Innovation Partnership Building

Engineering for Global Impact: Highlights from the Engineers Without Borders 2024 Northeast Regional Conference

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The Engineers Without Borders (EWB) 2024 Northeast Regional Conference, hosted at UConn’s Innovation Partnership Building in March, brought together over 100 engineering students, professionals, and faculty advisors. Participants engaged in technical sessions, workshops, and professional development activities. EWB-USA, a nonprofit organization, supports community-driven engineering projects globally, with 155 chapters nationwide, including 42 in the northeast.

Attendees included special guests hydrogeologist Nadia Glucksberg and geologist-environmental scientist Helena Hollauer, along with Community Engineering Corps, an EWB partner organization that helps U.S. communities lacking engineering services. A full-day poster session showcased attendees’ recent projects, and EWB-UConn discussed their sanitation and sustainability initiatives in Peru and Kenya.

“The conference brought together students and professionals that want to use engineering to make the world a better place for more people,” says Jeffrey McCutcheon, Centennial Professor in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department. “It’s a very important change in the way that engineering is perceived, and I believe better addresses the interest of our next generation of engineers.”

EWB-UConn President Brian Machado’25 (ENG) praised the turnout and camaraderie among chapters, reflecting a shared commitment to engineering for global betterment.

Read the full article here.

Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Center Expands Defense Research

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image of jet and submarineThe Pratt & Whitney Additive Manufacturing Center (AMC) at UConn Tech Park has expanded its Department of Defense-related research efforts in recent months with new projects related to submarine and aerospace manufacturing.

The submarine industrial base hopes to meet the demand for quality submarine parts by focusing increasingly on additive manufacturing. A team of UConn materials science and engineering faculty along with colleagues from the University of Rhode Island recently started a four-year project funded by the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT) to investigate properties of a steel commonly used in submarine production. The team will explore the material characteristics of parts made of this steel using additive manufacturing as compared to traditional manufacturing technologies such as castings and forgings.

The AMC supports the additive manufacturing aspects of the project that include powder characterization as well as chemical and thermal analysis besides the production of parts. In its newest NIUVT-funded project the AMC will exploit the layer-by-layer manufacturing approach of additive manufacturing to tailor the behavior of bronze materials at specific locations within a part. What is nearly impossible with castings can likely be accomplished with additive manufacturing, for example, to optimize sections of parts for high strength while other regions bear the brunt of energy absorption during service.

The NIUVT additive manufacturing projects and the AMC involvement echo parallel efforts by the Navy to develop an industrial base for additive manufacturing of submarine parts. To this end, the Navy set up an additive manufacturing Center of Excellence in 2022 and in the same context invited researchers from seven US universities to form an academic consortium.

The AMC is part of the consortium and will soon embark on its first project and address the important aspect of metal powder characteristics. Key additive manufacturing technologies use metal powder, and a detailed knowledge of the powder characteristics and flow behavior is needed to advance additive manufacturing to a production level.

Similarly, the Air Force pursues additive manufacturing for some of their current and future systems, particularly in high-temperature applications. Recently, the AMC started a new four-year project sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) on refractory metals for additive manufacturing of high-temperature components. Refractory metals such as niobium have melting points well over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit but have been difficult to produce with conventional manufacturing technologies. The AMC will investigate process conditions during additive manufacturing and their effects on the details of the niobium metals that matter for their use in high-temperature applications.

With the NIUVT, Navy, and Air Force research activities, the AMC supports some of the most critical applications for the nation and in the process prepares students with expertise in state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies.

NIUVT-UConn Welcome Congressman Joe Courtney and Mr. Paul Myler, Embassy of Australia Deputy, for AUKUS Partnership Briefing

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VisitorsOn Thursday March 14th, the National Institute for Undersea Vehicle Technology (NIUVT), together with the UConn College of Engineering, welcomed Congressman Joseph Courtney and Mr. Paul Myler, Deputy Head of Mission for the Embassy of Australia Washington DC, to the Innovation Partnership Building. Congressman Courtney and Mr. Meyer were briefed on UConn NIUVT leadership’s recent visit to Australia, where they engaged with government and academia regarding mutual interests and opportunities to partner in research and workforce development opportunities available because of AUKUS, the trilateral partnership between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Visitors at UConn Visitors tour IPB at Uconn

