While the automotive sector is rapidly transitioning towards cleaner energy, conventional engines will remain an essential part of the transportation industry for many years, and so it is imperative to make these engines cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable during this transition.
Niranjan Miganakallu, our next pathbreaker, Research Engineer at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI, Texas), focuses on the development of advanced internal combustion engine technologies for sustainable transportation through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, including hydrogen, methanol, natural gas, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels.
Niranjan talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about his work that combines experimental research, computational analysis, and technology development with the goal of translating fundamental research into feasible engineering solutions for the transportation industry.
For students, never be afraid of changing direction: Careers are rarely linear, and it is perfectly acceptable to change course if you discover a path that aligns better with your interests and aspirations.
Niranjan, Your background?
I am Dr. Niranjan Miganakallu, and I was born in the temple town of Sringeri in Karnataka. However,I spent all my childhood and education in Tirupati, the abode of Lord Sri Venkateshwara. I come from a middle-class family, where education was considered the most reliable path for financial stability and a better future. My father was a professor, while my mother was a homemaker.
Although I did not have a strong inclination toward any subject in school, I deeply admired my father, who was respected as an academician. Watching him earned my deep respect for teaching and research as a profession. Ironically, as a child, my biggest motivation for wanting to become a teacher was the long summer vacations!!! However, as I grew older, I realized a genuine appreciation for teaching after witnessing firsthand the lasting impact of a good teacher on a student’s life.
What did you do for graduation/post-graduation?
After completing my 12th, I faced the difficult decision of choosing an engineering discipline. At the time, Electronics and Communication Engineering was the most sought-after branch among students. However, one of my professors advised me to pursue Mechanical Engineering. Following his advice, I enrolled in the B.Tech program in Mechanical Engineering at Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.
During my undergraduate studies, I developed a growing interest in thermal and fluid sciences, particularly in subjects including thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, and internal combustion engines. I was lucky to learn these subjects from a few exceptional professors whose passion for teaching made a lasting impression on me. Their mentorship inspired me to pursue higher studies in the field.
Subsequently, I pursued M.Tech. in Thermal Engineering at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal. During the second year of my M.Tech, I secured an internship at Honeywell Technology Solutions in Bengaluru. The internship proved to be a valuable learning experience, and upon graduation, I was offered a full-time position with the company.
What were some of the influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional and unique career in Engine Research?
There wasn’t a single defining moment per se, but it was a series of experiences and decisions that gradually led me to where I am today. With a keen interest in thermal engineering, I wanted to spend my career doing research and remained focused on the destination and adapted my path as opportunities arose. Pursuing an M.Tech, working in industry, switching to academia as a faculty, and eventually moving to the United States for a Ph.D. were all steps that naturally unfolded toward that vision.
There are a few mentors who lit that spark that eventually paved the way for this career. Two professors during my undergraduate studies provided pieces of advice that have stayed with me throughout my life. One of them encouraged me, “If you are not burdened by immediate family responsibilities and have reasonable financial security, study as much as you can. Never feel that a bachelor’s degree is the end of your education.” At the time, I did not fully appreciate the significance of those words, but in hindsight, they profoundly influenced my decisions.
Another professor encouraged every one of his students to think beyond short-term comparisons. His advice was that pursuing a Master’s degree or a Ph.D. may seem spending several additional years in school while it is exciting to start earning. However, he urged that over the course of a long career, the difference in when people begin earning often becomes far less significant than the way they think, solve problems, and approach life. Higher education, he said, is not merely an investment in a profession; it is an investment in oneself. It teaches you to think critically, question assumptions, conduct independent inquiry, and develop the confidence to tackle complex challenges. Those qualities shape not only your career but also your perspective on life. This advice resonated with me strongly.
The third, and perhaps the most enduring, influence came from my father. As a professor of Advaita Vedanta, he was a scholar par excellence whose impact extended beyond the classroom. Growing up, I witnessed the immense respect and affection his students had for him – not merely because of his scholarship, but because of the integrity, compassion, and dedication with which he taught and mentored them. Watching him made me realize that teaching is far more than transferring knowledge; it is about shaping character, inspiring curiosity, and transforming lives. Long before I understood what a career in research would entail, he instilled in me a deep respect for scholarship, lifelong learning, and the noble responsibility of a teacher.
These pieces of advice and influence gave me the conviction to pursue a career in research. The field of engine research was an organic evolution cultivated based on my interests from my B.Tech years.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
My career path was not guided by a rigid long-term plan but slowly by continuously building a strong foundation, and choosing opportunities that align with my long-term interest in research and teaching.
During my internship at Honeywell Technology Solutions, I worked on investigating the effect of turbine blade tip clearance on gas turbine performance. The project involved predicting and analyzing how small changes in blade tip clearance influence airflow, efficiency, and overall gas turbine performance.
After joining Honeywell as a full-time engineer, my work shifted to developing computational tools to characterize turbomachinery noise from aircraft engine acoustics. This work required a strong understanding of acoustics, including octave-band analysis, signal processing, and the development of algorithms to identify and characterize the various noise sources generated from an aircraft engine. While the work was technically challenging, I gradually realized that my long-term aspirations did not fully align with the nature of the work I was doing. It motivated me to transition to academia, where I could gain the experience, and depth of knowledge necessary to pursue a career in advanced engine research.
