UK Mechanical Engineering's Henninger Wins GE Challenge

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 7, 2015) — Tom Henninger, University of Kentucky Department of Mechanical Engineering lecturer, has been named a winner in GE's Water & Process Technologies Challenge. Henninger is one of five winning contestants who each will receive a cash prize award of $20,000 and the opportunity to work with GE Water engineers.

The challenge asked contestants to create 3D designs for novel means of connecting the components of a plastic central tube assembly — a critical part of spiral wound membranes, used in GE's advanced water systems.

Using the winning designs, GE wants to improve the means of connection to eliminate unnecessary components, reduce cost and improve efficiency for its customers as it relates to spiral wound membranes.

Henninger joined UK in 1999 as an industrial extension engineer. In this role, he worked with manufacturers and entrepreneurs in the state providing low-cost engineering design and analysis of products, manufacturing processes, facility layouts, and prototype design and fabrication.

In 2010, he joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering and is now a co-director of the Kentucky Industrial Assessment Center, part of the UK College of Engineering and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, performing free energy audits for manufacturers in the region with a team of students. 

Henninger also conducts design and analysis consulting work through JTH Consulting LLC, and is a co-advisor for the UK Solar Car Team. 

MEDIA CONTACT: Whitney Harder, 859-323-2396, whitney.harder@uky.edu