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Document ActionsBreakthroughs: Berkeley research at the engineering forefrontCanned heatThe ubiquitous aluminum can, convenient as it is, takes an awful lot of energy to produce. But materials science and engineering professor James Evans may have a solution. Currently, to isolate the metal, smelting plants run hundreds of massive electrolytic cells that require regular attention from operators to curtail their inherent release of greenhouse gases. Evans and team are fighting fumes by installing temperature-tracking wireless sensors on the cells that transmit to operators’ laptops so they can tell when something is amiss and correct the problem. www.coe.berkeley.edu/labnotes/0307/aluminum.html Double-dipping cranes
Two birds, one stone. That should be the motto for gigantic freight-carrying cranes used to haul cargo on and off ships at port, according to studies by civil and environmental engineering professor Carlos Daganzo and University of Washington’s Anne Goodchild (M.S.’02, Ph.D.’05 CEE). Cranes now hoist goods from barge to dock until the decks are clear and then load the ship back up again. But Daganzo is working on a technique known as “double cycling,” in which cranes never swing back empty-handed. Instead, they deliver a load on each return trip to save money, fuel and carbon emissions. www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/69902.html Nanografts to the rescue
Coronary bypass surgery—a treatment performed on some half million heart disease sufferers each year—could get a whole lot easier, thanks to the efforts of bioengineering Ph.D. student Craig Hashi and team. To sidestep a blockage, the researchers coax all-new vessel growth using a nanofiber scaffolding studded with the patient’s own adult stem cells. This graft is then implanted into the patient, where the foreign fibers break down to leave only healthy tissue. The device won the national Biomedical Engineering Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Award and the National Inventors Hall of Fame Collegiate Inventors Competition and will soon enter clinical trials. www.coe.berkeley.edu/engnews/Fall06/EN03F/nanografts.html Get plugged in
A new and improved Toyota hybrid that charges via wall socket joins Berkeley’s Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS) fleet as part of a study funded by the California Air Resources Board. The prototype vehicle is similar to the popular Prius in that it shifts from electric to gas power on the go, but it has a powerful battery pack that allows it to run longer (and at higher speeds) on pure electricity, saving fuel. The researchers will assess the usability of the vehicle over a two-year period in which ITS staff participants will routinely test-drive and test-charge the car. www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/07/25_plugin.shtml Internet rebornIf the Internet didn’t exist yet, how would you build it? Electrical engineering and computer sciences professor Scott Shenker, with researchers from the Stanford Clean Slate Design for the Internet project, is working on Ethane, a radically new architecture for enterprise networks that takes a bottom-up approach to security. Rather than allow open communication by default, Ethane prohibits all exchanges from the start, then allows authorized operators to clear secure channels as appropriate. http://cleanslate.stanford.edu/index.php Better DVD playersElectrical engineering and computer sciences professor Connie J. Chang-Hasnain and students built a super-thin high-performance mirror that may usher in the next generation of laser optics devices like high-definition DVD players and laser printers. Mirrors are used in these objects to create powerful laser beams. The new mirror, which works by passing light over a series of grooves in the device’s layered structure, captures just as much definition as larger mirrors but is 20 times thinner and functions under a broader light spectrum. www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2007/02/13_laser.shtml Health connectionsOnline support for a range of health issues from cancer to diabetes and parenting is now available from OurHealthCircle.org, cofounded by electrical engineering and computer sciences graduates Jeremy Schiff, Frank Wang, Tracy Wang and Haas School of Business student Heston Liebowitz, with Professor Jon Burgstone of Berkeley’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. The site allows users with similar concerns to swap advice and encouragement on more than 750 topics in a secure and anonymous environment. www.ourhealthcircle.org Contents |
