Kettering University News - Category: Technical Research http://www.kettering.edu Kettering University news from the "Technical Research" category en-us pmroczek@kettering.edu webmaster@kettering.edu Kettering Seal http://www.kettering.edu/images/seal_bw.gif http://www.kettering.edu Physical therapy for co-op http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2922 2922 September 09, 2009 Luck. A good word. Some might say that luck is the residue of skill. Others suggest that luck is something individuals simply stumble into blindly.

Sam Perlmutter doesn’t dwell on the sort of luck he’s had in his young engineering career. He appreciates it, but knows there’s a great deal of important work ahead of him, work that will one day help those who require rigorous physical therapy to overcome the issues that plague them.

But from an objective point of view, the luck Perlmutter has had in his career is the sort that one might never anticipate and must readily accept without hesitation.

In 2004, Perlmutter, feeling a bit unchallenged working as a student engineer at an automotive company, interviewed for a cooperative education position at Northwestern’s Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC, http://www.ric.org/). Founded in 1954, RIC has earned a worldwide reputation as a leader in patient care, advocacy, research and the education of health professionals in physical medicine and rehabilitation. But as luck would have it, the person he was scheduled to meet that day was called away unexpectedly. As a result, Perlmutter interviewed with Dr. Mohsen Makhsous, an assistant professor in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Dept. of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, who was with the RIC at that time. As Perlmutter recalls, he didn’t know one thing about what RIC’s work comprised and was completely unsure how an ME student might contribute to this organization.

“Originally, I was to meet with Alicia Starr at RIC, who really pushed to bring in a co-op to help with the Center’s work,” he said, adding that the engineering background he brought to RIC, “was something she was interested in working into the organization’s research. Much of what we do here relies greatly on many engineering principles and theories. If it wasn’t for Alicia’s support and guidance to give biomedical research a chance, who knows what I might be doing today.”

Fast forward five years: Today, Perlmutter is engaged in a PhD program at Northwestern and believes he found his career calling. One of his primary projects is an effort that better understands the neurophysiology of trunk control in both healthy subjects, as well as individuals who have survived a stroke. These experiments involve subjects using real-time visual feedback from a six degree of freedom load cell to generate isometric force with an individual’s trunk in all directions while muscle activity is recorded using electromyographic (EMG) electrodes.

“In short, the trunk is biomechanically the most important ‘link’ in movement generation and stabilization. Thus, the trunk dysfunction as viewed post-stroke needs to be better understood using engineering methodology to improve rehabilitation practices,” Perlmutter explained. Most importantly, as an engineer, he feels the education and engineering approach is critical to rehabilitative research, since much of what an engineer does applies well to the study of movement science, particularly as it relates to the human body.

From March until June of this year, Perlmutter was pleased to have a second group of Kettering co-op students engaged in his research at Northwestern. One student—Junior Briana Reprogle of Noblesville, Ind., who majors in Applied Physics and Mechanical Engineering at Kettering University—worked on developing algorithms to analyze kinetics and kinematics of children riding tricycles to gain an understanding into how kids develop the skills necessary to properly stabilize and pedal efficiently. “This will help provide insight into enhancements for the trike that can help assimilate this learning process,” Perlmutter said.

Under the supervision of Perlmutter’s advisor, Mohsen Makhsous, Ph.D., Reprogle also helped work on a study that simulates pressure ulcers on both normal and spinal cord injury animal models.

“Since pressure ulcers are one of the main causes of death in people who suffer a spinal cord injury, our main objective is to prevent the development of pressure ulcers both internally and externally. Briana worked on a study that used an ultrasound probe and force sensor to help clinicians predict the occurrence of ulcers before they evolve to the skin surface. Once you see them on the skin, it’s too late,” Perlmutter said.

Kettering Junior Mike Bajema, an Electrical Engineering major from Zeeland, Mich., fabricated and designed electromechanical components for all of the department labs and worked extensively with Perlmutter and other researchers. He observed experiments in a lab related to movement generation in individuals with Parkinson’s disease. The research involved impairments in the basal ganglia and required a good understanding of neuronal biophysics for calculating conduction times of the nervous system as well as extremely advanced signal processing, which, according to Perlmutter, is the backbone of Electrical Engineering. 

Overall, Perlmutter is very pleased with Reprogle’s and Bajema’s work. “When we established our co-op program, we knew that the students who would join us must be the very brightest we could find and have a passion for this sort of work. They are very competent and dedicated, and have shown much more than we expected. When you have that kind of passion and dedication, it doesn’t feel like work,” he said.

Bajema and Reprogle agree.  

“It’s been just a great experience,” Bajema said, adding that he engaged in “a lot of projects and now I’m considering graduate studies because of this experience.”
“I always had a feeling that I wanted to study for my Ph.D. one day and now I’m even more interested in the biomedical field because of this co-op,” Reprogle said. “The diversity of projects is huge and the experience I’ve received in experimental design is excellent,” she added.

Dr. Julius Dewald, associate professor and chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences and an internationally recognized scholar in the field, is also pleased with the work of Kettering co-ops. After Perlmutter arrived and began research projects for the department, Dewald was impressed. So when Perlmutter approached Dewald with a well-thought out proposal to bring Kettering co-ops to the department, it still took considerable persuasion to make the program a reality.