Group of visitors at IPB, UConn

C2E2 Graduate Student Research Summit in Sustainability

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grad studentsat IPB sustainability summit

 

grad students at IPB sustainability summitThe Center of Clean Energy Engineering (C2E2) hosted its first C2E2 Graduate Student Research Summit in Sustainability on February 16th and 17th at IPB. Organized by graduate students Alanna Gado and Leila Chebbo, the event featured 30 student presentations covering diverse research topics such as cultivated beef, air filter effectiveness, desalination, desulfurization, space exploration, electrolyzers, fuel cells, and membrane applications.

The summit offered a venue for doctoral candidates to share their ongoing research and engage in discussions about sustainability challenges. Participants had the opportunity to refine their presentation skills and receive feedback from both peers and faculty members. Networking sessions facilitated connections among students and others within the C2E2 community.

grad students at IPB sustainability summit

 

Presentations were evaluated by the audience, with awards given in three categories. Leila Chebbo took first place, followed by Christabel Adjah-Tetteh in second, and Alanna Gado, Hasnain Nisar, Yasmin Bimbatti, and Ben Cohen sharing third place. Additionally, honorable mentions were awarded to Elena Ford, Christopher Hawxhurst, and Hasan Nikkah.

The summit demonstrated the students’ commitment to advancing clean energy technologies and tackling sustainability challenges, and underscores C2E2’s commitment to fostering the development of future researchers and innovators in the field.

 

Student Advisors

    Christabel Adjah-Tetteh Professor Xiao-Dong Zhou, Director of C2E2
    Chemical Engineering
    Yasmin Bimbatti Professor Jeffrey McCutcheon
    Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
    Leila Chebbo Associate Professor Ali Bazzi
    Electrical Computing and Engineering
    Ben Cohen Professor George Bollas &
    Assistant Professor Burcu Beykal
    Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
    Elena Ford Assistant Research Professor Naba Karan
    C2E2
    Alanna Gado Radenka Maric
    President | University of Connecticut
    Board of Trustees Distinguished Professor
    Christopher Hawxhurst Professor Lesli Shor
    Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
    Hasan Nikkah Associate Professor Burcu Beykal
    Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
    Hasnain Nisar Assistant Professor Ali Bazzi
    Electrical Computing and Engineering

     

    Annual Eversource Energy Center Workshop 2024

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    Lightning striking power lines.The Annual Eversource Energy Center (EEC) Workshop convened on February 9th at the Innovation Partnership Building and attracted over 80 participants from industry, government, and academia, including top New England utility companies Eversource, Avangrid, ConEdison, and National Grid, alongside others such as PECO (Exelon) and Hydro Quebec. Notable attendees also included ISO-NE, with responsibility for ensuring reliability and overseeing electricity markets across all of New England. Keynote speaker David Howard, Director of Grid Components at the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Electricity, addressed the gathering.

    The workshop centered on EEC’s five research pillars, encompassing grid resilience and reliability, renewable energy, cyber-physical system security, and workforce training and outreach. The morning kicked off with presentations from UConn faculty showcasing nineteen ongoing funded projects spanning these topics, sharing progress with industry stakeholders, advisory board members, and colleagues.
    Afternoon breakout groups provided the opportunity for in-depth discussion of the individual projects presented during the morning session. Researchers received valuable feedback on industry priorities and needs, discussed next steps, and shared insights on potential new research and funding opportunities.

    According to Assistant Professor Diego Cerrai, Associate Director for EEC, “This was a fantastic day where we were able to network, reconnect, and exchange ideas.” Assistant Professor Xinxuan Zhang, EEC Center Manager, adds, “The afternoon session I participated in was extremely valuable for informing new ideas for my research. It was very inspiring to see the enthusiasm and engagement of my colleagues and industry partners.”

    This robust framework is central to EEC’s continued success. EEC Center Director and UConn Tech Park Executive Director Emmanouil Anagnostou was delighted with the outcome. “The annual workshop is vital to the Eversource Energy Center’s power grid resilience and clean energy. It continues to build upon ongoing research and provides a critical foundation that enhances our prospects for future federal funding on climate resilience, smart grid, and sustainability as well as collaboration and co-sponsorships with industry.”

