MAE graduate student, Audrey Blizard, set to receive a 2021 NSF GRFP Fellowship
An Ohio State mechanical engineering student has been notified that she will receive a 2021 National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) Fellowship.
Audrey Blizard, a graduate student at Ohio State, works under the supervision of Professor Stephanie Stockar. Blizard completed her undergraduate studies at Penn State University before coming to Ohio State for her doctorate.
Selection for the honor is based on a graduate student's abilities and accomplishments, as well as their potential to contribute to the vitality of US science and engineering enterprises, according to the NSF GRFP website. The GRFP has a long history of selecting recipients who achieve high levels of success in their future academic and professional careers.
"This is a very competitive program, and I am beyond happy that Audrey has been recognized with this prestigious fellowship," Professor Stockar said. "In addition to her academic accomplishments, Audrey is establishing herself as a leader in her research field and role model for young female engineers."
Blizard’s current research is focusing on the modeling, optimization, and control of district heating networks (DHNs). DHNs provide heated water through a network of underground pipes to buildings to heat them.
The most difficult part about her research is that DHNs are required to always be operational, so it becomes difficult to run tests using actual systems, Blizard said. Additionally, there is very little data about the operation of DHNs and creating a model is difficult.
Through the difficulties and by using some innovation, the lab was able to create a scaled model of a DHN that will allow us to perform tests and collect the data needed. With that data, Blizard and her colleagues in the lab were able to show the benefits that DHN have on energy needs.
“Optimizing the performance of DHNs through smart control strategies can lead to a more than 30% reduction in energy demands, helping to minimize the effect heating buildings has on global warming,” she said.
According to Blizard, receiving this award is confirmation she is heading in the right direction with her research.
“The fellowship gives me confidence that other people agree that this work will be impactful and advance the field of control,” she said. “The funding will allow me to focus on my research and ensure that my focus will be on a project about which I am truly passionate.”
Blizard’s future plan is to stay in academia and work as a professor at a research university.