Hence, after spending two years at Honeywell, I made a conscious decision to transition to academia and joined the Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, as an Assistant Professor. Teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses, mentoring students, gave immense satisfaction. However, I also recognized that if I wanted to pursue a long-term career in research and contribute meaningfully to cutting-edge engineering problems, I needed advanced research training.
So, after a few years at Manipal, I moved to the United States to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University where my PhD was on the investigation of water injection for knock mitigation in spark-ignited engines.
When we sweat, our body releases water onto the skin, and as that water evaporates, it absorbs heat from our body, producing a cooling effect. I applied a similar fundamental principle during my PhD research, but inside an engine.
Modern gasoline or petrol engines are designed with higher compression ratios and turbocharging to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. However, these changes also make them more susceptible to engine knock, an uncontrolled form of combustion that limits how efficiently the engine can operate. My research investigated direct water injection into the engine cylinder. As the injected water evaporates, it absorbs a significant amount of heat from the compressed fuel-air mixture, reducing the in-cylinder temperature before combustion. This suppresses engine knock, allowing the engine to operate at higher compression ratios and more optimal ignition timing, ultimately improving efficiency, performance, and emissions.
During my postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Engine Research Center, I developed combustion technologies that would enable aircraft engines to operate reliably on a wide range of fuels, particularly under high-altitude conditions. The work was primarily focused on small diesel-powered unmanned aerial systems (UAS), where engine reliability and fuel flexibility are critical. We experimentally evaluated conventional diesel, methanol, and several blends of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) to understand how fuel properties influence combustion, engine performance, emissions, and combustion stability.
This research was part of a large collaborative effort involving multiple universities, national laboratories, and industry partners, with the shared goal of developing next-generation multi-fuel propulsion technologies for aviation. The project provided valuable experience working in multidisciplinary teams while contributing to technologies that support cleaner, more flexible, and sustainable aircraft propulsion systems.
Today, I work as a Research Engineer at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), where I lead projects involving advanced powertrain, hydrogen and methanol combustion, sustainable fuels, engine and emissions control. My work combines experimental research, computational analysis, and technology development with the goal of translating fundamental research into feasible engineering solutions for the transportation industry. At every stage, mentors, professors, colleagues, and collaborators have played an important role in opening new opportunities and broadening my perspective.
How did you get your first break?
I consider my time at Honeywell to be my first major career breakthrough – not simply because it gave me my first professional opportunity, but because it crystallised my thoughts about my future. It gave me exposure to product and software development, the dynamics of working in multidisciplinary teams, and the engineering challenges involved in developing real-world products. Those two years helped me understand both the challenges and the realities of a product-oriented engineering career.
More importantly, the experience provided me with something even more valuable: clarity. It showed me not only what I wanted to become, but perhaps more importantly, what I did not want to become.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Every career comes with its own share of challenges, and mine has been no exception.
Challenge 1: Transitioning from Industry to Academia
One of my earliest challenges was transitioning from industry to academia. After working at Honeywell for two years, I joined Manipal Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor. It was my first experience teaching senior undergraduate students. Standing in front of a classroom of 50-60 students and earning the respect of students was not easy!
It took time to build that trust with the students, but once I did, teaching became one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. The relationships I developed with students and seeing them grow into successful professionals is something I truly cherish.
Challenge 2: Leaving a secure and comfortable career to pursue PhD
The second major challenge came when I decided to pursue a PhD in the United States. It was challenging because it meant leaving behind a secure academic position and, more importantly, being away from my family. A year later, my family joined me, and we began building a new life in a foreign country while living on a graduate student stipend. Like many married international students, we had to learn to balance personal comforts, academic demands, and the responsibilities of raising a young child. Those years required sacrifices and careful planning.
I could not have achieved this journey without the unwavering support of my wife. While I focused on my research and doctoral studies, she wholeheartedly embraced my dream as her own and carried the immense responsibility of caring for our family. Her patience, and resilience gave me peace of mind to pursue my goals. Whatever I accomplished during those years was as much her achievement as it was mine, and I am always thankful for her support.
Challenge 3: Navigating the Uncertainty of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Perhaps the most challenging period came toward the end of my PhD when the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill. I defended my doctoral dissertation in the middle of the pandemic, at a time when hiring had completely stopped in the US and in India, and there was tremendous uncertainty about the future.
As an international student nearing graduation, I was naturally anxious about my career prospects and what lay ahead. At the same time, my family and I had not been able to visit our loved ones in India for nearly five years because of the demands of graduate school and the travel restrictions imposed during the pandemic. The prolonged separation from family, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding our future, took a significant emotional toll on us.
Where do you work now?
I currently work as a Research Engineer at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio, Texas, USA. SwRI is one of the world’s largest independent, nonprofit applied research and development organizations, working across a broad range of engineering and scientific disciplines.