     

    Eversource Energy Center Mission Statement and Pillars

    Mission

    To be the foremost energy utility-academia partnership advancing leading-edge interdisciplinary research and technology assuring reliable power during extreme weather and security events.

    Pillars

    To fulfill our mission, our center will focus the new EVERSOURCE-UConn partnership research activities over the next five years under the following five pillars:

    1. Grid Resilience in a Warming Climate
    2. Grid Reliability in a Changing Demand Environment
    3. Renewable Energy Integration
    4. Cyber-Physical System Security
    5. Workforce training, outreach, and policy

     

    About Eversource Energy Center

    The Eversource Energy Center, a partnership between UConn and Eversource utility company, addresses resilience challenges in the energy sector, particularly regarding extreme weather, climate change, and clean power infrastructure. Housed at UConn’s Innovation Partnership Building, the Center leverages university resources to innovate and develop solutions for weather-related risks and security events. Supported by funding from various sources, including utilities, industry, and federal entities, the Center serves as a hub for interdisciplinary research, teaching, and workforce development. Emphasizing both technological advancement and people development, the Center supports student programs and diversity initiatives. EEC is committed to active collaborations driving innovation in storm preparedness, grid resilience, and modernization, inviting further participation in shaping the future grid.

    Ripple Effect: Reverse Osmosis Technology – Implications for Reshaping the Clean Water Landscape

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    Amidst the global freshwater crisis, desalination emerges as crucial for meeting the escalating demand for potable and industrial water. Particularly in water-scarce regions, reliance on desalinated water for drinking, cooking and washing continues to grow.

    However, reverse osmosis (RO) technologies that are widely employed by the desalination industry are costly and energy-intensive due to inherent characteristics of the RO membranes currently used in the desalination process. To address these challenges, research efforts are currently underway to develop advanced, more durable RO membranes capable of improving energy-efficiency and reducing cost while withstanding the rigors of the desalination process.

    Grad student loading sample into x-ray tomography machine at IPBIn the recent publication “Characterization of Reverse Osmosis Membranes Under Compaction Utilizing 3D X-ray and 3D FIB Correlative Microscopy”, UConn PhD Graduate Assistant Yara Suleiman and coauthors expand upon their prior research that introduced a novel process for evaluating the performance of RO membranes in water treatment facilities. The innovative approach, utilizing state-of-the-art 3D X-ray and 3D FIB correlative microscopy, offers promising prospects for shaping advancement in membrane technologies that can drive more efficient, less costly desalination, with broader implications for sustainable solutions to the global freshwater crisis.

    Suleiman is a PhD Graduate Assistant at the Reverse Engineering, Fabrication, Inspection and Non-Destructive Analysis (REFINE) lab at the IPB | UConn Tech Park. The article is coauthored with REFINE Center Director Sina Shahbazmohamadi and UCLA’s Professor Eric Hoek and postdoctoral research fellow Jishan Wu.

    Citation: Yara Suleiman, Jishan Wu, Eric M V Hoek, Sina Shahbazmohamadi, Characterization of Reverse Osmosis Membranes Under Compaction Utilizing 3D X-ray and 3D FIB Correlative Microscopy, Microscopy and Microanalysis, Volume 29, Issue Supplement_1, 1 August 2023, Pages 144-145, https://doi.org/10.1093/micmic/ozad067.065

    Celebrating Microscopy

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    wasp preserved in amber

    In February, the Innovation Partnership Building at UConn Tech Park unveiled a captivating temporary art exhibit, an extraordinary collection of microscopy images capturing insects preserved in amber, frozen in time. These remarkable images were meticulously captured and curated by talented scientist and artist, Guy Iannuzzi.

    Guests are invited to explore this unique celebration of art and science at the Innovation Partnership Building, 159 Discovery Drive, Storrs, CT. Take the elevator to the third floor and follow the signs to Room 317 to reach the exhibit. On display through summer 2024.

    For questions contact Melanie Noble, melanie.noble@uconn.edu.