Feature Channels: Engineering

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At the end of May, the final meeting of the "Horizon 2020" project "GasOn" with the EU Commission took place in Brussels. The aim of this EU project was the further development of gas engines for cars and vans. Around 20 partners participated, including ETH Zurich and Empa as well as four European automobile manufacturers and well-known suppliers. Gas-powered vehicles generally emit less pollutants than petrol or diesel cars. They are likely to gain importance in the future due to their possibility of being powered by renewable energy.

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A new type of treatment for osteoarthritis, currently in canine clinical trials, shows promise for eventual use in humans. The treatment, developed by Cornell University biomedical engineers, is a synthetic version of a naturally occurring joint lubricant that binds to the surface of cartilage in joints and acts as a cushion during high-impact activities, such as running.

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Research recently published in Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, by systems engineers at Rensselaer, demonstrated how a hierarchical model that provides suppliers with a certain amount of choice could improve supply and demand matching for underutilized resources—and may even transform what’s become known as the sharing economy.

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A team at the University of Tsukuba studied a novel process for creating coherent lattice waves inside silicon crystals using ultrashort laser pulses.

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Chris Giebink, associate professor of electrical engineering, has been awarded a two-year, $1.1 million grant from the Department of Energy for his research in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).

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A consistent theme throughout the Resilient Space: Emergent Technologies, Faster Implementation Conference 2019 conference was that the U.S. must dramatically increase its speed acquiring space technologies and reduce delivery times. The best way to do that? Work with the burgeoning number of commercial companies launching into low Earth orbit.

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A mathematical problem that has vexed researchers for more than 100 years was solved.

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The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) is the only academic institution selected to be a contractor in a DHS experiment designed to improve first responder communications and on-site information during a major disaster.

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With the assistance of artificial intelligence, researchers at Argonne are developing new ways to extract insights about the electric grid from mountains of data, with the goal of ensuring reliability and efficiency. The work combines Argonne's long-standing grid expertise with its advanced computing facilities and experts.

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Microscopic defects that occur in laser-based manufacturing of metal parts can lead to big problems if undetected, and the process of fixing these flaws can increase the time and cost of high-tech manufacturing. But new research into the cause of these flaws could lead to a remedy.

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The Erikson Discovery Grant Program was established to support undergraduate students during the summer as they pursue original projects under the mentorship of a faculty member. The program was named in honor of the University’s 17th president. The grant provides each recipient with funding of $3,500 to support the student’s summer research. Goodnight was selected as one of 72 recipients of the grant from a pool of over 200 applicants from across all Penn State campuses.

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University at Buffalo researchers are leading a multi-institution project to develop materials called membranes that can separate carbon dioxide (CO2) from other gases — a technology that factories and power plants could easily install to cut down the amount of carbon they release.

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The roar of passenger jets once commonly caused permanent hearing loss, but one aerospace engineer in particular dedicated decades to making them quieter. Here are some of his methods, which landed him in the National Academy of Engineering in 2019.

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Snow leopards are perfectly adapted to cold and dry habitats like the Himalayas in Central Asia. However, for one local snow leopard, making him feel at home in South Florida required replicating his natural environment to keep him “chill.” An engineering team found an innovative way to keep Dante, a rescue snow leopard at McCarthy’s Wildlife Sanctuary in West Palm Beach, comfortable as temperatures rise during the dog days of summer as well as year-round.

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To diagnose and treat diseases like cancer, scientists and doctors must understand how cells respond to different medical conditions and treatments. Researchers have developed a new way to study disease at the cellular level.

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UW researchers have figured out how to take a person from a 2D photo or a work of art and make them run, walk or jump out of the frame. The system also allows users to view the animation in three dimensions using augmented reality tools.

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Cornell University researchers are expressing hope for the future of Houston’s breathable air, despite the city’s poor rankings in the American Lung Association’s 2019 “State of the Air” report. The report, released in April, ranked Houston ninth nationally for worst ozone pollution and 17th for particle pollution. Researchers say replacing at least 35 percent of Houston’s gasoline cars and diesel trucks with electric vehicles by 2040 will reduce pollution and improve air quality by 50 percent.

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New insights about how to understand and ultimately control the chemistry of ignition behavior and pollutant formation have been discovered in research led by Sandia National Laboratories. The discovery eventually will lead to cleaner, more efficient internal combustion engines.“Our findings will allow the design of new fuels and improved combustion strategies,” said Nils Hansen, Sandia researcher and lead author of the research.

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The laser that zaps rocks on Mars is commanded by a talented group of engineers and scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory—who also happen to all be women, a rarity in the engineering field.

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Oak Ridge National Laboratory welcomed seven technology innovators to join the third cohort of Innovation Crossroads, the Southeast’s only entrepreneurial research and development program based at a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory.