Articles tagged with Environmental Engineering
Researchers at Stanford University studied the Caribbean spiny lobster's ability to track odors using its antennules, finding that rapid downstroke allows high-resolution information capture while slow upstroke provides time for analysis. The findings could help develop robots for plume tracing underwater.
Researchers successfully tested a corn-based activated carbon for removing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, achieving results comparable to commercial products. The technology demonstration marked the first time this approach was applied to high-sulfur Illinois coal flue gas.
Researchers at INEEL have developed a revolutionary Super Hard Steel coating with unparalleled hardness properties, surpassing existing commercial coatings in wear and corrosion resistance. The coating can withstand extreme conditions, including high velocity blasting, and is nearly impossible to remove.
Research by Wayne Ahr and his team seeks to improve recovery methods for mature oil fields, aiming to extract between one-third and one-half of the remaining oil. The team uses computer modeling, geological analysis, and detergents to force out residual oil from porous rocks.
A $2.75 million endowment will enhance Cranfield's research in nanotechnology, enabling the creation of new professorial posts and research fellowships. The donation is seen as a timely boost to support Britain's wealth creation through this key technology.
The Idaho National Laboratory's Rapid Solidification Process (RSP) Tooling has been recognized by the Department of Energy for its innovative approach to fabricating precision tooling. This process enables mass-produced items to be created more quickly and cheaply, reducing production costs and turn-around time.
Professor Shuji Nakamura of University of California, Santa Barbara, has been awarded the 2000 Honda Prize for his inventions of blue, green, and white light emitting diodes (LEDs). The energy-efficient white LED will replace incandescent lights, reducing energy consumption by up to 50%.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a tele-immersion technique that uses digital cameras, tracking gear, and polarized glasses to create a three-dimensional 'telepresence' experience. This allows participants from different locations to feel as if they're in the same room, enabling new possibilities for remote ...
High-tech entrepreneur Michael J. Fitzpatrick and his wife, Patty, are donating $25 million each to establish new centers for advanced photonics at Stanford and Duke universities. The centers will attract top students and faculty, and facilitate industry partnerships to develop cutting-edge photonics technologies.
The US-funded Mag-train propulsion prototype, Seraphim, uses magnetic repulsion to push a vehicle forward and provide braking. It is expected to decrease environmental degradations and enable high-speed connections between cities in the western suburbs.
Researchers at University of Warwick develop Cybersphere, a VR system that allows users to move freely in virtual environments. The technology combines high power projectors and rotation sensors to provide a fully immersive visual experience.
A new complex launched at the University of Warwick features a 3D cinema that enables large groups of senior managers and engineers to visualize and collaborate on product design projects in 3D. This technology will facilitate geographically dispersed teams across large enterprises to work together more efficiently.
A new study by Georgia Tech finds that industrializing countries in Asia are catching up with the US in technology exports, thanks to an information-based economy. The US remains the leader but faces tougher competition, particularly from China and India.
The new Marshall Institute is a concept for delivering training to employees, based on a commitment to lifelong learning. It will feature a catalog of courses, an advisory council, and partnerships with industry and academia to keep employees abreast of the latest learning processes and technologies.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a 25-year research effort to improve understanding of the vadose zone, where contaminants can migrate into groundwater. The initiative aims to advance characterization, monitoring and modeling science and technology to support cleanup and long-term stewardship decisions.
The Magic Book project enables readers to move from a real-world reading experience to an immersive virtual environment, interacting with characters and objects. This technology has applications in storybooks, technical manuals, and textbooks, offering a seamless transition between physical and virtual environments.
Researchers at Purdue University have created microspheres that protect medicines from stomach acid and allow controlled release in the intestines. The microspheres use polyacrylic acid, a superabsorbent material, to absorb liquids and release medicine in the small intestine.
LSU will create a new engineering discipline to address design concepts behind buildings and infrastructure in hurricane-prone regions. The program will offer courses in civil engineering and disaster engineering for upper-level undergraduates and graduate students.
Representatives from over 20 organizations, including universities and government labs, will share their latest technology innovations at the fair. The event aims to facilitate collaboration between innovators and potential investors or producers.
The stern flap design has reduced the power required to propel Spruance and Ticonderoga-class destroyers, resulting in annual fuel savings of 3,600-4,700 barrels. The Navy plans to retrofit these ships with stern flaps, as well as Arleigh Burke and Oliver Hazard Perry classes, leading to an estimated $380 million in life cycle savings.
