Nikhil Gotawala

Nikhil Gotawala

Postdoctoral Researcher in Materials Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech, specializing in solid-state manufacturing processes

Portfolio

Research Projects

Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD) Modeling

Status: Ongoing Research at Virginia Tech
Description: Development of 3D CFD-based thermo-mechanical model for additive friction stir deposition. Predicting material flow paths and thermomechanical properties (strain rate, temperature, stress) during the deposition process.
Technologies: MATLAB
Impact: Understanding material flow behavior in solid-state additive manufacturing

Dissimilar Friction Stir Welding (FSW) Modeling

Status: Completed during Ph.D. at IIT Bombay
Description: Developed coupled CFD and VOF-based model for dissimilar friction stir welding. Modeled phase transformations and IMC growth using diffusion and thermodynamic analysis.
Technologies: CFD, VOF methodology, Thermodynamic modeling
Impact: Published multiple high-impact journal papers on dissimilar FSW

Microstructure Evolution in FSW/FSP

Status: Completed during Ph.D. at IIT Bombay
Description: Investigation of microstructure evolution during friction stir welding and friction stir processing. Characterized grain structure, texture evolution, and phase transformations.
Technologies: SEM, EBSD, X-ray tomography, Image analysis
Impact: Understanding process-structure-property relationships

Dissimilar Material Joining

Research Area: Friction Stir Welding
Description: Advanced techniques for joining dissimilar materials (Al-Cu, Al-Mg, SS-Ti) using solid-state processes. Understanding and controlling intermetallic compound formation.

Materials Characterization Support

Institution: Virginia Tech
Description: Supporting industrial projects through material characterization and analysis. Providing expertise in microstructure analysis and mechanical testing.
Technologies: SEM, EBSD, TEM, Mechanical testing, Data analysis

Technical Skills Demonstrated