Summary of On-Going Activities
Biomedical
Engineering Teaching Lab
(Prof.
Lawrence Staib, Fahmeed Hyder; Christine Delorenzo, Silvina Horovitz, Jeannine
Ruby ’03)
The Biomedical Engineering Lab gives students an introduction to experimental techniques covering in a range of topics in Biomedical Engineering, including biosign als, mass transfer and medical imaging, and hands-on experience with engineering tools used to study quantitative life sciences problems. Laboratories are designed to give familiarity with instrumentation and procedures for bioengineering research, including data acquisition, analysis and interpretation. DEMONSTRATION: Electro-cardiogram acquisition and processing lab module.
Characterization of Optoelectronic Devices
(Prof.
Janet Pan, Joseph McManis)
The optical and electrical characteristics of optical emitters (lasers and light-emitting-diodes)
and optical detectors are characterized here. *DEMONSTRATION: The time dependence
of the optical output of a light-emitting-diode will be measured in response
to an electrical input.
Molecular
Beam Epitaxy Facility
(Prof.
Jerry Woodall, Robert Koudelka, Thomas Boone)
The molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) facility is used to make advanced semiconductor
devices such as high speed transistors, lasers, LEDs and photodetectors. The
MBE machine is an ultrahigh, ultraclean, vacuum system capable of depositing
semiconductors one atomic-layer at a time.
Microfabrication
Facility (The Cleanroom)
(Prof.
Jerry Woodall, Prof.
T.P. Ma, Robert Koudelka, Thomas Boone)
This temperature and humidity controlled clean-air laboratory is equipped with
facilities for fabricating micro-, nano-, super-, and optoelectronic devices
by students, faculty, and researchers. The cleanliness of the air, classified
as “class-100” (less than 100 particles in a cubic foot of air,
as compared to millions of particles in a standard office environment), is necessary
for yielding functional devices. The construction of the Facility was funded
by a Keck Foundation Grant and by a Jones Family bequest. Vincent Coats ’46
BE recently donated a major piece of equipment for the Facility. Our philosophy
in maintaining the facility is to provide shared processing and characterization
equipment sufficiently close to state-of-the-art to allow both professors and
their students an uninhibited experimental approach to thesis projects that
will have both a positive and significant impact on boundaries of solid-state
science and engineering. DEMONSTRATION: A brief tour will describe the state
of the art research being conducted as well as the equipment available and the
techniques used for semiconductor chip fabrication in the cleanroom facility.
J. Robert Mann Jr. ’51E Microelectronics Teaching
Laboratory
(Prof.
T.P. Ma, Zhijiong Luo, Huiming Bu)
This laboratory provides a learning ground for undergraduate as well as graduate
students to fabricate and characterize semiconductor devices, including Ohmic
contacts, Schottky diodes, P-N junction diodes, solar cells, MOS capacitors,
and fieldeffect transistors. A small cleanroom with facilities for photolithography,
oxidation, diffusion, etching, and thin film deposition is available for producing
the aforementioned devices, and a device characterization bench is set up to
measure the electronic properties of these devices.
Superconducting
Nanoelectronics
(Prof.
Daniel Prober, Irfan Siddiqi, Chris Wilson, Veronica Savu, Matthew Reese,
Aric Sanders)
We are developing advanced superconducting devices which enable ultra-sensitive
detection of single optical photons and microwave signals. For radio astronomers,
we have invented and developed heterodyne detectors that operate at Terahertz
frequencies, and are starting to be applied on telescopes.
DEMONSTRATION: For future biological microscopy applications in the visible range, we are developing single photon detectors that have high quantum efficiency and can do spectroscopy of every detected photon. These will be explained, and a simple spectroscopy demonstration given.
Becton
Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy
(Prof.
Robert Grober, Mike Mason, Krishanu Ray, Jim Schuck)
Current research emphasizes the combined use of optical spectroscopy and high
spatial resolution optical imaging as a tool for materials characterization
and metrology. Primary efforts are in the characterization of semiconductor
nanostructures, photoacids in chemically amplified photoresist, DNA based molecular
beacons, and the assembly of proteins into amyloids. Increasingly, we are using
single molecularfluors as optical nanoprobes of the materials in which they
are embedded.
