Dr. Waruna Kulatilaka
- Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering
- Morris E. Foster Faculty Fellow I
Research Interests
- Laser diagnostics and spectroscopy
- Optical techniques for reacting flows
- Gas turbine combustion
Dr. Waruna Kulatilaka is an associate professor of mechanical engineering. His research interests are advanced optical and laser-based diagnostics for gas turbine combustion and propulsion applications, as well as reacting and non-reacting flow studies. He has published nearly 50 peer-reviewed journal articles in these areas. Prior to joining Texas A&M, he was a senior research scientist and contractor at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL-WPAFB), and completed a postdoctoral term at the Combustion Research Facility at Sandia National Laboratories, CA. Kulatilaka is active in numerous professional organizations, including ASME (fellow), AIAA (associate fellow), OSA (senior member), The Combustion Institute (board member–CSS), APS and American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE). He has received several awards for outstanding technical contributions and service..
Phone: (979) 458-2885
Email: [email protected]
Educational Background
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University — 2006
- M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University — 2002
- B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, University of Moratuwa — 200
Awards & Honors
- Fellow – American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- Associate Fellow – American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
- Forty Under 40 Award – Dayton Business Journal (2013)
- Outstanding Technical Contribution Award – Dayton Section of ASME (2012)
- Invited Speaker – Gordon Research Conference on Laser Diagnostics in Combustion (2013, 2011-Hot Topics)
Selected Publications
- Y. Wang*, A. Jain*, and W. D. Kulatilaka, “Hydroxyl radical planar imaging in flames using femtosecond laser pulses,” Applied Physics B, 125:90 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-019-7203-2.
- A. Jain*, Y. Wang*, and W. D. Kulatilaka, “Effect of H-Atom Concentration on Soot Formation in Premixed Ethylene/Air Flat Flames,” Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 37, 1289–1296 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2018.07.093.
- M. O. O’Neil*, N. A. Neimiec*, A. Demko, E. L. Petersen, and W, D. Kulatilaka, “Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Based Characterization of Emissions from Metalized Energetic Formulations,” Applied Optics, 57, 1910–1917 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.57.001910. (***Editor’s Pick***).
- W. D. Kulatilaka, J. R. Gord, V. R. Katta, and S. Roy, “Photolytic-interference-free, femtosecond two-photon fluorescence imaging of atomic hydrogen,” Optics Letters, 37, 3051–3053 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.003051.
- W. D. Kulatilaka, J. H. Frank, and T. B. Settersten, “Interference-free two-photon LIF imaging of atomic hydrogen in flames using picosecond excitation,” Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 32, 955–962 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2008.06.125.