“Initially, I didn’t have much knowledge about the Kettering program. Based on Sam’s experience within the department and his achievement at that point, I had confidence it would work,” Dewald said.

The department is considered one of the best in the country and is one of the few of its kind. Over the past three years, it has trained and graduated 70-76 therapists and utilizes an interdisciplinary approach. For example, many of the PhD candidates are engineers who receive exceptional exposure to clinical research opportunities, which helps synthesize engineering, technology and research. In addition, it is the first program of its kind to offer a dual doctoral degree in Physical Therapy and doctoral degree in Engineering. This, according to Perlmutter, is why Kettering students make exceptional candidates for the department.

Thus the reason why during recent cooperative education employment fairs at Kettering so many students lined up to meet and interview with Perlmutter. Many even said they would work for free just to have the experience gained through Northwestern.

“I interviewed a great many talented students,” Perlmutter said, noting that current funding supports two students at a time. “Everyone at Northwestern has just been great in working with the Kettering students. When their work terms ends, they don’t want to leave,” he added.

For now, Perlmutter and his colleagues at Northwestern continue to provide Kettering students an exceptional co-op experience. In the future, Perlmutter hopes to seek grant support to perhaps one day expand the program and continue building the relationship between the two schools.

To learn more about Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine’s Dept. of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, visit http://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/nupthms/index.html. To learn more about Kettering University’s cooperative education program, visit www.kettering.edu.

Written by Gary Erwin
810.762.9538
gerwin@ketteirng.edu ]]> Overview of Michigan's advanced battery technology http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2915 2915 August 26, 2009 Granholm Visits Kettering University in Flint, Celebrates University’s Advanced Battery Grant from Department of Energy

LANSING – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm visited Kettering University Aug. 19 to highlight the school’s $500,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced earlier in August by Vice President Joe Biden.  Combined, Michigan’s higher education institutions were awarded $10.5 million for training programs geared toward advanced electric-drive vehicles. 

The funding Kettering received is part of a $2.5 million grant awarded to the University of Michigan and their partners to create 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power.  The courses will be taught at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, at the university’s Dearborn campus, and in Flint at Kettering.

“For Michigan to be a leader in advanced-battery technology and electric vehicles, we need a well-trained workforce prepared by our colleges’ and universities’ training and cutting-edge ideas and research,” Granholm said.  “That’s the vital role Kettering and other Michigan colleges and universities will fill.  These Recovery Act grants to the University of Michigan and Kettering, along with Wayne State and Michigan Tech, will help to create an entire industry cluster around this critical advanced technology.”

Over a dozen Michigan projects were awarded more than $1.35 billion in federal grants to support advanced-battery and electric-vehicle manufacturing and development.  The projects are estimated to create 6,800 jobs in the next 18 months and up to 40,000 jobs by 2020.  Funding for the competitive grants comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Michigan saw the opportunity for an advanced-battery industry well before any other state and developed an innovative strategy to bring to Michigan the jobs and economic development created by advanced-battery research, development, and manufacturing.

That strategy includes Michigan’s first-in-the-nation advanced-battery tax credits.  Earlier this year, Granholm signed into law legislation providing up to $700 million in refundable tax credits to encourage companies to develop and manufacture advanced batteries and commercialize advanced-battery technologies in Michigan.  The initiative – the first of its kind in the United States – was a key factor in Michigan projects receiving the DOE grants.

“In 2006, Michigan charted a course to lead in advanced-battery development, and we have not looked back,” Michigan Economic Development Corporation President and CEO Greg Main said.

“We engaged industry experts every step of the way and secured unprecedented bipartisan support for some of the most generous and innovative economic development tools in the nation.  I commend Governor Granholm and the Michigan Legislature for enabling Michigan to be a global leader in this industry,” Main continued.

The Michigan recipients of Recovery Act DOE grants are:

Advanced Electric Drive Vehicle Education Program

  • Wayne State University – $5 million awarded for educational programs for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students; teachers; technicians; emergency responders; and general public.  Partnering with NextEnergy and Macomb Community College.
  • Michigan Technological University – $2.98 million awarded for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students; and general public. Partnering with Argonne National Laboratory; AVL, GM; Eaton; Horiba; MathWorks; and Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Woodward.
  • University of Michigan – $2.5 million awarded for educational programs for graduate, undergraduate, and secondary students; teachers; and general public. Partnering with University of Michigan-Dearborn, Kettering University, Ford, GM, Chrysler, Eaton Corp, DTE Energy, Mentor Graphics, Ballard, Quantum Technologies, and A123 Systems.

Cell, Battery and Materials Manufacturing Facilities

  • Johnson Controls – $299.2 million awarded for production of nickel-cobalt-metal battery cells and packs, as well as production of battery separators for hybrid and electric vehicles.  Facility in Holland.
  • A123 Systems – $249.1 million awarded for manufacturing nano-iron phosphate cathode powder and electrode coatings, fabrication of battery cells and modules, and assembly of complete battery pack systems for hybrid and electric vehicles.  Facilities in Romulus and Brownstown.
  • KD Advanced Battery Group – $161 million awarded for production of manganese oxide cathode/graphite lithium-ion batteries for hybrid and electric vehicles.  Facility in Midland.
  • Compact Power (on behalf of LG Chem) – $151.4 million awarded for production of lithium-ion polymer battery cells for the GM Volt.  Facilities in Holland, Pontiac, and St. Clair.
  • General Motors – $105.9 million awarded for production of high-volume battery packs for the GM Volt.  Facility in Brownstown Township.