DEMONSTRATION: Our scanning confocal microscopes will be up and running, imaging
single molecule systems. Good light show (dark room, lasers, etc.)
Low-temperature
Nanoelectronics Laboratory
(Prof.
Robert Schoelkopf, Konrad Lehnert, Andreas Wallraff, John Teufel, Minghao
Shen, Laif Spietz, Ben Turek, David Schuster, Julie Wyatt)
This lab houses several special refrigerators for achieving temperatures down
to 0.005 Kelvin above absolute zero (the coldest place in Connecticut!). Experiments
are performed on a variety of ultra-small electronic devices whose size is measured
in nanometers (billionths of a meter). We utilize these unique conditions to
make electrical circuits whose behavior is intrinsically quantum mechanical,
having more in common with an atom or molecule than with conventional electronics.
By understanding and exploiting the properties of these quantum circuits, we
develop new devices and concepts for quantum information processing and quantum
computing, metrology and precision measurements, and ultra-sensitive detectors
for astrophysics.
*DEMONSTRATION: 1) High-Tc superconductivity - levitate a magnet above ceramic
in liquid nitrogen. 2) Breaking Tygon tubing, latex gloves, etc in liquid nitrogen.
3) Demonstration of the effects of thermal noise on electrical circuits:
Nanoscale complex oxide crystals
(Prof. Charles Ahn, Jim Reiner, Andrew Lin '03, Xia Hong, Tony
Yau, Agam Posadas)
Growth of atomically layered correlated oxide systems, including high temperature
superconductors, colossal magnetoresistance materials, ferroelectric oxides,
and piezoelectric oxides using advanced physical vapor deposition techniques
such as off-axis magnetron sputtering. Nanoscale characterization of correlated
oxides using scanning probe microscopy. Cryogenic transport measurements.
DEMONSTRATION: Thin film deposition using off-axis magnetron sputtering.
Semiconductor Device Characterization Laboratory
(Prof.
T.P. Ma, Sharon Wang, Wenjuan Zhu)
This laboratory supports the electrical characterization of semiconductor devices,
such as field-effect transistors, bipolar transistors, MOS capacitors, P-N junction
diodes, Schottky diodes, ferroelectric memory devices, and flash memory devices.
The equipment list includes several probe stations, a parameter analyzer, a
high-precision RLC meter, and an assortment of electronic instruments for measuring
I-V, G-V, C-V, their derivatives, and IETS for a variety of semiconductor devices.
Field
Emission Scanning Electron Microscope for Quantum Nanodevice Fabrication
(if operational)
(Prof.
Michel Devoret, Irfan Siddiqi, R. Vijayaraghavan)
We are in the process of setting up a state-of-the art machine for the design
and fabrication of quantum electronic devices. These devices could play a basic
role in the building of a quantum computer. We hope we will be able demonstrate
images of a nanocircuit with a magnification 1 to 100, 000, a zoom operation
corresponding roughly to finding with a telescope in space a baseball field
starting from an image of the full North American continent.
Simulation
of Combustion Dynamics
(Prof.
Mitchell Smooke, Brian Dobbins, Beth-Anne Bennett, Mike Noskov, Jamie Cooke)
Our work focuses on the simulation of combustion dynamics in premixed and non-premixed
systems. We study the structure, ignition and extinction of flames for both
condensed and gas phase fuels. Topics include energetic materials for propellants,
pollution formation in hydrocarbon fuels and the burning of JP-8 for palm power.
Laboratories for Micromechanics of Materials and Materials
Science
(Prof.
Wei Tong, Prof.
David Wu, Lin Zhuo)
Come and see (1) how the microstructures of many engineered materials are characterized
by electron backscatter diffraction patterns (EBSD), and energy dispersive spectra;
(2) how the mechanical behavior (deformation and failure) of these materials
are evaluated by macro- and micro-mechanical experiments; and (3) how the material
properties are understood through multiscale modeling (molecular dynamics, crystal
plasticity, finite element, and macroscopic theories) of material microstructures
and their evolution.
