Contact
- swcoates@mtu.edu
- 906-487-1663
- EERC 326
Associate Professor
- BSc, Mechanical Engineering, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK, 1970
- PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Queen’s University, Belfast, UK, 1974
Biography
Samuel Coates is an associate professor in the School of Technology at Michigan Tech. Having more than thirty years of experience in the aerospace and marine industries, Coates’s areas of focus include small-aircraft applications and the design of internal-combustion engines.
Coates has taught undergraduate courses in fluid mechanics, fluid power, and machine design, as well as courses in internal-combustion engines at both the undergraduate and graduate levels; in addition, he recently developed a course in applied energy systems, which exposes the student to a broad range of traditional and emerging energy resources and applications. He says concepts of conservation, renewability, and sustainability have all been central themes of his courses.
Within the University, Coates is involved with the Advanced Power Systems Research Center and has served as a Senior Design faculty advisor. In addition, he volunteers his time to the local school system, serving on the Automotive Technology Advisory Board for the Copper Country Intermediate School District. He is active in three professional societies: the American Society for Engineering Education, the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, and the Society of Automotive Engineers. Coates is also a volunteer examiner for FCC Licensing within the Amateur Radio Service; a severe weather observer for the National Weather Service SKYWARN Program; and a technical counselor for the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Research Interests
- Optimization of internal combustion engine performance
- Exhaust emissions reduction
- Fuel economy improvement
- Noise reduction
Teaching Interests
- Fluid mechanics
- Fluid power
- Machine design
- Internal combustion engines
- Applied energy systems