Engineering the Elements

Hugo Pimentel, Ph.D., SECS ’18, was set on planting roots near Metro Detroit: the heart of the automotive sector. “I was really focusing on the automotive side of things because that was what my background was,” explains Dr. Pimentel, who received his Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering from OU in 2018. An international student from Brazil with a degree from Federal University of Pernambuco, he was full steam ahead until something outside his wheelhouse caught his eye.

“I saw Dr. [Michael] Latcha’s senior design project,” explains Pimentel. “It was a wave energy project and it sparked my interest. I liked that it was a mixture of projects coming together and a variety of groups working to achieve the same goal.” 

The project was focused on renewable energy, something that Pimentel had little interest in. “I had never thought about pursuing it,” laughs Pimentel. “I thought it was important, but it wasn’t something that I saw myself working on.”

Pimentel enjoys a challenge, however. Pushing himself to resolve an issue, discovering new approaches or developing a skill that may not be getting the attention that it deserves is what drives him professionally. Renewable energy is chock-full of problems like that.

“The fact that you are taking an uncontrolled natural power source — wind, waves, streams — and you’re extracting it into something useful,” explains Pimentel. “You’re controlling it and generating power. It was interesting, like a challenge that I was eager to take on and try to find solutions.”

Not only is it a way for Pimentel to challenge himself, but his work makes an impact. “You can harness this energy and produce something that is meaningful,” he says. “It can power homes and charge batteries.”

While the senior design project helped shift his focus from the auto industry to renewable energy, the bond that would develop between Pimentel and Michael Latcha, Ph.D., associate professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, was more impactful.

“From a technical standpoint, Dr. Latcha has a wealth of knowledge and experience,” explains Pimentel. “If I ever got stuck, I would ask for his support, and he had a way of guiding you to the right answer. He wouldn’t tell you what to do but rather point out where he thought the issue was and give advice on how he would approach the problem.”

Dr. Latcha was much more than just an abundance of information: He provided Pimentel with confidence, a sense of purpose, and someone to discuss next steps and job opportunities.

“He just supported me,” says Pimentel. “He told me that the work I am doing is important. He inspired me to become a better person and strive to get better every day. His work in the classroom, through research and how he managed his students, was inspirational.”

With the support of Latcha, along with his own networking, Pimentel landed a job at both Innovative Billboards LLC and a local wave energy company, Wave Water Works LLC. “During my work at Wave Water Works, we built prototypes and landed an international partnership for cooperation in R&D in Brazil, where we shipped one of the prototypes for field tests and further development.” He pursued his doctorate at Florida Atlantic University, working on a waterwheel that would use a continuously variable transmission to generate power in flowing water.

Currently working for Shipwright LLC in Fort Lauderdale, Pimentel works on a wind-assisted propulsion system (WASP), utilizing wind to create lift through a stiff aluminum sail to help propel boats and decrease the consumption of fossil fuels.

While the focus will remain on utilizing water to create energy, there is another renewable resource that Pimentel is keeping his eye on. “Piezoelectric crystals: if you apply a pressure differential, it generates a voltage differential,” he explains. In layman’s terms, it means if you apply pressure on the crystal, it generates power. “Companies will install these in floor tiles or in certain places in cities so that when people walk on them, they create power. I think that’s fascinating.”

From automotive aspirations to renewable energy research, Pimentel is always in search of a new challenge. Whether it is another problem to solve, a resource to harness or someone to help along the way, his work is never finished.