The lab has developed a Knife Failure Detector to reduce food production losses and ensure product quality, as well as a radiation dose measurement system for safe food irradiation. Additionally, ultra barrier coatings have been created to enable the use of plastic in electronic display panels.
The Sandia Red Team has demonstrated that competent outsiders can hack into almost all networked computers, regardless of their security measures. The team's goal is to improve the security of information systems by identifying weaknesses and providing recommendations for improvement.
The report recommends creating a new NASA research program to study the effects of low-gravity environments on various technologies. This includes power generation, propulsion, and life-support systems, which will be crucial for human exploration and development of space.
Gallium nitride is used to produce very bright light emitting diodes and lasers, and very high power transistors that can operate at high temperatures. The technology has potential applications in mobile phone base stations, surgery, and dentistry, promising huge energy savings and CO2 reductions.
Scientists at NRC's Steacie Institute of Molecular Sciences have developed a method to grow organic wires on silicon crystals using a scanning tunneling microscope, overcoming obstacles in microchip technology. The technique enables the rapid growth of molecular lines, paving the way for hybrid devices with unique capabilities.
The Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has won three R¼D 100 Awards for its groundbreaking technological innovations. The awards recognize the lab's cutting-edge research in X-ray microfocusing mirrors and high-thermal-conductivity graphite foam.
Fred Schubert's Photon Recycling Semiconductor Light-Emitting Diode (PRS-LED) combines up to three wavelengths of light to produce highly efficient, long-lasting white light. The PRS-LED is 15-20 times more efficient than conventional bulbs and has a lifespan predicted to last up to 50 years.
TacMedCS is a tactical medical coordination system designed to expedite assessment, treatment, and transport of injured personnel. The system uses radio-frequency tags to store and transmit medical information, freeing up time for corpsmen to treat more patients.
A University of Iowa biologist is studying the application of new acoustic technologies to manage gas production and potentially eliminate odors in large-scale pork production facilities. The goal is to reduce environmental impact and improve nutrient value of hog manure used in fertilizer.
The Biomedical Informatics Research Group created a Java-based Problem List Generator learning tool to help veterinary students develop higher-order thinking skills through case-based problems. The technology has shown success and is being funded by the US Department of Agriculture for further development.
Researchers will grow functional human heart tissue, aiming for a fully functional heart in 10 years. They'll use scaffolding, stem cells, and patented technology to engineer cardiac muscle and valves.
A new technology developed by Dr. Lawrence Larsen at Sandia National Laboratories can treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) without surgery, reducing side effects and costs. The non-invasive procedure uses radio frequency energy to kill excess cells, shrinking the prostate gland and alleviating urinary obstruction and pain.
A new vaccine technology has demonstrated a dramatically enhanced immune response in mice against tumor growth and infection. The PIC vaccine bypasses key steps in the normal chain of events leading to immune response, directly targeting the cellular switch to muster a potent attack on foreign proteins.
The Navy is hosting its first annual Naval-Industry R&D Partnership Conference to discuss reducing barriers between government and commercial industries. The conference aims to leverage commercial products and technology to maintain advanced capabilities and reduce costs.
A unique residential laboratory is being used to study the impact of technology on domestic lifestyle, with a focus on enhancing home life and family connections. Researchers aim to discover technology combinations that can unobtrusively enhance lifestyle in the home.
Case Western Reserve University researchers have developed a prototype of a miniature fuel cell with a volume of five cubic millimeters. The new cell uses hydrogen as a fuel and is produced using high-tech micro-fabrication techniques, enabling low-cost production.
Researchers at Advanced Cell Technology successfully reversed the aging process in cells, potentially leading to treatments for age-related diseases. The breakthrough involves using cloning technology to reset the cellular clock, allowing cells to divide indefinitely.
A psychologist has developed low-cost methods to reduce pharmacy errors, including the use of larger labels, focused task lighting, and self-monitoring journals. These inexpensive changes can significantly improve accuracy and are relevant for small community drug stores that may not have access to high technology.
Research has revealed that pharmaceuticals and personal care products can contaminate groundwater, rivers, and sewage, posing significant risks to human health and the environment. Studies have shown that these substances can enter the aquatic food chain, affecting marine life, and are also found in human tissues and breast milk.