DEMONSTRATION: On-going demonstration of electron backscatter diffraction pattern
(EBSD) analysis of polycrystalline materials using a scanning electron microscope
and a digital imagebased whole-field deformation measurement in a mechanical
test of material samples
Biomedical
Image Analysis: Image-Guided Neurosurgery
(Prof.
James Duncan, Xenophon Papademetris)
Noninvasive medical imaging based on magnetic resonance, xray absorption, ultrasound
and radiotracers is being employed in ever-increasing ways for patient diagnosis.
However, the use of the array of quantitative information available from these
images to better stratify patient outcomes and guide therapeutic procedures
remains limited. Here at Yale, within our Biomedical Engineering program, we
are focused on developing mathematical image analysis strategies for a variety
of tasks. One of these is in the context of Image-guided Neurosurgery, for which
we recently received a large $7.1M grant to “investigate bioimaging and
intervention in neocortical epilepsy.” In this exhibit, we will describe
the ways in which we are using imaging and image analysis to discover the biochemical
changes in the brain due to epilepsy and to compensate for shifts in the brain
during neurosurgery in order to create more accurate imagebased
roadmaps for the surgeon.
DEMONSTRATION: Powerpoint display of images and results
Drug
Delivery: An Example of Modern Biomedical Engineering
(Prof.
Mark Saltzman, Margaret Cartiera, Veronique Tran, Tarek Fahmy, Mark Keegan,
Michael Dutt, Shu-Chin Ma, Catherine Lo, Amarilys Sanchez, Emily Habisch, Victoria
Ying, Thomas Leong, Stephanie Nemir)
Our laboratory is developing new methods for drug delivery, vaccine administration
and cell transplantation for tissue engineering. We will have a poster presentation
covering a variety of projects under way in the lab, as well as some short demonstrations
and examples of products that we are making in the lab.
The Engineering & Applied Science Library
Conveniently located in Becton Center, offers an extensive collection
of books and journals supporting research and teaching in engineering, computer
science and related fields. In addition, the library offers numerous online
databases and thousands of full text journals that extend access to research
materials beyond the library walls to student residences and faculty offices.
In celebration of the Sesquicentennial, the library will feature a selection
of Yale Engineering dissertations written during the last fifty years. (Andrew
Shimp, Librarian)
Laser
Diagnostics of Turbulent Flames
(Prof.
Marshall Long, Sebastian Kaiser)
The interplay of turbulence and complex chemistry makes practical combustion
systems beyond the realm of problems that can be solved in detail by computation
– even with the most advanced computers on the horizon. Therefore, experimental
measurements are needed to develop appropriate simplifying models. Laser diagnostic
techniques can provide quantitative, non-intrusive, highly-resolved measurements
of important quantities. In this laboratory, quantitative laser imaging techniques
are developed and applied to a variety of fundamental combustion systems.
DEMONSTRATION: A 10-minute demonstration of imaging large-scale structures in
a turbulent flame will be given.
Laser diagnostics of a prototype “palm-power”
combustor
(Prof.
Marshall Long, Sebastian Kaiser)
The set-up to perform laser-based imaging of the fuel distribution inside a
prototype combustor is on display. The combustor is being developed by a Yale
group to ultimately provide power for handheld devices such as communication
equipment. The mixing processes inside the operating device are visualized by
imaging laser-induced fluorescence of the fuel, which is excited by a pulsed
laser.
Aerosol Detection Lab
(Prof.
Richard Chang, Kevin Aptowicz)
We are studying the detection and characterization of airborne particles in
the respiratory range (1- 10 µm). Two optical techniques are used in this
laboratory: 1) using fluorescence emission of amino acids, NADH, and flavins
as markers for biological aerosols; and 2) using the angular pattern of elastic
light scattering to provide us with the indices of refraction, sizes, shapes
and surface roughness of the individual aerosols. Each type of aerosol has a
unique fluorescence spectrum and angular pattern. By comparing our data with
known aerosols we can classify what the aerosols under study are. This is particularly
critical for monitoring biological and chemical agents that may be purposely
released into the atmosphere as we can check for 2,000 individual aerosols per
minute in real time and in situ.
DEMONSTRATION: The angular pattern of elastic light-scattering from optical
fibers of different cross-sections will be demonstrated
with a green laser pointer.