Electric Drive Component Manufacturing Facilities

  • General Motors – $105 million awarded for construction of U.S. manufacturing capabilities to produce the second-generation GM global rear-wheel electric- drive system.  Facility in Wixom.
  • Ford Motor Company – $62.7 million awarded to produce a Ford electric-drive transaxle with integrated power electronics in an existing Ford transmission facility.  Facility in Sterling Heights.
  • Magna E-Car Systems of America – $40 million awarded to increase production capacity of advanced automotive electric-drive system component manufacturing plants located in the United States.  Facility in Holly.

Advanced Vehicle Electrification

  • Chrysler – $70 million awarded to develop, validate, and deploy 220 advanced plug-in hybrid electric pickups and minivans.  Facility in Warren.
  • South Coast Air Quality Management District – $45.4 million awarded to develop a fully-integrated, production plug-in hybrid system for Class 2-5 vehicles.  Facility in Galesburg.

Advanced Vehicle Electrification and Transportation Sector Electrification

  • General Motors – $30.5 million awarded to develop, analyze, and demonstrate hundreds of Chevrolet Volt extended range electric vehicles.
  • Ford Motor Company – $30 million to accelerate the launch and commercialization of PHEVs and EVs by partnering with 15 of America’s leading utilities.

A video detailing Michigan’s advanced-battery activities can be found online at http://www.michiganadvantage.org/Targeted-Initiatives/Advanced-Energy-Storage/Default.aspx 

# # #

Michigan’s Advanced-Battery Strategy

  • November 2006 – Michigan targets development of advanced-battery sector.
  • 2007 – Michigan engages battery experts, U.S. Department of Energy, and U.S. Department of Defense to convey critical need for a domestic battery industry and develop strategies to ensure adequate funding will be available.
  • May 2008 – Michigan establishes team of advanced energy-storage experts to hone Michigan’s business strategy and develop incentives.
  • July 2008 – Michigan creates Centers of Energy Excellence program to leverage university, public, and private sector strengths to accelerate commercialization of alternative-energy technologies.
  • September 2008 – Michigan designates Sakti3 a Center of Energy Excellence and approves a $3 million grant for next-generation technology battery development.
  • September 2008 – Michigan commences negotiation on advanced-battery credit legislation.
  • November 2008 – Michigan designates A123Systems Inc. a Center of Energy Excellence and approves $10 million grant for pilot cell assembly facility.
  • January 2009 – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm signs into law advanced-battery credits worth $335 million for battery-pack manufacturing; advanced-battery vehicle research, engineering, development and integration; and establishment of a fully integrated, large-format cell manufacturing facility.
  • January 2009 – General Motors makes major announcements:  Chevy Volt battery-pack manufacturing facility, world’s largest battery test facility to be established in Warren; and new Advanced Battery Coalition for Drivetrains laboratory to be built in conjunction with the University of Michigan.
  • February 2009 – Congress passes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
  • February 2009 – Michigan approves General Motors for advanced-battery credits of $160 million for pack manufacturing and vehicle engineering and Ford Motor Company for $30 million in advanced-battery technology credits and $25 million in vehicle engineering credits.
  • March 2009 – U.S. Department of Energy issues grant solicitation, allocating $2 billion for battery-related development and technologies.
  • April 2009 – Michigan expands advanced-battery credits by $220 million, adds two $100-million credits for cell manufacturing, and an additional $20 million in vehicle engineering credits.
  • March and April 2009 – Michigan reviews applicants for advanced-battery credits for subsection 5, cell manufacturing.
  • April 2009 – Michigan approves advanced-battery credits for A123Systems, Johnson Controls-Saft Advanced Power Solutions, KD Advanced Battery Group, and LG Chem-Compact Power.
  • May 2009 – Michigan expands advanced-battery credits by $145 million, adding $100 million for cell manufacturing and $45 million for vehicle engineering.
  • May 2009 –Michigan awards Ford Motor Company an additional $20 million credit for vehicle engineering.
  • May 2009 – Sakti3 applies for U.S. Department of Energy funding for pilot plant.
  • July 2009 – General Motors announces Chevy Volt pack manufacturing site in Brownstown Township.
  • July 2009 – fortu Power Cell announces search for site to manufacture advanced-battery cells in western Michigan.
  • August 2009 – U.S. Department of Energy announces battery awards.

