Dr. George Nelson

Department Chair and Professor, MAE Ashok K. Singhal Endowed Chair in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering

Contact

5000 Technology Drive NW
Olin B. King Technology Hall
Room N274
Huntsville, AL 35899
Campus Map

256.824.5082
george.nelson@uah.edu

Biography

George J. Nelson is Professor, Department Chair, and the Ashok K. Singhal Endowed Chair of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH). His research applies x-ray and neutron imaging methods in concert with modeling and electrochemical testing to connect multiscale geometry and transport interactions with the performance and reliability of energy storage and conversion devices. 

Prof. Nelson received his Bachelor of Science (2003), Master of Science (2006), and Ph.D. (2009) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Prior to joining UAH in 2012 he was an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Connecticut, where he contributed to the development of novel 3D imaging and analysis methods for energy materials based on x-ray nanotomography and x-ray absorption spectroscopy methods. 

Prof. Nelson has served ASME through conference organization and committee membership primarily within the Advanced Energy Systems Division, and as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage.

He is a recipient of an ORAU Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2013), a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2015), and a Shull Wollan Center Visiting Researcher Fellowship (2019-2020).

Curriculum Vitae

Education

  • Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009
  • M.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2003

Honors & Awards

  • ASME Edward F. Obert Award (2023)
  • Shull Wollan Center for Neutron Sciences Visiting Researcher Fellowship (2019-2020)
  • National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award (2015)
  • UAH Distinguished Research Award (2015)
  • UAH College of Engineering Outstanding Faculty Member (2015)
  • UAH College of Engineering Faculty Research Award (2014-2015)
  • UAH College of Engineering Outstanding Junior Faculty Member (2015)
  • Oak Ridge Associated Universities Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award (2013)

Expertise

  • Transport Phenomena: Heat, Mass, and Charge Transfer
  • Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
  • Energy Systems Modeling and Analysis
  • Porous and Heterogeneous Media
  • X-ray and Neutron Imaging

Recent Publications

  • H. J. Gonzalez Malabet, M. F. Gober, P. Patel, A. D. L’Antigua, A. Gabhart, J. K. Amai, X. Xiao, and G. J.
    Nelson, “Voltage and Temperature Effects on Low Cobalt Lithium-ion Battery Cathode Degradation,”
    Energy Advances, 2025, 4, 304-319.

  • M. D. Flannagin, B. Barnes, W. O’Donoghue, J. Mayeur, K. Hazeli and G. J. Nelson, “Electrochemical
    Response of Alkaline Batteries Subject to Quasi-Static and Dynamic Loading,” Journal of the
    Electrochemical Society, 2023, 170, Article 010521.

  • P. Patel, G. Zhang and G. J. Nelson, “Assessing the Impact of Electrode Structure on the Fast Charge
    Performance of Lithium-ion Batteries,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2023, 170, Article
    010501. 

  • H. J. Gonzalez Malabet, G. M. Cavalheiro, T. Iriyama, A. Gabhart, G. J. Nelson and G. Zhang,
    “Electrochemical and Post-mortem Degradation Analysis of Lithium-Ion Cells Subjected to Long
    Term Cycling under Non-Uniform Thermal Conditions,” Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2021,
    168, Article 100507.

  • J. Adams and G. J. Nelson, “Cycling Induced Microstructural Changes in Alloy Anodes for Lithium-Ion
    Batteries,” ASME Journal of Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage, 2021, 18(4), Article
    040907.

  • H. J. Gonzalez Malabet, D. Juarez Robles, V. De Andrade, P. P. Mukherjee, and G. J. Nelson, “In
    Operando XANES Imaging of High Capacity Intermetallic Anodes for Li-ion Batteries,” Journal of the
    Electrochemical Society, 2020, 167(4), Article 040523.

  • S. Y. Shin, T. Rajendra and G. J. Nelson, “Mesoscale Transport-Geometry Interactions in Lithium Ion
    Cathode Active Materials: Particle Scale Galvanostatic Simulations Based on X-ray Nanotomography
    Data,” Journal of Power Sources, 2020, 454, Article 227891.

  • P. Patel and G. J. Nelson, “The Influence of Structure on the Electrochemical and Thermal Response
    of Li-Ion Battery Electrodes,” ASME Journal of Energy Resources Technology, 2020, 142(5), Article
    050906.

  • T. Rajendra, A. Mistry, P. P. Patel, L. J. Ausderau, X. Xiao, P. P. Mukherjee and G. J. Nelson,
    “Quantifying Transport, Geometrical, and Morphological Parameters in Li-Ion Cathode Phases Using
    X-ray Microtomography,” ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, 2019, 11(22), 19933-19942.

  • G. J. Nelson, L. J. Ausderau, J. R. Buckley, S. Y. Shin, A. Mistry, P. P. Mukherjee, V. De Andrade,
    “Transport-Geometry Interactions in Li-ion Cathode Materials Imaged Using X-ray
    Nanotomography”, Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2017, 164(7), p. A1412-A1424.