Micropillar
Laser Lab
(Prof.
Richard Chang, Prof.
Douglas Stone, Grace Chern,
Harald Schwefel, Hakan Tureci) We are studying lasing properties of micropillars
(2 µm high posts) of various cross-sections: for example, squares, hexagons,
ellipses, and other oval shapes. Unlike other lasers that use reflectors to
provide the optical feedback, we use the sidewalls of the pillars to provide
high reflectivity via total internal reflection. However, at certain sidewall
locations the light can escape and it is this escaped light that is most intense.
This escaped light has directionality, unlike a light emitting diode. We are
presently investigating GaN (gallium nitride) quantum well lasers that emit
blue to green light. Such GaN lasers will be used in telecommunication and other
consumer electronics such as DVDs and CDs. In the case of DVDs and CDs, the
shorter wavelengths of the blue light will enable about 10 times more storage
of information compared to the present ones that use red GaAs (gallium arsenide)
lasers. These new micro-lasers are interesting from the basic science point
of view because the ray motion inside some of them is chaotic and we use chaos
theory to understand their emission patterns.
DEMONSTRATION: Specialized computer software allowing visitors to explore chaotic
and regular ray motions in these lasers will be available on a continuous basis.
Nanoelectronics Laboratory
(Prof.
Mark Reed, James Klemic, Glenn Martin, Takhee Lee, Wenyong Wang, Xiaohui
Li, Menno De Jong, Ilona Kretzschmar, Ryan Munden)
The focus of this laboratory is the fabrication and characterization of some
of the smallest electronic devices ever demonstrated, some as small as single
atoms and molecules. We create unique device structures utilize novel fabrication
approaches to make electrical devices and circuits whose behavior is dominated
by quantum mechanics, and may open up new areas of electronics. DEMONSTRATION
of device fabrication using an electron beam lithography system.
DEMONSTRATION of an atomic force microscope.
MOCVD
Laboratory for Wide Bandgap Semiconductor Science and Technology
(Maria Gherasimova, George Cui, Xue-Lun Wang)
Becton 026 houses a state-of-the-art facility for the synthesis of wide bandgap
AlGaInN semiconductors using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD).
A new MOCVD commercial reactor (Aixtron 200/4 RF/S) with a heating capability
of up to 1250 °C was delivered and installed in Fall 2001 and is now operational.
This system features a combination of a glovebox and loadlock to ensure isolation
between the epitaxial environment and the ambient. Special optical probes are
employed to provide in-situ and real-time feedback of the growth process. This
system is equipped with six metal-organic sources (expandable to ten) and three
hydride sources (expandable to five), capable of supporting the growth of a
wide range of heterostructures and devices such as laser diodes, light emitting
diodes, and transistors.
Undergraduate
Electrical Engineering Projects with Autonomous Robots
(Prof.
Roman Kuc, Ed Jackson, Henri Chen, Charles Yawson)
Autonomous robots are appealing teaching tools that illustrate feedback system
behavior and analytic approaches to solving interesting problems. Projects performed
by Electrical and Mechanical Engineering majors will be demonstrated in the
Morse Teaching Center.
*DEMONSTRATION: Autonomous robots will repeat at specified path and avoid objects.
The Morse Teaching Center
(Prof.
Peter Kindlemann, Director)
Funded by a $1 million donation from Carl A. Morse ’25S,
the Morse Center was dedicated in 1988 .We were fortunate to be able to establish
a full-time senior support position, now held since 1999 by Mr. Edward Jackson,
a graduate engineer with 25 years of industry engineering experience. Evolving
support included major additional gifts from J. Robert Mann Jr. ’51E to
establish a VLSI CAD and Simulation Lab, and from Hewlett-Packard, allowing
us to equip multiple lab stations with a core of professional instruments, all
interfaced to desk-top PCs networked to local shared resources (printers, plotters,
workgroup servers) and to the full resources of Yale and the Internet. The Morse
Center not only supports the lab portions of the core courses in Electrical
Engineering, but is also the setting for wideranging senior and other special
projects, from robotic sensors, mobile robots, hi-fi equipment, VLSI designs,
implementations of neural networks, a 3-D laser projection system (one of the
winners in the 1996 B.F. Goodrich Inventor’s Contest), infra-red modem
links and much else. Some examples will be on display. The philosophy of the
laboratories is to balance experience in simulation with exposure to the magnitudes
of circuit parameters and real-world effects such as noise, power levels, and
interconnection requirements. We aim for an environment of engineering judgment,
the tackling of “real world problems” and the encouragement of individual
and small-group student project efforts at hands-on work.