# # #

Written by the State of Michigan, Office of the Governor

]]> Celebrating ECE http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2914 2914 August 25, 2009

Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm came to campus Aug. 19 to celebrate with the faculty and students of Kettering University’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department (ECE).  Members of the ECE department, and Kettering officials, greeted Gov. Granholm, showcased recent ECE research and activities and expressed appreciation for the $500,000 that is coming to the University from the federal stimulus money.  The funding is part of $1 billion+ that is coming to Michigan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  

 

Special guest at the event was ECE Professor James Gover, who is the author of Kettering's part of the successful proposal that brought the $500,000 to campus.  Kettering will share in a grant that was awarded to the University of Michigan for the creation of 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power. Two laboratories will be developed to support graduate and undergraduate courses, some of which could begin as soon as winter semester. 

 

Governor Granholm had an opportunity to speak with several Kettering faculty and students about their research in areas such as hybrid vehicle battery technology and LED lighting.  Commenting afterward, Governor Granholm said she wants Michigan to become a national leader in green technologies and alternative energy.  “This is really what the strategic plan of Michigan is all about,” she said.  “We decided that Michigan would be the epicenter of advanced battery technology.  It is a huge deal for jobs.  What a great day for our future – we are all partners in building this state we love so much to be something spectacular,” she added. 

 

Kettering President Stan Liberty said the Kettering’s participation in the project is a symbol of the strength that mid-Michigan brings to the state.  “Kettering is pleased to partner with the University of Michigan and the federal government on the advanced laboratories and courses needed to educate tomorrow’s workforce.  Michigan’s university partners will train the next generation of workers in these new technologies."

 

“We at Kettering are delighted to receive stimulus funding for electric drive vehicle battery and component manufacturing,” said Dr. Michael Harris, Kettering’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “We will partner with other institutions of higher education and with industry to continue our advanced work in education and applied research in the field. This award is a testimony to the capacity of our faculty.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. James Gover, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the stimulus money will help in the creation of a new hybrid vehicle power electronics laboratory that will upgrade the teaching of three currently existing hybrid vehicle/power electronics courses at Kettering.  Additionally, the funding will develop two new hybrid vehicle courses, he explained.

 

“When completed, the State of Michigan will have several universities with leading-edge hybrid vehicle education programs and research facilities.  Hopefully,” said Gover, “this will lead to plug hybrid vehicles assembled in Michigan with the batteries, power electronics, IGBT switches and electric machines all manufactured in our state.” 

Watch video coverage from the Governor's visit.

Read an overview of Michigan’s advanced battery technology.

]]> Sharing stimulus funds http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2908 2908 August 07, 2009

Kettering University will receive about $500,000 of a $2.5 million grant from federal stimulus money, according to an announcement Wednesday in Detroit by Vice President Joe Biden.  The announcement is part of $1 billion that is coming to Michigan from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.   

Kettering will share in a grant that was awarded to the University of Michigan for the creation of 10 courses on hybrid electronics, batteries and green power. About half the courses will be taught at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with others taught at the university’s Dearborn campus and in Flint at Kettering. Two laboratories will be developed to support graduate and undergraduate courses, some of which could begin as soon as winter semester. 

Kettering President Stan Liberty said the University’s participation in the project is a symbol of the strength that mid-Michigan brings to the state.  “Kettering is pleased to partner with the University of Michigan and the federal government on the advanced laboratories and courses needed to educate tomorrow’s workforce.  Michigan’s university partners will train the next generation of workers in these new technologies."

Dr. Michael Harris, Kettering’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, said he is pleased with what the funding represents for the University.  “We at Kettering are delighted to receive stimulus funding for electric drive vehicle battery and component manufacturing,” he said. “We will partner with other institutions of higher education and with industry to continue our advanced work in education and applied research in the field. This award is a testimony to the capacity of our faculty.”
Harris said he especially wants to acknowledge the work and leadership of Professor James Gover and the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. “We will use these resources to enhance our educational capacities in this field so we continue to be a national leader. This is part of our transformation into the economy of innovation,” Harris added. 

Dr. Gover, a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, said the creation of a new hybrid vehicle power electronics laboratory will upgrade the teaching of three currently existing hybrid vehicle/power electronics courses at Kettering.  Additionally, the funding will develop two new hybrid vehicle courses, he explained. 

“Other courses are being developed in Ann Arbor and Dearborn,” he continued.  “The courses will be transferred to Kettering for our use in hybrid vehicle education.  Of course, all of these courses can be adapted to continuing education courses that are offered to companies.  When this work is completed, the State of Michigan will have several universities with leading-edge hybrid vehicle education programs and research facilities.  Hopefully,” he said, “this will lead to plug hybrid vehicles assembled in Michigan with the batteries, power electronics, IGBT switches and electric machines all manufactured in our state.”  

Gover noted that Kettering will work with Dr. Huei Peng, a professor of Mechanical Engineering and executive director of Interdisciplinary and Professional Engineering Programs at the University of Michigan, who will create classes at universities and educational programs for K-12 students and the general public.  “We want to develop all opportunities so the workforce in Michigan can be transformed,” Peng said in a University of Michigan press release. 

$1 Billion For Michigan: Vice President Biden’s announcement on Wednesday also said that two companies, A123 and Johnson Controls, will receive a total of approximately $550 million to establish a manufacturing base in the state for advanced batteries. Two others, Compact Power and Dow Kokam, will receive more than $300 million to manufacture battery cells and materials.  Large automakers based in Michigan, including GM, Chrysler and Ford, will receive a total of more than $400 million to manufacture thousands of advanced hybrid and electric vehicles as well as batteries and electric drive components. 

