Feature Channels: Engineering

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Most Christmas lights, DVD players, televisions and flashlights have one thing in common: they’re made with light emitting diodes (LEDs). LEDs are widely used for a variety of applications and have been a popular, more efficient alternative to fluorescent and incandescent bulbs for the past few decades. Two University of Utah researchers have now found a way to create LEDs from food and beverage waste. In addition to utilizing food and beverage waste that would otherwise decompose and be of no use, this development can also reduce potentially harmful waste from LEDs generally made from toxic elements.

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Most robotic parts used today are rigid, have a limited range of motion and don’t really look lifelike. Inspired by both nature and biology, a scientist from FAU has designed a novel robotic finger that looks, feels and works like the real thing. Using shape memory alloy, a 3D CAD model of a human finger, a 3D printer and a unique thermal training technique, this robotic finger could ultimately be adapted for use as a prosthetic device, such as on a prosthetic hand.

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A team from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) and Stanford University took an important step toward safer and faster charging of lithium-ion batteries by advancing the capability for dynamic, noninvasive internal temperature measurement.

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Bringing closer a mass market for environmentally friendly hydrogen-powered cars, Sandia researchers are upgrading $0.37/gram molybdenum disulfide, "molly" for short, to take the place of $1,500/gram catalyst platinum. Unlike gasoline, hydrogen as fuel releases water, not carbon, into the air.

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A team of NIBIB-supported bioengineers are working to reduce blood clots caused by platelet activation in ventricular assist devices (VADs) implanted in advanced heart failure patients. Previously, the team re-engineered the VAD's high-speed rotors to eliminate more than 90% of platelet activation and clotting. The current study examines the role of platelet stiffness in activation with the goal of developing treatments that would increase platelet pliability and further reduce platelet activation and clotting.

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Bioengineers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have developed a mathematical algorithm that can “see” your intention while performing an ordinary action like reaching for a cup or driving straight up a road -- even if the action is interrupted.

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Researchers at The University of Alabama designed and made a material that manipulates the speed of light in a new, more effective way than previous methods, according to findings recently published in Scientific Reports by the Nature Publishing Group.

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High octane rating makes ethanol attractive; ORNL has potential solution to congestion, collisions; ORNL using advanced methods to discover new materials; ORNL hosting molten salt reactor workshop; Virginia Tech using ORNL computing resources for energy exploration

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A group of researchers in Japan is exploring the behavior of a certain type of SET (single-electron transistor) made from two quantum dots, which are bits of material so small they start to exhibit quantum properties. The group has produced a detailed analysis of the electrical characteristics of the so-called double-quantum-dot SETs, which could help researchers design better devices to manipulate single electrons. They report their findings in the Journal of Applied Physics.

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Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have found a “greener” way to control the assembly of photovoltaic polymers in water using a surfactant—a detergent-like molecule—as a template.

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Using microfluidic passages cut directly into the backsides of production field-programmable gate array (FPGA) devices, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers are putting liquid cooling right where it’s needed the most – a few hundred microns away from where the transistors are operating.

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The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory has developed a near ultra-violet and all-organic light emitting diode (OLED) that can be used as an on-chip photosensor.

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The scandal surrounding VW has thrust nitric oxide (NOx) emissions from diesel vehicles into the limelight. Owing to the different engine technologies, these have always been higher than in gasoline-powered cars. On the other hand, diesel consumes less fuel. If a way can be found to “denitrify” diesel emissions efficiently, we would have an economical, clean engine. Empa researchers are thus working hard on optimizing the catalytic converter technology for diesel.

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Using nanometer-scale components, researchers have demonstrated the first optical rectenna, a device that combines the functions of an antenna and a rectifier diode to convert light directly into DC current.

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Researchers at Houston Methodist, along with collaborators at two major Singapore institutions, have developed a lab in a needle device that could provide instant results to routine lab tests, accelerating treatment and diagnosis by days.

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A new study out of St. Mary’s College of Maryland puts us closer to do-it-yourself spray-on solar cell technology—promising third-generation solar cells utilizing a nanocrystal ink deposition that could make traditional expensive silicon-based solar panels a thing of the past.

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A detailed nano-mechanical study of mechanical degradation processes in silicon structures containing varying levels of lithium ions offers good news for researchers attempting to develop reliable next-generation rechargeable batteries using silicon-based electrodes.

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Southampton scientists will reveal the first research results from the new National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Service (NDFIS) at an international conference this Autumn.

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Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Institute for Molecular Engineering are putting liquid crystals to work as detectors for the protein fibers implicated in the development of neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

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A team of scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Engineering has developed a wearable liquid-based microfluidic tactile sensor that is small, thin, highly flexible and durable. Simple and cost-effective to produce, this novel device is very suitable for applications such as soft robotics, wearable consumer electronics, smart medical prosthetic devices, as well as real-time healthcare monitoring.

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Researchers at Korea University and the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology have now developed a new type of thin film transistor that's significantly faster than its predecessors -- an important step toward speeding up image display on devices like TVs and smartphone screens. The scientists made the transistor from zinc oxynitride, or ZnON, which they then plasma treated with argon gas. They present their work this week in Applied Physics Letters.

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Invention of the first integrated circularly polarized light detector on a silicon chip opens the door for development of small, portable sensors could expand the use of polarized light for drug screening, surveillance, etc.