Robots in Electrical Engineering Courses
(Prof.
Roman Kuc, Ed Jackson)
Mobile robots illustrate system behavior and design in several Electrical Engineering
courses. EE101 and EE350. *DEMONSTRATION: Simulations and comparisons with actual
robot behavior in multi-robot tracking. Soccer playing robot. (10 min)
Mechanical Design Studio (ME185)
(Prof. Natalie Jeremijenko, Glenn
Weston-Murphy, Alexi Nazem, Tiffany Card ’04, George Malcolmson ’03)
See how students are introduced to engineering and the design process. Students
start out with a box of raw materials from which they create a robot. The Robot
must perform contest-required tasks within each student’s strategy. The
Course culminates with an end of the semester “Robot Showdown”.
DEMONSTRATION: On-going demonstrations of student robots on the most recent
game board.
Computer Aided Design and Simulation
Lab
(Prof. Richard Lethin, Yulio Aristo)
VLSI Design: The EE425 course is a soup-to-nuts intense introduction to the
art and science of designing VLSI chips.
DEMONSTRATION: The instructor will show a VLSI Computer- Assisted-Design (CAD)
program in use and discuss original student project designs of an adaptive FIR
filter, an imager, and a DES encryption stage.
POSTERS:
The ULTRA Scalar Processor
(Prof.
Dana Henry, Bradley Kuszmaul, Gabriel Loh ’04, Rahul Sami ’04,
Srinivas Viswanath ’04) Implementation of the arithmetic core of a 700-Mhz,
8-way, out-of-order issue, asymptotically scalable, superscalar microarchitecture.
Duplication-Based Concurrent Error
Detection in Asynchronous Circuits: Shortcomings and Remedies
(Prof. Yiorgos Makris, Thomas Verdel)
Analysis of reliability requirements in asynchronous circuits, differences from
their synchronous counterparts and derivation of concurrent error detection
methods to enable reliable asynchronous circuit design.
Design of a Concurrent Error Detector
with Dynamically Adjustable Threshold for Fully Differential
Analog Circuits
(Prof. Yiorgos Makris, Haralampos Stratigopoulos)
Implementation of a checker that adjusts its tolerance threshold to the magnitude
of the signal being measured. Application of this fundamental principle for
concurrent error detection with high precision in fully differential analog
circuits.
Semiconductor Device Fundamentals (EE 320) and Electronic
Circuits (EE 325)
(Prof.
Jerry Woodall, Prof.
Peter Kindlmann, Ed Jackson)
These courses engage students in fundamental aspects of semiconductor materials
and devices, and the analog and digital circuits based on them. Students from
these courses will be on hand to demonstrate and discuss their activities
Analog Circuit Design of Mobile Robot (EE 227)
(Prof.
Janet Pan, R. Vijayaraghavan, Aaron Beng,
Bertrand Maher ’04, Ryan McClendon, David Cohen ’04, Michael Glickman
’04, Ed Jackson)
Analog circuit topologies, electronic components, system performance (frequency
and time domain), and system design are taught using a mobile robot as a teaching
vehicle.
*DEMONSTRATION: A mobile robot will be driven around a moderately challenging
race course to demonstrate time-domain system performance. (5 mins.)
Team Lux
(David Johnson ’04, Josh Buck ’04 and team members)
Team Lux is an independent group of Yale University students who design, build
and race solar-powered cars. We are currently constructing our fourth generation
solar car, the John Lee. The John Lee will compete in July in the 2003 American
Solar Challenge-a cross-country race covering over 2200 miles.
NETWORKS, COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTROL GROUP
Control Systems
(a) Coordination of Groups of Mobile Autonomous Agents
(Jie Lin, Tolga Eren)
10-minute electronic presentation: i) Local control strategies for bird flocking,
Yale Marching Band maneuvering, and multi-agent rendezvousing. ii) Formation
control via rigid frameworks.