Around The U.S.: In all, 48 projects around the country will receive $2.4 billion in grants for next-generation batteries and the ongoing development of electric vehicles. The projects, which the Department of Energy (DOE) selected through a highly competitive process, will help accelerate the development of U.S. manufacturing capacity for batteries and electric drive components as well as the deployment of electric drive vehicles. The announcement marks the single largest investment in advanced battery technology for hybrid and electric-drive vehicles ever made, White House sources said. Industry officials expect that this investment, coupled with another $2.4 billion in cost-sharing from the award winners, will result in the creation of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs in the U.S. battery and auto industries. 

Special Visitor In September: “Not only is Michigan getting stimulus funds to make it the leading source of HEV education,” Gover continued, “the world’s leading HEV conference -- the IEEE VPPC -- will be in Michigan at the Fairlane Center in Dearborn Sept. 7-11.”  The IEEE conference will feature a visit by distinguished scholar/expert, Professor C.C. Chan of Hong Kong, who holds the highest professional title in engineering in China and the United Kingdom.  Professor Chan is an honorary professor at the University of Hong Kong and a Fellow at the Royal Academy of Engineering in the U.K.  He is also president of the World Electric Vehicle Association and Electric Vehicle Association of Asia Pacific and the founding director of the International Research Centre for Electric Vehicles, Gover explained. 

Professor Chan will visit Kettering from Sept. 2-5 to give presentations, meet faculty and collaborate with Kettering's Electrical Engineering faculty in research, Gover added. Professor Chan is also an IEEE Fellow.  He is the father of hybrid and electric vehicles in China. 

Kettering will be well represented at the 2009 IEEE VPPC in Dearborn in September, with members of the campus community serving in chair leadership positions and as alumni keynote speakers.  For more information, visit: http://www.ewh.ieee.org/conf/vppc//VPPC09_Final_Program_v29.pdf  for all of the conference details.

Read More:
From the University of Michigan: http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=7265
From Great Lakes IT Report/WWJ: http://www.wwj.com/Michigan-Gets--1-Billion-Plus-In-Battery-Grants/4947276  

Written by Pat Mroczek and Gary Erwin
810.762.9533 and 810.762.9538
pmroczek@kettering.edu and gerwin@kettering.edu

]]> Racing toward the winner's circle http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2903 2903 August 07, 2009

It’s been two years in the making, but Kettering University’s Formula team thinks it has been worth the wait, and the effort. “It” is the team’s most recent car design, which has produced a lighter, safer, better performing car.

“The Formula SAE team has done an excellent job of designing and building this car,” said Dr. Craig Hoff, professor of Mechanical Engineering and faculty adviser for the Formula SAE team at Kettering.

“The vehicle came in under 400 pounds, which is 100 pounds lighter than previous efforts,” he added.  Hoff credits the strong design to the number of upper classmen on the team. The students themselves agree, saying that an older team brings more experience to the design/build process.

They had an opportunity to test their design in the field at the Formula West competition in California June 16 through 20, at the California Speedway in Fontana. Formula SAE is one of the Society of Automotive Engineers Collegiate Design Series competitions intended to give students real-world engineering design experience.

The Kettering team won first place in Crash Attenuator Design at the Formula West competition, placed 18th overall, eighth in endurance and third in fuel economy. They were one of 20 teams out of 47 to complete all the competition events, receiving a score in every event.

“The California competition gave us a chance to fine tune our design,” said Matt Birt, of Urbana, Ohio, A-Section lead technical engineer for the team. Birt and his teammates see this as their competitive edge for the Formula SAE Midwest Competition in Detroit in May 2010.

SAE rules stipulate that vehicle designs cannot be used two years in a row for the same event, so running their car in California in 2009 and Michigan in 2010 allows the team more time for testing and tweaking. And they have their sights set high for 2010.

“The Midwest Formula competition is bigger than the Formula West competition, with about 100 teams participating,” Birt said, “and there are international teams involved, which intensifies the competition.”

The testing and tweaking continues over both A and B sections as the team prepares for the Midwest competition. “Teams that do more testing tend to perform better overall,” said Birt, adding “it separates the good teams from the great teams.”

“It completes the design cycle,” explained Quinn Griesdale, of Victoria, British Columbia. “We designed the car, built the car and we want to know if the design works as well as we intended.”

The design features a chassis and suspension designed by Griesdale, a single-cylinder engine versus the more traditional four-cylinder (contributing to the 100 pounds lighter weight) an impact or crash attenuator that was tested in real crash events in the Kettering Crash Safety Center lab and an “old school” carburetor.

According to team members who have driven the vehicle, it is comfortable and fast to drive thanks to Griesdale’s design. Team members were running more tests on campus recently, creating a safety cone track in the back parking lot behind the Recreation Center, and using an on-board ISAAC data acquisition system to better understand the car’s handling, grip and acceleration.

The smaller engine not only lightened the car, but, according to Birt, it did not compromise power. “We are down on power a little bit compared to a four-cylinder engine,” he explained, “but the power we have is less peaky and delivers a more usable power range.”