My research focuses on the development of advanced internal combustion engine technologies for sustainable transportation. I work on improving engine efficiency and reducing emissions through the use of alternative and renewable fuels, including hydrogen, methanol, natural gas, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuels. My work spans experimental engine testing, combustion diagnostics, engine controls, emissions measurement, and computational analysis.
What problems do you solve?
As a Research Engineer at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), I lead the development of technologies that help internal combustion engines operate with lower emissions and higher efficiency using cleaner fuels. My research addresses problems such as:
- ⮚How can we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from using renewable low-carbon fuels?
- ⮚How can we improve engine efficiency while maintaining performance and reliability?
- ⮚How can we enable conventional engines to operate on cleaner fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, renewable diesel, or sustainable aviation fuels?
- ⮚How can advanced sensing, data analytics, and artificial intelligence help us develop smarter, cleaner, and more efficient engines?
Many of these problems have no straightforward solutions. Most of my work involves understanding the performance trade-offs and developing innovative solutions that balance multiple competing objectives.
What skills are needed for job? How did you acquire the skills?
For a Research Engineer, a combination of technical expertise and interpersonal skills are required. A strong foundation in thermodynamics, heat transfer, fluid mechanics, combustion, and engine systems is essential because these principles form the basis of everything we do. Experiments do not always produce the expected results, so the ability to troubleshoot problems, think independently, and learn from failures is just as important as understanding engineering concepts. Equally important are communication and teamwork, since research today is highly collaborative and involves working with cross functional teams.
My undergraduate and graduate education provided a strong technical foundation in thermal engineering. Teaching at Manipal Institute of Technology strengthened my ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and improved my own understanding of engineering fundamentals. My PhD and postdoctoral experience helped me in carrying out the experimental research in addition to formulating research questions, design experiments, analyze data, and publish scientific work.
What’s a typical day like?
There is no such thing as a “typical” day. The work is highly project-driven, and each day presents a different set of technical challenges.
On some days, I spend most of my time at the engine lab, where we conduct experiments on different types of engines. This involves running the engine, monitoring combustion and emissions data in real time, and troubleshooting issues. A single day of testing can generate a significant amount of data for further analysis.
On other days, I focus on data analysis and problem-solving. After experiments, I analyze combustion data, interpret results, compare them with computational models, and identify trends that can guide the next set of experiments.
I also spend time proposing new ideas with colleagues, reviewing scientific literature, and preparing research proposals. I regularly interact with researchers, technicians, project managers, and industry sponsors. We review technical results and plan future research activities.
My work also includes writing technical reports, preparing presentations, publishing research papers, and presenting findings at conferences. Sharing results with the scientific community and industry partners is an essential part of advancing engineering knowledge.
Overall, my work is a combination of hands-on experimentation, engineering analysis, teamwork, and continuous learning. Every day brings a new challenge, whether it is diagnosing an unexpected engine behavior, developing a new combustion strategy, or testing a cleaner fuel.
What is it you love about this job?
Every research project presents a new problem that has not been solved before, which means there is always something new to understand, investigate, or develop. It is a process of continuous learning.
We begin with a question, develop hypotheses, design experiments, analyze data, and gradually arrive at a solution. The satisfaction of solving a problem that leads to a better engineering solution is incredibly rewarding.
How does your work benefit society?
The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution. Millions of trucks, buses, agricultural machines, construction equipment, ships, and power generators continue to rely on internal combustion engines. While the world is moving toward cleaner energy, these engines will remain an essential part of transportation and industry for many years. My work focuses on making these engines cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable during this transition.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
Hydrogen is widely regarded as one of the fuels that can play a significant role in decarbonizing transportation. While many people associate hydrogen with fuel cells, I have been working on enabling internal combustion engines to operate efficiently using hydrogen, particularly for heavy-duty applications such as trucks and off-road equipment. This is especially exciting because it leverages the existing engine manufacturing ecosystem to significantly reduce carbon emissions.
One of the most memorable projects that I have worked on is the development of a hydrogen fueled diesel engine. This project came after months of designing experiments, developing engine control strategies, modifying engine hardware, and troubleshooting countless technical issues. There were days when hardware setup did not go as planned, components failed, or we had to rethink our entire approach identifying the correct materials for the components.
After a few months of preparation, we finally achieved stable operation of a heavy-duty research engine using high-pressure hydrogen direct injection. Seeing a diesel engine run successfully with hydrogen instead of diesel and produce engine power output was an incredibly satisfying moment. It was not just about making an engine run, it represented the combined efforts of an entire team and the successful translation of theoretical concepts into a working technology.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
My learnings based on my experience are:
- Be curious and be humble: Be curious and ask as many questions as you can and learn something new. Be humble because no matter how much knowledge or experience one gains, there is always something new to discover.
- Never be afraid of changing direction: Careers are rarely linear, and it is perfectly acceptable to change course if you discover a path that aligns better with your interests and aspirations.
Above all, you will spend a significant part of your life at work, so choose a career that genuinely excites you rather than one based solely on trends or financial rewards.
Future Plans?
Although my current role is exclusively in research and development, I hope to continue mentoring students, and helping young engineers develop both technical skills and a passion for innovation. I have benefited immensely from great teachers and mentors throughout my career, and I would like to pass that to the next generation.