Feature Channels: Engineering

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As ORNL’s fuel properties technical lead for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Co-Optimization of Fuel and Engines, or Co-Optima, initiative, Jim Szybist has been on a quest for the past few years to identify the most significant indicators for predicting how a fuel will perform in engines designed for light-duty vehicles such as passenger cars and pickup trucks.

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Berkeley Lab has a long history of participating in neutrino experiments and discoveries in locations ranging from a site 1.3 miles deep at a nickel mine in Ontario, Canada, to an underground research site near a nuclear power complex northeast of Hong Kong, and a neutrino observatory buried in ice near the South Pole.

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A new paper in Science Advances describes for the first time how minerals come together at the molecular level to form bones and other hard tissues, like teeth and enamel.

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The Shadow Robot Dexterous Hand is comparable to a human hand, reproducing all of its degrees of freedom

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Engineers from NUS have devised a method to convert natural gas into a non-explosive solid form known as gas hydrates, which can be easily stored and transported. Using a novel, low-toxicity additive mixture, the conversion can be completed in just 15 minutes – the fastest time ever reported.

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Columbia University researchers report that they have achieved plasmonically active graphene with record-high charge density without an external gate. They accomplished this by exploiting novel interlayer charge transfer with a two-dimensional electron-acceptor known as -RuCl3. “This work allows us to use graphene as a plasmonic material without metal gates or voltage sources, making it possible to create stand-alone graphene plasmonic structures for the first time,” said Mechanical Engineering Prof. James Hone.

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Using public data from the entire 1,500-square-mile Los Angeles metropolitan area, PNNL researchers reduced the time needed to create a traffic congestion model by an order of magnitude, from hours to minutes.

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Temporary glues may not steal headlines, but they can make everyday life easier.

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Shape, color, and gloss.

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When you press the dimpled circles on a fountain drink lid, they become either convex or concave. Materials or structures that have two stable states demonstrate a concept called bistability.

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A new mathematical method developed by Cornell University researchers can inject fairness into the fraught process of political redistricting – and proves that it takes more than good intent to create a fair and representative district.

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A recent study found that 2 to 3 gigawatts of electricity from winds off the coast of Oregon could be carried by current transmission lines. That’s enough to power up to 1 million homes—a significant number since there are 1.5 million homes in Oregon. But just as significantly, it also means that delivering that power would not require much additional investment in new transmission infrastructure.

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A new device for faster testing of antibiotic-resistant bacteria has been developed by researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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University of Warwick spin out company, Warwick Acoustics, have the ultimate gift for music enthusiasts seeking the most unforgettable and remarkable listening experience delivered in a one of kind, eye-catching, headphone system.

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Nanoengineers at the University of California San Diego have developed new and improved probes, known as positive controls, that could make it easier to validate rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests for COVID-19 across the globe. The advance could help expand testing to low-resource, underserved areas.

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Focus on Innovative Technologies in Response to COVID-19

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November is National Diabetes Month, a time when the nation comes together to shed light on one of the leading causes of death and disability among U.S. citizens. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is joining the fight against the disease through innovative research made possible through a recent $1.2M grant by the National Institutes of Health to advance understanding of a critical diabetic heart condition.

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A new electrolysis system that makes use of briny water could provide astronauts on Mars with life-supporting oxygen and fuel for the ride home, according to engineers at the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, who developed the system.

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A team of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory researchers has found that the global climatic consequences of a regional nuclear weapons exchange could range from a minimal impact to more significant cooling lasting years.

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The Coventry Very Light Rail (VLR) is an innovative light rail system which will be battery powered, lightweight and rail-based.

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Young-Shin Jun, an engineer at Washington University in St. Louis, has developed a new use for a high-energy X-ray technique that has allowed her the first glimpse at the formation of iron hydroxides on a quartz surface. The implications are sweeping.

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Currently, there are over 10 million confirmed cases and more than 240,000 casualties attributed to COVID-19 in the U.S.

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Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed a method to pattern hundreds-of-meters-long multimaterial fibers with embedded functional elements.

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Deep neural networks, multilayered systems built to process images and other data through the use of mathematical modeling, are a cornerstone of artificial intelligence.

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Abstract STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) concepts are often conveyed visually. Intricate graphics of mathematical data trends and interactive simulations of molecules and electricity help students visualize and understand these concepts in a more concrete way.

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A Cornell University project will develop worm-like, soil-swimming robots to sense and record soil properties, water, the soil microbiome and how roots grow.

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Not all plastics are created equally – from milk jugs and soda bottles, which are readily recyclable, to multi-layered packaging that increases shelf life and requires less material but is less recyclable – the challenge is for researchers to design a process that allows more of the plastics we use in our everyday lives to end up in our recycle bins rather than the local landfill.