The crash attenuator was developed when SAE rules for the Formula cars required more safety features. Kettering’s team had a chance to perform a test cycle on their attenuator design last year, instead of guessing it would work in a real-world application.

They were able to utilize the Crash Safety Center lab’s crash sled to explore different shapes for crumple zones. They found that a square block did what they needed it to do and that welding the attenuator in multiple places avoided the problem presented when using bolts to hold it in place caused tears in the crumple zone.

The results of their research and testing on the attenuator actually influenced changes in the rules for SAE Formula racing, according to Hoff.

Team members were especially proud of their third place win in fuel economy in California because they were only one of two teams to use a carburetor instead of a fuel injector.

According to team member Jason Kane, of Cadillac, Mich., their “old school” carburetor is cheaper, simpler, starts every time and is “obviously good in fuel economy.” It also allowed the team to quickly calibrate the engine during competition, which offered them a time advantage on the track.

To further field test the car before the Midwest Formula competition, Kettering’s Formula team will compete in the University of Toronto “Shoot Out” in September at Mossport Raceway go cart track.

They will also work on their statics. “We built a great, dynamic car,” said Griesdale, “and we need to build up our written and oral presentations to do it justice.” Griesdale himself will have graduated before the Midwest event, but will join the team in Detroit to follow his “baby” through the final cycle – which he hopes will be a winning one.

Written by Dawn Hibbard
810.762.9865
dhibbard@kettering.edu

]]> Blowing stuff up http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2897 2897 July 08, 2009 Doc K used students as an excuse to blow something up again. This time he did it with the blessing, and help, of the Michigan State Police Bomb Squad. (Kettering University - where you can blow stuff up in the name of scientific research!)

 

In truth, Doc K, also known as Dr. Henry Kowalski, professor of Mechanical Engineering, and four senior students in his Experimental Mechanics class, performed research on detonator cord for the Bomb Squad as the students’ final class project.

 

They tested the commonly held theory that when blowing up something to open it or crush it (to reduce its danger potential), having water behind the detonator creates a more powerful explosion.

 

The testing they did on detonator cord (a la the popular Discovery Channel TV show Mythbusters) attempted to prove or disprove the theory. The State Police Forensic Science Division operated on the theory without knowing if it was true or not.

 

Ryan Gebs, of Preston, Idaho, Kay Bareiss, of Wesensteig, Germany, Michael Pedigo, of Hartland, Mich., and Kyle Kibbey, of Mason, Mich., blew up force plates with detonator cord on Friday, June 12 on the Kettering baseball diamonds.

 

“Force plates measure the force of an explosion, similar to a scale. Strain gauges inside measure tension or compression,” said Gebs. The students attached the force plates to an oscilloscope to log data for analysis and used a high speed video camera to capture the results visually.

 

Detective Sergeant Rick Bekemeier, bomb technician and Sergeant Scott Hasse, bomb squad, assisted the students in setting up the tests and managed the detonator cord and explosions.

 

To test whether water behind the explosion increased the force of the blast, the group fired detonator cord without water and with IV bags lying on top of the cord. The IV bags were used because they provided a compact portable source of water.


 

“The IV bag holds down the detonator cord,” explained Gebs, “without it the blast goes out in a 360 degree radius. Because the IV holds down the detonator cord it concentrates the blast downward onto the board, intensifying it in that direction,” he added.

 

According to the data collection equipment, the first blast, without water, exerted about 4,000 pounds of force. The first blast with water was estimated to exert more then 10,000 pounds of force on the board.

 


The cord without water ripped through the first few layers of the plywood sheet used to protect the force plates, cutting through a few layers. The explosions with water behind them penetrated through four or more layers of the plywood and actually cracked a cement cinder block in half during one blast. Theory proved – there was about six times the penetration into wood with water behind the blast and much better penetration into the cinder block.

 

Doc K said he would like to secure the donation of a newer high speed video camera because he wants to see how paint balls explode. He’ll probably claim THAT’S in the name of scientific research, too.

 

Written by Dawn Hibbard

810.762.9865

dhibbard@kettering.edu

 

]]> Building better car seats http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2894 2894 June 30, 2009  

 

Kettering University's Crash Safety Center worked with Dorel Juvenile Group to develop a ground-breaking new car seat safety technology that better protects children in side impact crashes.

The New Safety 1st Car Seat has Air Protect™ -- the most innovative and groundbreaking safety feature ever offered in a car seat.  Developed in conjunction with Kettering University’s renowned Crash Safety Center, Air Protect™ is designed to protect children in side impact collisions, putting a state-of-the-art layer of air protection where it’s needed most, around the child’s head.

Side impact crashes have dramatically increased over the past two decades and are today the deadliest kind of crashes for children.  The vast majority of these fatalities are due to head trauma, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“There is currently no government-mandated test requirement for side impacts related to child seats,” said Dr. Janet Brelin-Fornari, professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of Kettering’s Crash Safety Center.

“Dorel is actually moving ahead of government regulations to produce a safer car seat for side impact crashes because they want to be leaders in reducing the risk of injury to children during collisions,” she added. NHTSA is utilizing the research conducted by Dorel and Brelin-Fornari to develop standards for side impact testing of car seats, according to Brelin-Fornari.