This special issue of the American Sociological Review explores broad social trends over the past century, discussing topics such as modernization, globalization, industrialization, and secularization. The article also delves into the sociology of the Black working class and the impact of Western society on religion.
VRAM memory has the potential to replace mechanically driven storage media, reducing transistors needed for lower cost and retaining information without constant refreshing. The technology is well-suited for space, avionics, and shipboard applications due to its high-density, non-volatility, radiation-hardness, and low-power attributes.
Research finds that road dust kicked up by traffic can be a source of airborne allergens, including pollen, animal dander, and molds. Residential areas with roadside vegetation are more affected than industrial locations.
Millions of defective low-rise buildings in the US lead to high annual losses from windstorms, with recent hurricanes causing $70 billion in damages. A symposium aims to develop a national plan for wind-hazard mitigation and improve building codes.
The U.S. National Science Board will hold an open session on November 18, where it plans to discuss its interim report on the environment and other key policy topics. The board will also present its strategic plan for NSF and hear from experts on nanoscience and engineering.
William Chandler, a research scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has received the World Climate Technology Leadership Award for founding a global network of energy efficiency centers. His work promotes energy efficiency and reduces greenhouse gas emissions on a global basis, setting a standard for others to follow.
Researchers at USC have created a machine system that recognizes spoken words better than humans, with potential benefits for Navy sonar and improving interaction between man and computer. The system may eventually enable voice control of computers, help the deaf, and aid air traffic controllers in noisy environments.
The University of Washington's HIT Lab has developed Shared Space, a technology that combines virtual reality with the physical world. Users can see digital images and interact with others and the environment simultaneously, enabling natural collaboration.
Researchers have reported the highest and most stable electron emission densities observed to date, desirable for flat-panel displays and microwave amplifiers. The carbon nanotubes' sharp tip and chemical robustness contribute to their superior stability and uniform emission.
Researchers have developed a suite of software tools called GETWEBS to design and evaluate broadband wireless systems. The project addresses key components of the wireless industry, including evolving technology, environment interaction, and system integration.
A new method enables cheap and simple manufacture of customized DNA chips, revolutionizing genetic analysis and research. This technology can help diagnose genetic diseases and accelerate drug discovery, while reducing production costs.
The Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics has released the public beta of the Cactus Computational Toolkit 4.0, a collaborative environment for solving partial differential equations in physics and engineering. The toolkit allows individual scientists to plug their own computing applications into a modular framework, enabling ...
The MESA facility will join Sandia's expertise in weapon design and high-speed computing to create immersive environments for designing non-nuclear components of nuclear weapons. The project aims to reduce the likelihood of malfunction, making devices more difficult to destroy on impact.
Sandia National Laboratories is showcasing cutting-edge MicroElectricalMechanical Systems (MEMs) innovations at the Santa Clara show. The technology has vast applications in medical treatment, anti-terrorism, and engineering systems, with potential annual market value of $100 billion by 2030.
The National Science Foundation's high-tech national supercomputer grid will be used in education, outreach, and training. Hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge research and educational learning environments will be showcased at the conference.
The conference in Italy will discuss global change's effects on protected areas, including coastal erosions, water resources, and ski resorts. The event will also examine the impact of climate change on biodiversity and explore options for human intervention.
Xie George Xu's 3D virtual man, VIP-Man, simulates radiation's effect on the skin, lens of the eye, optic nerve, and bone marrow with high accuracy. The model will enable accurate treatment planning for diseases requiring radiation therapy, revolutionizing radiation dosimetry in biomedical sciences and engineering.
The Alliance Chautauqua at Boston University brings together researchers, artists, and visitors to explore virtual labs and interact in real-time. The event showcases emerging technologies that facilitate remote collaborative work environments.
Solid-state transformers, developed by Purdue University, promise to replace conventional technology and reduce power-quality problems. They eliminate electrical pollution, decrease current requirements, and minimize environmental impact.
Engineers at Smart Fibres Ltd developed a smart mast that uses 'Bragg grating' strain sensor technology to monitor stresses and strains in composite materials. The technology has the potential for use in various industries, including aerospace and civil engineering.
New approaches to addressing fresh produce safety will be discussed at the IFT Annual Meeting, focusing on microbiological performance criteria and non-thermal technologies. These methods aim to control microorganisms and maintain food freshness, with benefits including better nutrient retention and flavor preservation.