Kingsford Koranteng: Winner of Inaugural Brake Colloquium & Exhibition Poster Competition

Kingsford Koranteng, a PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, recently won the SAE International Myers Award for Outstanding Student Paper at the inaugural SAE Brake Colloquium Student Poster Competition. His research and poster, “Transient Heat Transfer Simulation and Buckling Analysis of Disc Brake in In-Wheel Motor Driven Vehicle” is based on research with Professor Yun-Bo Yi.

Koranteng completed his undergraduate education in his home country at the University of Ghana, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Engineering. He then went to the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) in China where he received his Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering. Koranteng discovered his interest in disc brake systems at BIT. He joined the University of Denver last January to begin his PhD research with Yi on uneven heat transfers in disc brakes and clutch systems.

For the SAE Brake Colloquium Student Poster Competition, Koranteng entered his poster abstract in order to be selected to present his research before judges. Originally, this competition was scheduled to take place in San Antonio, Texas, however it was moved to an online virtual setting due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In the online format, Koranteng had a 10 minute window with the judges over Zoom where he presented his research and answered questions. Based on the quality of his research and presentation of his poster, Koranteng won this competition. He was awarded a certificate and a cash prize of $2,000. Koranteng expressed his excitement in winning the competition, “I wasn’t expecting to win, so it was very exciting!”

After completing his research with Yi, Koranteng hopes to continue to work in the brake industry. Congratulations to Kingsford, the Ritchie School celebrates his hard work and success.