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A new platform could accelerate the development of blended materials with desired properties.

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The American Association for the Advancement of Science, the world’s largest general scientific society, today announced that 489 of its members, among them eight scientists at Berkeley Lab, have been named Fellows. This lifetime honor, which follows a nomination and review process, recognizes scientists, engineers, and innovators for their distinguished achievements in research and other disciplines toward the advancement or applications of science.

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A research team led by Berkeley Lab has designed a new material – called ZIOS (zinc imidazole salicylaldoxime) – that extracts copper ions from mine wastewater with unprecedented precision and speed.

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PNNL researchers have shown an improved binarized neural network can deliver a low-cost and low-energy computation to help the performance of smart devices and the power grid.

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In a new book, “Has It Come to This? The Promises and Perils of Geoengineering on the Brink,” Holly Jean Buck and colleagues weigh in on social, ethical and political dimensions of deliberate, large-scale interventions in the planet’s climate.

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Multilayer plastic materials are ubiquitous in food and medical supply packaging, particularly since layering polymers can give those films specific properties, like heat resistance or oxygen and moisture control. But despite their utility, those ever-present plastics are impossible to recycle using conventional methods.

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Laurencin will accept the honor during the 2020 Virtual MRS Spring/Fall Meeting, where at 4:00 pm (ET), Wednesday, December 2, he will present his award lecture, Regenerative Engineering: Materials and Convergence.

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AIP Publishing is pleased to announce the launch of Chemical Physics Reviews and publication of the first articles from their latest journal. The focus for CPR will include experimental and theoretical research in fundamental issues in chemical physics alongside its applications in other branches of science, medicine, and engineering. Its scope will include areas such as material surfaces and interfaces, dynamics in chemical processes, polymers and soft matter, environmental and green chemistry, and energy storage and conversion.

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Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York has used deep-learning techniques to analyze statistics on emergencies in NYC to suggest improved public safety through re-allocation of resources.

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With the support of a four-year $1.2 million grant from The Department of Veterans Affairs, an interdisciplinary team of engineers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute aims to create a polymer coating that could potentially be capable of reducing the body’s inflammatory response following the implantation of electrodes.

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Argonne National Laboratory and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory will receive $4.5 million over three years for research aimed at capturing carbon dioxide directly from air and converting it to useful products by artificial photosynthesis.

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Creating nanomaterials with flame spray pyrolysis is complex, but scientists at Argonne have discovered how applying artificial intelligence can lead to an easier process and better performance.

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This month, Thyssen Mining Inc. was awarded the contract to excavate the gigantic caverns for Fermilab’s Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility. Excavation crews will drill, blast and remove approximately 800,000 tons of rock to create the underground space for LBNF. When complete, the facility will house the enormous particle detector for the international Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, hosted by Fermilab.

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Researchers from the University of Illinois Chicago describe several fundamental processes associated with the motion of magnetic particles through fluids as they are pulled by a magnetic field.

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A new kind of radar could make it possible for self-driving cars to navigate safely in bad weather. Electrical engineers at the University of California San Diego developed a clever way to improve the imaging capability of existing radar sensors so that they accurately predict the shape and size of objects in the scene. The system worked well when tested at night and in foggy conditions.

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A recent study has shown that a UV light technology already used to prevent the spread of other airborne diseases in buildings has the potential to be effective against Covid-19.

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For more than 25 years, Binghamton University's Jessica Fridrich has studied digital-image steganography — the science of hiding messages inside ordinary-looking photos. Just as technology has evolved and become more sophisticated, so have the methods to share secrets — and a recent $768,964 grant from the National Science Foundation will help Fridrich stay ahead of the curve.

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What can the International Space Station teach us about mudslides here on Earth? Here is the connection: UC San Diego engineers are trying to better understand the role gravity plays in mudslides. That is why in 18 months, they will launch an experiment to the ISS via SpaceX and NASA to study mudslides in microgravity. The work is funded by a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

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Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), New Energy Nexus and CalCharge are co-hosting the sixth annual Bay Area Battery Summit (BABS), to be held virtually on Nov. 17-18.

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AIP Publishing is pleased to announce the first published articles from its latest journal, Biophysics Reviews. BPR plans to publish articles that have the potential to influence thinking in the biophysics field or report a significant discovery. In both the reviews and research articles, the editors look to provide readers with the ideas and tools necessary to advance the field of biophysics.

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Physicists from MIPT and Vladimir State University, Russia, have achieved a nearly 90% efficiency converting light energy into surface waves on graphene. They relied on a laser-like energy conversion scheme and collective resonances.

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The 2020 CyberForce Competition will be hosting over 400 students attending U.S. accredited institutions. Students will compete to harden and defend simulated wind energy infrastructure from cyber-attacks, while maintaining service for their customers (played by volunteers). Competitors will be selected by random lottery.