Materials Scientist
Materials Scientist

Biography

Muthu Elen (a.k.a. Muthu Ram Prabhu Elenchezhian) graduated with his PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. He later worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue University’s Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center, and then as a research and development engineer at X-wave Innovations Inc. for structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation projects.

Dr. Elen joined Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in 2023 as a postdoctoral research associate and converted to polymer materials scientist in 2024. He is on the Materials Aging and Degradation Team in the Applied Materials and Manufacturing Group, which is part of the Energy Processes and Materials Division. He currently leads efforts on a variety of research projects for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) supporting material aging and degradation studies, nondestructive examination (NDE) of electrical cable aging, durability of polymers and recycling of composites used in water-power technologies, carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) piping repairs used in nuclear power plants, and evaluation of assisted-analysis NDE techniques.

He is an active member of the Society for Advancement of Material and Process Engineering (SAMPE) and IEEE. He currently serves as chair of the Advanced Manufacturing Technical Committee in SAMPE, and chair of the Sensors Council, Richland Section in IEEE.

Research Interest

  • Polymer Composite Materials
  • Materials Characterization, Diagnostics, and Prognostics
  • Polymer Aging and Degradation
  • Polymer Recycling and Sustainability
  • Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
  • Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Education

  • PhD, Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington
  • MS, Aerospace Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington
  • BS, Aeronautical Engineering, Anna University

Affiliations and Professional Service

  • SAMPE – North America
  • IEEE

Awards and Recognitions

  • SAMPE Young Professional Emerging Leadership Award, 2022

Patents

Publications

Selected publications, please see Dr. Elen’s OrcID and personal website for the full list of his publications and reports.

2025

  • Glass S.W., J.R. Tedeschi, M. Elen, M.P. Spencer, J. Son, and L.S. Fifield. 2025. "Clamshell Inductive Current Coupler for Online Cable Condition Monitoring." IEEE Open Journal of Instrumentation and Measurement 4, no. _:Art. No. 6000108. PNNL-SA-200021. doi:10.1109/OJIM.2024.3517623
  • Kumar V., M. Elen, K. Sushmita, N.R. Overman, E.K. Nickerson, P. Murdy, and F. Presuel-Moreno, et al. 2025. "Hygrothermal aging and recycling effects on mechanical and thermal properties of recyclable thermoplastic glass fiber composites." Polymer Composites 46, no. 5:4332-4349. PNNL-SA-203819. doi:10.1002/pc.29242

2024

  • Elen M., N.A. Conway, and A.A. Diaz. 2024. NDE of Novel Maerials (CFRP). PNNL-36932. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. NDE of Novel Maerials (CFRP)
  • Elen M., V. Kumar, and L.S. Fifield. 2024. "Feasibility of Recovering and Recycling Polymer Composites from End-of-Life Marine Renewable Energy Structures: A Review." Sustainability 16, no. 23:Art No. 10515. PNNL-SA-204350. doi:10.3390/su162310515
  • Glass S.W., J.R. Tedeschi, M. Elen, J. Son, M. Taufique, V. Kumar, and M.K. Hasan, et al. 2024. SSTDR and FDR Detection of Un-Energized and Energized Cable Anomalies Including Thermal Degradation Using Machine Learning. PNNL-36573. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. SSTDR and FDR Detection of Un-Energized and Energized Cable Anomalies Including Thermal Degradation Using Machine Learning
  • Glass S.W., J.R. Tedeschi, M. Elen, M.P. Spencer, J. Son, V. Kumar, and L.S. Fifield. 2024. Evaluation of Clamshell Current Coupler for Online Frequency Domain and Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry to Detect Anomalies in Energized Cables. PNNL-36530. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Evaluation of Clamshell Current Coupler for Online Frequency Domain and Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry to Detect Anomalies in Energized Cables
  • Glass S.W., J.R. Tedeschi, M.P. Spencer, J. Son, M. Taufique, D. Li, and M. Elen, et al. 2024. "Spread spectrum time domain reflectometry (SSTDR) and frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) cable inspection using machine learning." In Proceedings of the ASME 2024 51st Annual Review of Progress in Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation (QNDE2024), QNDE2024-133645, V001T11A001. New York, New York:American Society of Mechanical Engineers. PNNL-SA-195124. doi:10.1115/QNDE2024-133645
  • Ni Y., M.K. Hasan, T.R. Tueller, K. Sushmita, M.P. Spencer, A.G. Smith, and M. Elen, et al. 2024. Thermal aging effects on crosslinked polyethylene cable insulation with decabromodiphenyl ether flame retardant alternative. PNNL-36532. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Thermal aging effects on crosslinked polyethylene cable insulation with decabromodiphenyl ether flame retardant alternative

2023

2021

  • Elenchezhian, M. R. P., P. P. Das, M. Rahman, V. Vadlamudi, R. Raihan, and K. Reifsnider. 2021. “Stiffness Degradation in Fatigue Life of Composites using Dielectric State Variables.” Composite Structures 273: 114272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compstruct.2021.114272. 
  • Elenchezhian, M. R. P., V. Vadlamudi, R. Raihan, K. Reifsnider, and E. Reifsnider. 2021. “Artificial intelligence in real-time diagnostics and prognostics of composite materials and its uncertainties–a review.” Smart Materials and Structures 30 (8). https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-665X/ac099f. 
  • Das, P. P., M. R. P. Elenchezhian, V. Vadlamudi, K. Reifsnider, and R. Raihan. 2021. “RealPi2dDIC: A Low-cost and open-source approach to in situ 2D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) applications.” SoftwareX 13: 100645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.softx.2020.100645. 

2020

  • Qhobosheane, R. G., M. R. P. Elenchezhian, P. P. Das, M. Rahman, M. M. Rabby, V. Vadlamudi, K. Reifsnider, and R. Raihan. 2020. “Smart Self-Sensing Composite: Piezoelectric and Magnetostrictive FEA Modeling and Experimental Characterization Using Wireless Detection Systems.” Sensors 20 (23): 6906. https://doi.org/10.3390/s20236906.
  • Raihan, R., M. R. P. Elenchezhian, and V. Vadlamudi. 2020. “Durability of bonded composite systems.” In Durability of Composite Systems, 383–401. Woodhead Publishing.