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Science and Technology Highlights from the DOE National Laboratories

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Using components made from smart shape-memory materials with slightly different responses to heat, researchers have demonstrated a four-dimensional printing technology that allowed creation of complex self-folding structures.

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Long-term durability is a major issue for today’s infrastructure. In order to create concrete bridges with longer service lives and better performance, we must better understand the long-term behavior of these members.

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A national team of researchers has developed a first-of-its-kind, 3D-printed guide that helps regrow both the sensory and motor functions of complex nerves after injury.

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A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers recently released a new computer-aided engineering software program, and its users are already calling it a “gift from heaven.” Mechanical engineering Professor Krishnan Suresh led a team that spent four years developing the software, which assists in optimizing the design of parts for just about anything — from bicycles and airplanes to bridges and furniture.

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Virginia Tech chemical engineers have developed a new approach that will have a huge impact in future materials design. Their findings are reported in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.

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A catalyst being developed by researchers could overcome one of the key obstacles still preventing automobile engines from running more cleanly and efficiently.

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A Virginia Tech engineer is traveling to Flint, Michigan, this week as part of a National Science Foundation-funded $50,000 one-year study into a “perfect storm” of water distribution system corrosion problems.

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The list of potential mechanisms that underlie an unusual metal-insulator transition has been narrowed by a team of scientists using a combination of X-ray techniques. This transition has ramifications for material design for electronics and sensors.

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From shipping and construction to outer space, origami could put a folded twist on structural engineering. Researchers have developed a new “zippered tube” configuration that makes paper structures stiff enough to hold weight yet can fold flat for easy shipping and storage.

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New technology that transforms a cell phone into a powerful, mobile microscope could significantly improve malaria diagnoses and treatment in developing countries lacking the resources to address the life-threatening disease, says a Texas A&M University biomedical engineer who has created the tool.

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ORNL lamp simulates sun in tests for NASA; ORNL model examines diabetes progression; Hybrid lubricant holds great promise for engine efficiency; ORNL, partners score success with wireless charging demo; New software helps in design of quantum computers, batteries

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Click to see today's top stories.

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Researchers at the University of Warwick’s School of Engineering are using imaging technologies, that are normally applied to automotive engines and sprays, to image thousands of mosquitoes to help develop better netting and physical protection against the malaria spreading insect.

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Farmington Hills, MI - Every day we are impacted by recycled materials. We dry our hands with recycled paper towels, drink our coffee from recycled paper cups, and even drink our water from recycled plastic bottles. But what about building materials?

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A bacterium engineered to produce different pigments in response to varying levels of a micronutrient in blood samples could give health officials an inexpensive way to detect nutritional deficiencies in resource-limited areas of the world.

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Columbia engineers have developed a new approach, opposite to climate models, to correct inaccuracies using a high-resolution atmospheric model that more precisely resolves clouds and convection and parameterizes the feedback between convection and atmospheric circulation. The new simulation strategy paves the way for better understanding of the water and carbon cycles in the Amazon, enabling researchers to learn more about the role of deforestation and climate change on the forest.” (PNAS Online Early Edition 8/31)

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Scott Shim, associate professor of design at Ohio State, is working to make everyday objects easier to maintain so they last longer and don’t end up in a landfill. His first such creation is an easy-to-clean hairbrush.

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Turning carbon dioxide from certain power plants into a more valuable chemical would reduce emissions while creating a revenue return. Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh derived a metal-free catalyst that does the trick without the need for expensive, extreme conditions.

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Researchers at Penn State have developed the first nano/micro-textured highly slippery surfaces able to outperform lotus leaf-inspired liquid repellent coatings, particularly in situations where the water is in the form of vapor or tiny droplets.

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In mere seconds, a system can identify and characterize a solid or liquid sample.

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With the ongoing extreme drought in California posing a threat to the state’s levee systems, there is an urgent need to invest in research regarding the vulnerabilities of critical infrastructure under extreme climatic events. Mississippi State University Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Farshid Vahedifard and his coauthors warn that current drought conditions pose “a great risk to an already endangered levee system” in a letter published Aug. 21 in Science magazine.

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A decade after hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, experts say the flooding that caused over 1,800 deaths and billions of dollars in property damage could have been prevented had the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers retained an external review board to double-check its flood-wall designs.

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Engineers and physicians at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine have developed a hand-held, battery-powered device that quickly picks up vital signs from a patient’s lips and fingertip.

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This summer, DOE’s Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internship program paired Brandon Bozeat with Christopher Eng, an engineer at the National Synchrotron Light Source II at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Eng enlisted the student’s help in designing the magnet assemblies that comprise NSLS-II’s undulators—devices that wiggle the electron beam to emit brighter x-rays.

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Michigan Tech researchers have streamlined a method to improve the splitting water into hydrogen molecules using visible light. Their work paves the way for more sustainable hydrogen fuels.

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Using physical chemistry methods to look at biology at the nanoscale, a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory researcher has invented a new technology to image single molecules with unprecedented spectral and spatial resolution, thus leading to the first “true-color” super-resolution microscope.

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Another barrier to commercially viable biofuels from sources other than corn has fallen with the engineering of a microbe that improves isobutanol yields by a factor of 10.