(b) Logic-Based Switching and Control
(MingCao)
5-minute electronic presentation: i) Automatic vehicle parking;
ii) Balancing a burning broom. 514 Dunham Wireless Networks
(a) Sensor Networks
(Prof.
Sekhar Tatikonda)
5-minute electronic presentation: i) Local communications and computations for
global decision-making. ii). Design of large-scale sensor networks.
(b) Mobile Communications
(Prof.
Edmund Yeh, Jian Cao)
5-minute electronic presentation: i) Coding of wireless data transmission. ii)
Minimizing delay and maximizing throughput for multi-user networks.
(Engineering Student Organizations)
Engineering Student Center (ESC)
(Engineering Student Organizations)
ESC was established this year in response to undergraduate requests for a place
to congregate in study sessions, to hold student organization meetings, and
to have ready access to engineering software. The operation of ESC is controlled
by the Engineering Student Council, a group of undergraduate representatives
and organization presidents, and the Dean’s Office. Representatives of
student organizations will explain their activities.
Experimental Product Design Lab
(Prof. Natalie Jeremijenko, Tiffany Card ’04, Ryan Wickre
’05, R. Ophir)
The Experimental Product Design lab at Yale explores the transformative potential
of new technology, specifically, examining and intervening in the role of new
information technologies in catalyzing social change. This research is directed
at framing and generating design problems for social value, and implementing
exhibitable and testable prototypes. Associated research initiatives include:
Yale Toy Design Initiative (with the Child Study Center); Eco-informatics (with
the School of Forestry); Smart Building Design (with Architecture); Tangible
Media and design for pervasively networked society (with the Center for the
Internet).
*DEMONSTRATION of commercial robotic dog adaptation project.
Senior
and Graduate Level Design Studio
(Prof. Natalie Jeremijenko, Glenn
Weston-Murphy)
See where students develop their ideas into reality. The senior project and
product development studio is a collaborative design, peer learning facility
where students have access to rapid prototyping faculties. The 3-D Printer takes
student developed computer models and reproduces them in solid form to hold
in their hand for review. A desktop computer controlled milling machine carries
the student ideas into usable form, supplemented by laser prototype engraver
and CAD workstations.
*DEMONSTRATION: Ongoing demonstrations of prototyping equipment.
Undergraduate
Experimental Lab
(Prof.
John Walz, Martin Piech, Ratna Oetama)
i) Liquid Controlled Experiment
The objective of this experiment is to design and operate a computer
controlled feedback control system to maintain the liquid level of a tank at
a set point. The actual system is controlled with a software program called
LabView, while a direct representation of the closed-loop feedback control process
is modeled using Matlab Simulink Simulations.
ii) Surface Tension, Contact Angle, and Capillary Rise
Experiments
The purpose of this lab is to introduce the students to the basic
principles and commonly used techniques to measure surface tension and contact
angle. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of a surfactant can be determined
by measuring the surface tension of a series of surfactant solutions at different
surfactant concentrations. The differences in contact angle of the surfactant
solution on hydrophobic and non-hydrophobic are also observed. Capillary rise
of the solution can be predicted by knowing the measured surface tension and
contact angle
iii) Simultaneous Multi-angle Static and Dynamic Light
Scattering (SMSDLS) instrument
The aggregation and deposition behavior of colloidal particles
is an important aspect in studying the role of colloidal and hydrodynamic forces
in particle-particle interaction. SMSDLS provides a measure of particle aggregation
kinetics, fractal aggregation, characterization of particle accumulation during
particle deposition process, protein crystallization, and colloidal phenomena
in natural water. Note that this equipment is not a part of the undergraduate
laboratory course.
Professor Barnett Dodge (1895-1972) Memorabilia
A collection of memorabilia and information about the life and
Yale career of Prof. Barnett F. Dodge, who was Chairman of the Yale ChE Department
between 1930 and 1960, and author of the classic text-treatise: Chemical Engineering
Thermodynamics, McGraw-Hill (1944). (Prepared by Prof. Daniel Rosner)
Multi-Phase
Chemical Reaction Engineering
(Prof.
