Gerald Fly Headshot

Gerald Fly

Lecturer

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Kate Gleason College of Engineering

585-475-5259
Office Location

Gerald Fly

Lecturer

Department of Mechanical Engineering
Kate Gleason College of Engineering

Education

BS, MS, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Bio

Gerald Fly received his B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked for two years at Boeing Airplane Company on the development of digital control systems for turbine- compressor packs. He then spent seven years at Los Alamos National Laboratory developing high temperature thermoelectric modules for Space Reactor Program, analyzing knuckle buckling of reactor contaiment vessels during overpressurization events such as occurred at Three Mile Island, and utilizing finite element codes to model fracture in core support blocks of high temperature gas nuclear reactors. After leaving LANL, he worked for Computational Mechanics Company with Dr. J. Tinsley Oden at the University of Texas developing hybrid stress elements for an adaptive mesh finite element code.

Mr. Fly then went to work for the AC Rochester Division of General Motors developing new test methods for testing internal combustion engine manifold and fuel injector systems. He ran the Vehicle Emission Labs for several years and worked on the development of new test methods for modal speciation of the exhaust. After six years at GM he transferred to the Fuel Cell Activities Group where he developed large scale test facilities for fuel cells. He moved on to the design and development of fuel cell stacks including the development of sophisticated test methods for which he has been awarded numerous patents. He worked on the application of new finite element analyses to model the multidisciplinary electrochemical and thermal processes in the fuel cell as well as new techniques in modeling of metal forming as applied to the stamping of bipolar plates to micron level tolerances. Over his career, Mr. Fly has authored a number of peer-reviewed publications and holds over 60 patents.

585-475-5259

Currently Teaching

MECE-117
3 Credits
This course provides the student with an overview of the use of computer programming for solving problems encountered in engineering. Students will learn how to develop an algorithm for solving a problem and to translate that algorithm into computer code using fundamental structured programming techniques. The programming language(s) employed are selected to support computational problem-solving in higher-level mechanical engineering courses.
MECE-301
2 Credits
As a modification of the more “traditional” lab approach, students work in teams to complete an open-ended project involving theoretical and empirical analyses of an assigned system, applying engineering concepts and skills learned throughout prior courses. After successfully completing this course, students will have achieved a higher level of understanding of, and proficiency in, the tasks of qualitative treatment of real systems, development and implementation of analytical models, design and implementation of experimental investigations, and validation of results.
MECE-605
3 Credits
This course focuses upon theoretical and applied concepts pertaining to the finite element method. Direct and weighted residual formulation methods are derived and applied to problems in the area of structural analysis, fluid flow, and heat transfer. Foundational topics include shape functions, element formulation, element assembly, boundary conditions, matrix solution methods, mesh refinement, and convergence. The use of a standard commercial finite element software package is introduced.