design Engineer Mirza International Pvt Ltd, Kanpur, India, May 1999 - April 2001

Responsibilities:

  • Design and development of leather processing and shoe manufacturing machines according to customer requirements.
  • Design and development of jigs and fixtures
  • Conceptual models development using 3D CAD
  • Making detailed 2D production drawings as per standards
  • Project execution
  • Supervising the production team (15 members)

Machine Design Projects

  • Design and development of thermo-fusible press for shoe uppers
  • Redesign of an automatic leather dyeing drum and chemical mixing tank
  • Design of automatic sliding front gate for the tannery
  • Design of shoe and shoe upper conveyor system

Software Projects

  • Cam profile generator
  • Sheet metal design software
  • Slider crank mechanism-Analysis and Synthesis
  • Spur gear design software
  • Database management software for shoe machineries manufacturing unit

Teaching Experience

Courses taught as graduate teaching assistant:

  • Biomechanics - FALL 2002, UIC
  • Computational methods in mechanical engineering - FALL 2003, CWRU
  • Dynamics - SPRING 2004, CWRU
  • Relation of materials to design - FALL 2004, CWRU   

Responsibilities:

  • Grading
  • Conducting tutorial sessions
  • Guest lectures
  • Preparing homework problems and solutions
  • Assisting the instructor in preparing final project
  • Proctoring exams

Skills

Technical Skills

  • Monotonic, static and cyclic fracture and multi-axial testing using materials testing machines (Instron, MTS, Bose)
  • Material testing software development using Labview
  • Design of jigs and fixtures
  • Failure Mode Effect and Analysis (FMEA)
  • DSC, DMTA, SEM
  • Solid modeling using AutoCAD, Solidworks and ProEngineer
  • Finite element analysis using Ansys and Abaqus
  • Digital image correlation and processing

Computer Skills

Operating Systems :Windows, Linux, Unix
Programming Languages :C, C++, Visual Basic, HTML, Python, AutoLISP.
Applications :MS Office, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver
Computational tools :Matlab, MathCAD, Minitab, Labview
Solid Modeling :AutoCAD, Pro-Engineer, Solidworks
Finite Element Analysis :Ansys, Abaqus, Femap, Gambit

Publications

Conference Posters and Presentations

  1. “Effect of Osteoporosis in a Disc - Degenerated Lumbar Spine”,  IV World congress of Biomechanics, 2002, Calgary, Canada.
  2. “Osteoporosis bone is more sensitive to disc degeneration – a finite element study”, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, 2002, Philadelphia.
  3. “A finite element study of osteoporosis in a disc degenerated lumbar spine”, Advances in Bioengineering, ASME, 2002, New Orleans.
  4. “Biomechanical investigation of combined effects of disc degeneration and osteoporosis in lumbar spine”, Orthopedic Research Society, 2003, New Orleans.
  5. “Investigation of lumbar interbody fusion at different levels and its effect on spinal stenosis, World Spine, 2003, Chicago.
  6. “A finite element study of the combined effects of fusion and degeneration on the lumbar spine”, ASME International Mechanical Engineering congress and R&D expo, 2003, Washington DC.
  7. “The effect of R-ratio on the fatigue crack propagation resistance of human cortical bone”, International conference on fracture - 2005, Turin, Italy.
  8. “Fatigue crack inception and propagation resistance of highly crosslinked and post processed UHMWPE in a physiologically relevant environment”, Orthopedic research society – 2006, Chicago.
  9. “The effect of fluid absorption on the fatigue crack propagation resistance of conventional and highly crosslinked UHMW polyethylenes for orthopedic implants”, 9th International fatigue congress – 2006, Atlanta.
  10. “Static fracture J-R resistance of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene using a single specimen normalization method”, Society for Biomaterials annual meeting – 2006, Pittsburgh.
  11. “Fracture and fatigue behavior of multi-strand implantable electrodes”, Material Science & Technology, MS&T 2007, Detroit.
  12. "Mechanical behavior of implantable electrodes", IFESS 2007, Philadelphia.
  13. "Evaluation of Mechanical and Corrosion Performance of Silver-Cored Implantable Leadwires", Neural Interfaces Conference, 2008, Cleveland.

Journal Articles

  1. Varadarajan R, Rimnac CM, “Compliance calibration for fatigue crack propagation testing of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene”, Biomaterials, 27(27), 4693-4697,2006.
  2. Varadarajan R, Dapp EK, Rimnac CM, “Static fracture resistance of UHMWPE using single specimen normalization method.”, Polymer Testing, 27(2), 260-268, 2008.
  3. Varadarajan R, Rimnac CM, “Evaluation of J-initiation fracture toughness of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene used in total joint replacements”, Polymer Testing, 27(5), 616-620, 2008.
  4. Lewandowski JJ, Varadarajan R, Smith B, Tuma C, Shazly M, Vatamanu LO, “Tension and fatigue behavior of 316LVM 1x7 multi-strand cables used as implantable electrodes”, Journal of Materials Science and Engineering A, 486(1-2), 447-454, 2008.
  5. Caris J, Varadarajan R, Stephens JJ, Lewandowski JJ, “Microstructural effects on tension and fatigue behavior of Cu-15Ni-8Sn sheet.”, Journal of Materials Science and Engineering A, 491(1-2), 137-146, 2008.
  6. Lewandowski JJ, Varadarajan R, Smith B, “Tension and fatigue behavior of silver-cored composite multi-strand DFT cables used as implantable cables and electrodes”, Journal of Materials Science and Engineering A, 492(1-2), 191-198, 2008.
  7. Hassan H, Varadarajan R, Lewandowski JJ, “Effect of loading rate and temperature on the fracture resistance of zirconium based bulk metallic glass”, Metallurgical Transactions (Under Review).
  8. Varadarajan R, Thurston AK, Lewandowski JJ, "Increased toughness of Zirconium based bulk metallic glasses tested under mixed mode conditions", Acta Materialia (Under Review).
  9. Varadarajan R, Rimnac CM, “Effect of body temeprature fluid environment on the J-R fracture resistance of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene”, Journal of Biomedical Materials Research (Under Preparation).

Invited Lectures

  1. On, "Mechanical charecterization of implantable composite cables for Next generation neuroprostheses system" at Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, August 2008.

Journal Article Reviewer

  1. Metallurgical Transactions
  2. Journal of Composite Materials

Awards

  • Student travel achievement recognition award, Society for Biomaterials Annual meeting, Pittsburgh, 2006.
  • Case Prime Fellowship, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, 2003-2006.
  • Academic proficiency award, Crescent Engineering College,University of Madras, India, 1997,1998, 1999.
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