Daniel Rosner, Barbara La Mantia)
In our lab we conduct both experimental and theoretical studies in the general
area of high temperature chemical reaction engineering. In particular, we are
now focusing on a process called “bubble combustion”. Ongoing experiments
deal with premixed combustion inside spherical symmetric bubbles, centrally
ignited while rising steadily under gravity in a viscous transparent fluid;
future experimental developments aim to capture the features of liquid fuel
combustion by mean of oxidizer bubbles.
DEMONSTRATION: The set-up for bubble combustion in the premixed limit will be
shown: the method to locate the bubble center and the synchronized laser ignition
technique will be explained, together with the diagnostics used to measure some
of the quantities of interest. As time permits, the ignition of a single bubble
will be demonstrated.
High Temperature Chemical Reaction Engineering Room
(Prof.
Lisa Pfefferle, Charles McEnally, Dragos Ciuparu)
Our main focus is the experimental and theoretical analysis of high temperature
chemically reacting flows, including catalytic combustion, partial oxidations,
particle nucleation in reacting flows, combustion chemistry, oxidation of aromatic
compounds, soot formation in flames, laser-based diagnostics for one and two-phase
chemically reacting flows and diagnostics for in-situ characterization of catalytic
processes. Applications involve pollution prevention, power production, and
materials synthesis. In a new collaboration with Prof. Haller we are investigating
the production of aligned carbon nanotubes.
These experiments are devoted to the study of toxic byproduct
formation in flames. These byproducts include soot, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
and oxygenated hydrocarbons. We have developed a perturbation strategy and analytical
techniques to discriminate among growth mechanisms in a highly complex environment.
Membrane Separation in Aquatic Systems
(Prof.
Menachem Elimelech, Xiaohui Li, Long Nghiem)
Membrane processes have rapidly evolved to become perhaps the most important
and versatile set of technologies for environmental quality control. Today,
membrane processes are capable of replacing the vast majority of Victorian technologies
used in water quality engineering throughout the 20th century. Membranes are
used to perform liquid-solid separation, desalination, softening, removal of
organic and inorganic contaminants, disinfection, gas transfer, and sludge thickening
to name a few applications. Moreover, the application of membrane processes
has moved beyond traditional water quality engineering, becoming critical elements
of resource recovery and pollution prevention in projects ranging from metals
recovery to water reuse. Despite substantial progress, many of the initial problems
associated with these processes remain, including limitations in our ability
to control and predict membrane fouling and selectivity. In our laboratory we
carry our investigations on the mechanisms of membrane fouling by colloidal
particles and natural organic matter. In addition, we are studying the mechanisms
by which emerging wastewater pollutants (such as endocrine disrupting chemicals)
are rejected by reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes.
Influence
of Microscopic Surface Chemical Heterogeneity of the Kinetics of Colloid and
Bacterial Adhesion
(Prof.
Menachem Elimelech, Sharon Walker, Zachary Kuznar)
A stagnation point flow system has been developed for investigating the role
of physical and chemical interactions on colloid and bacterial cell adhesion
kinetics in aquatic systems. The experimental set-up consists of a microscope
focused on a well-defined collector surface inside a stagnation point flow chamber,
with an automated computer controlled imagecapturing device. The adhesion kinetics
of colloidal particles onto heterogeneously charged surfaces is studied using
a dark-field upright microscope. Bacterial adhesion is investigated using a
fluorescent inverted microscope. In this laboratory, we study the role of surface
chemical heterogeneity on the adhesion behavior of colloidal particles and bacterial
cells.
*DEMONSTRATION: We will be demonstrating the use of our two Zeiss microscopes
(dark field and fluorescent) for visualization of flowing and adhering particles/bacteria.
Microbial Transport in Subsurface Porous Media
(Prof.
Menachem Elimelech, Jeremy Redman)
Groundwater can serve as a pathway for the transmission of pathogenic viruses,
bacteria, and protozoa. The dominant process controlling the fate and transport
of microorganisms is attachment to natural sediments, i.e., natural filtration.