How Air Protect™ Works - Through the precise release of air, Air Protect™ compresses and shields children from side impact intrusion and immediately reduces crash forces where the child is most vulnerable – the head.  Air Protect™ does this by extending ride-down, the amount of time it takes to slow a child’s movement in a crash.  By extending ride-down time, Air Protect™ creates a slower, softer landing.

The Dorel/Kettering Method - Air Protect™ was developed as a result of a revolutionary testing method. The Dorel/Kettering Method uses an intruding door technique, instead of a fixed door, to simulate a side impact crash with far more accuracy. In a side impact crash, a car door moves inward, toward the child.

Global Testing and Engineering Services collaborated with Kettering to design the fixtures that simulated real-world crash events, said Brelin-Fornari.

“Dorel continues to be the leader in the car seat category and with this unique testing approach has created a new level of side impact protection for children, the likes of which have never been seen before,” commented Dave Taylor, President of Dorel Juvenile Group US.  “This new testing method is so significant that we have shared our findings with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, supporting NHTSA’s efforts to provide more comprehensive regulation for side impact crash testing.”

Over the past two years, Dorel’s team of industry-leading car seat engineers have collaborated with researchers at Kettering University to study side impact crashes.  “The Dorel/Kettering Method and Air Protect™ are truly break-through advancements for child passenger safety,” said Brelin-Fornari, who specializes in pediatric crash safety and oversees the crash safety programs at Kettering.

“The technology is so revolutionary that we will be rolling it out globally – incorporating it in Dorel car seats in Europe and Australia, in addition to North America,” said Hani Basile, Global Dorel Juvenile Group President and Chief Executive Officer.

Road safety is especially important this summer as millions of families plan to travel to vacation destinations by car.  According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), an estimated 27 million Americans will travel by car this summer, many with children in the back seat.

Air Protect™ is being offered in the new Safety 1st Complete Air car seat in black/gray and brown/orange.  In addition to offering the best side impact protection, the Safety 1st Complete Air with Air Protect™ is easy to install, with Safety 1st’s QuickFit™ Harness System, among other features.  “We know that proper installation and use are critical to a child’s safety too,” added Dorel’s Taylor.

A convertible car seat for children 5 to 50 pounds, Safety 1st’s Complete Air is available for pre-order beginning July 1 at Babies“R”Us stores and online at Babiesrus.com and Babiesrus.ca.  In August, Toys“R”Us and Babies“R”Us stores will be the first to offer the Complete Air car seat with Air Protect™, followed by other retailers later in the year.  To learn more, visit www.safety1st.com/airprotect.  Safety 1st has been the definitive leader and innovator in child safety products for the home and car for the past 25 years.

Air Protect™ Technology will also be extended to other Dorel car seats, including Maxi Cosi, Eddie Bauer and Cosco car seats.

About Dorel Industries

Dorel Industries Inc. (TSX: DII.B, DII.A) is a world class juvenile products and bicycle company. Established in 1962, Dorel creates style and excitement in equal measure to safety, quality and value. The Company’s lifestyle leadership position is pronounced in both its Juvenile and Bicycle categories with an array of trend-setting products. Dorel’s powerfully branded products include Safety 1st, Quinny, Cosco, Maxi-Cosi and Bébé Confort in Juvenile, as well as Cannondale, Schwinn, GT, Mongoose and SUGOI in Recreational/Leisure. Dorel’s Home Furnishings segment markets a wide assortment of furniture products, both domestically produced and imported. Dorel is a US $2.2 billion company with 4,700 employees, facilities in eighteen countries, and sales worldwide.

Written by Dawn Hibbard with information provided by Dorel

810.762.9865

dhibbard@kettering.edu

 

]]> EnGen collaboration http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2893 2893 June 25, 2009

Kettering University is working with the University of Michigan-Flint, Central Michigan University, Michigan State University and Saginaw Valley State University on a $35,000 grant through the Michigan Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship consortium.  The grant was announced June 24 in Lansing.

 

Here is a story with more details from WWJ’s Great Lakes IT Report:

 

Michigan universities boost commercialization

 

A program to help Michigan’s public universities create new entrepreneurs and speed commercialization of research is finding success just one year after making its first grants to universities around the state, officials from the Michigan Initiative for Innovation and Entrepreneurship consortium, and researchers said Wednesday, June 24, at a news conference at the State Capitol.

 

"MIIE is having a tremendous impact at universities who have research projects that require additional funding to move them toward commercialization,” said Marvin Parnes, Associate Vice President for Research and Executive Director of Research Administration, University of Michigan. “Our efforts have allowed important research projects continue that could one day create much-needed jobs and companies in Michigan.”

 

Parnes’ comments came as MIIE announced $1.5 million of additional funding for 25 projects at public universities, the third round of funding for projects across Michigan. To date MIIE has provided $3.4 million in funding to help commercialize 29 university-born research projects and 25 projects to encourage entrepreneurship throughout the state.