Our research is focused on examining the mechanisms responsible for microorganism
filtration as well as subsequent release from sediment grains. Using packed
beds of well-cleaned quartz grains, we find that the microbesediment interactions
are influenced by the physicochemical properties of both the microorganism and
sediment grains as well as the chemistry of the pore fluid. Currently, we are
investigating the role of surface charge as well as the presence and length
of extracellular polymers on bacterial transport.
Liquid Chromatographic and Mass Spectral analysis
of Proteins and Peptides
(Prof.
Csaba Horvath, Rong Xiang, Alyce Hersel, Chuan Wang, Josh Buck ’04,
Ryan Hutchinson ’03
Our laboratory is engaged in the development of liquid chromatographic techniques
for the separation of substances of biological interest. These include molecules
such as proteins, peptides, sugars and nucleic acids. It is generally agreed
that the elucidation of the human genome sequence presents an even greater and
more complex challenge to biologists, chemists and engineers. This challenge
is the understanding of the structure, interactions and functions of the gene
products themselves. The gene products, proteins, are highly complex molecules
that regulate cellular functions and are thus important in both normal and diseased
states. In addition, most drug targets are in fact proteins. Separation methods,
which allow isolation of individual molecules, play a central role in the understanding
of protein structure and function.
Colloidal preparation/characterization laboratory
(Prof.
John Walz, Martin Piech, Ratna Oetama)
In this lab we prepare suspensions of small solid particles (colloids with sizes
varying from few nanometers to few microns) typically dispersed in water or
salt solutions. These suspensions are titrated to the desired pH and in some
cases, additives such as surfactants, polymers or their charged analogs, polyelectrolytes,
are mixed in. We use a micro-electrophoresis device to quantify the magnitude
of surface charge on colloidal particles. Understanding the magnitude of this
charge is important in predicting the stability of a dispersion of charged particles
(e.g. whether particles will flocculate or remain dispersed.) Another set-up
in the lab is used to investigate the effects of magnetic field on calcium crystallites.
It was build to mimic actual industrial-type system used for water treatment
and scale dissolution in distillation tower piping. Apart from storage tanks,
a heater and magnetic flow-through electromagnetic device, termed the Dolphin
Pulse Power Unit from Clearwater Systems, the setup contains a Laser-Trac in-flow
particle counter and streaming current monitor in order to characterize particle/crystallite
size distribution continuously during an experiment.
Space
propulsion with electrified liquid surfaces
(Prof.
Juan de la Mora, Ignacio Romero)
Conducting liquids charged electrically tend to form sharp conical points, from
which very small drops and sometimes ions are ejected. First, a brief photographic
description of the physical phenomenon of the formation of electrified liquid
cones will be given. The various modes in which these charged particles can
be accelerated and ejected to provide thrust with unusual efficiency will be
witnessed. Time of flight mass spectrometry is used as the primary source of
information to probe the propulsive properties of these devices.
*DEMONSTRATION designed to be of interest to nonspecialists.
Student Machine Shop
(Nick Bernardo)
In this machine shop both graduate students and undergraduates can make a wide
variety of items for research purposes. Both metal working and wood-working
machines are available, but the most valuable resource is always the knowledgeable
and helpful supervisor of the shop, currently in the person of Nick Bernardo.
Colloidal Force Measurement Lab
(Prof.
John Walz, Martin Piech and Ratna Oetama)
Understanding forces between colloidal particles in solution is of primary importance
in variety of industrial and natural processes. We utilize two relatively new
experimental tools that allow direct measurement of these forces between a single
colloidal particle and a planar substrate in water. The Atomic Force Microscope
(AFM) is set-up to measure forces between a fixed colloidal particle (attached
to a soft spring) and a planar surface with resolution down to 0.5 pN. In contrast,
Total Internal Reflection Microscopy (TIRM) measures the energy of interaction
between a freely rotating Brownian particle and a planar surface. This interaction
potential can then be converted into force with resolution down to 0.05 pN.
In the past we have measured different types of interaction forces, namely,
electrostatic, van der Waals, depletion and steric interactions. Moreover, AFM
is routinely used to image various surfaces with a resolution down to few nanometers
in the lateral direction and few tenths of a nanometer in the vertical direction.