 

MIIE is succeeding in creating innovative opportunities for students to become entrepreneurs, said Joel Rash, manager of The Launch Pad, which is hosting a student business “hatchery” at the University of Michigan-Flint. The Launch Pad received $45,000 from MIIE last year, and is one of several entrepreneurship programs funded by MIIE.  “This difficult economy has created tremendous opportunities for smart, agile young start-ups," Rash said. "Recapturing mid-Michigan’s entrepreneurial heritage is essential to our future, and this effort is a crucial first step.”

 

The university’s intensive support for the students’ business ideas has borne fruit, building capacity among new tech firms, creating graphic design and video production service companies, and providing support for streamlined processes for Tier 3 and 4 auto suppliers.

 

See the entire WWJ/Great Lakes story at

http://www.wwj.com/Michigan-Universities-Boost-Commercialization--Cre/4668331

 

Written by Pat Mroczek and WWJ sources

810.762.9533

pmroczek@kettering.edu

 

]]> Recovering wasted energy http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2877 2877 May 19, 2009

“Waste not, want not.” Grandma’s advice is still good today. General Dynamics is trying to heed that advice by working with Kettering researchers to identify the most efficient strategies for harvesting wasted heat energy in propulsion systems.

 

Approximately one third of the heat produced from combustion in an internal combustion (IC) engine is converted into mechanical energy. The other two thirds are lost through the cooling and exhaust systems. Utilizing this wasted heat could improve fuel economy in automobiles and reduce energy consumption in IC engines.

 

Dr. Bassem Ramadan, professor of Mechanical Engineering and Dr.Yaomin Dong, assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, are working on the General Dynamics research. Ramadan and Dong’s role is to review existing waste energy recovery technologies and to perform mathematical modeling and computer analysis of waste heat recovery systems.

 

“They are specifically interested in land vehicles that use a lot of energy,” Ramadan said. General Dynamics wants to determine whether:

Electricity can be generated from engine waste heat using a thermoelectric device;

If it is feasible to use a heat exchanger to generate steam which would power a steam turbine that could be coupled to a crankshaft;

If waste heat can be used to run a Stirling engine (external combustion engine); and

Can waste heat be applied to absorption refrigeration systems?

 

For Phase One, Dong and Ramadan focused on the thermoelectric device because it does not require complex machinery. “It is a simple device that has no moving parts and requires no maintenance,” he said. “We are already seeing some promising results.”

 

A thermoelectric device converts thermal energy into electricity. By applying a temperature difference across the thermoelectric device, an electric voltage is induced. The higher the temperature difference applied across the material, the higher the voltage.

 

“The electricity generated by a thermoelectric system could be used to power other electrical systems in the vehicle or to charge a battery,” said Ramadan, “allowing alternators to work less, draining the battery less, and also requiring a smaller cooling system.”

 

“Currently thermoelectric devices have a low efficiency,” he said, “but with new materials research, it is shown they can achieve significantly higher efficiencies.”

If the new materials can improve efficiencies, they could potentially be used in a variety of applications from vehicles to furnaces and generators – anything that gets hot, Ramadan said. In passive use applications it could even be used in homes to generate electrical energy, Ramadan added.

 

In Phase Two of the Kettering research for General Dynamics, Ramadan and Dong will put these thermoelectric generators to the test – literally – by moving from the computer simulations to the lab.

 

The proposed Phase Two involves developing a test stand to characterize a thermoelectric generator (TEG) using exhaust gases which will be used as the heat input, building a heat exchanger to allow the transfer of heat from the hot gases to one side of the thermoelectric device and from another side to a heat sink, and testing the performance of the thermoelectric generator under realistic operating conditions.

 

Their goal is to determine the controlling parameters and optimize the design of the TEG including size, weight, location, and electrical interfaces for future testing in a vehicle outside of laboratory conditions.

 

Written by Dawn Hibbard

810.762.9865

dhibbard@kettering.edu

]]> Detecting structural defects http://www.kettering.edu/visitors/storydetail.jsp?storynum=2874 2874 May 15, 2009

Stephen Heinze’s cooperative education experience as a Kettering University student is one that may have not been very, well….transparent to him upon his arrival on campus in 2004. 

 

But before his first academic term ended that year, the St. Louis, Mo., native secured a rather unique cooperative education engineering position at EnTech Engineering Inc. in his hometown.

 

EnTech was founded and is owned CEO Gary J. Weil, who graduated from GMI in 1973. EnTech is a professional engineering firm specializing in the use of remote sensing, non-destructive technologies to locate hidden subsurface targets and defects in energy, transportation, manufacturing, electronic and environmental infrastructures.

 

EnTech’s Registered Professional Engineers have conducted more than 2,500 projects worldwide and in more than 30 states. Additionally, the company has earned more than 10 non-destructive testing (NDT/NDE) patents and its engineers have published more than 70 international technical papers and standard books.

 

During his time as a co-op, Heinze worked on some compelling projects and became a remote sensing specialist, mastering testing technologies such as infrared thermography—a technique that can produce an image of the invisible infrared energy emitted by objects due to their thermal conditions—and ground penetrating microwave radar, which is used to characterize subsurface objects in terms of their depth, size, volume and consistency.

 

Remote sensing is the art and science of obtaining information on phenomena without making contact with it. This technique involves the detection and measurement of energy flow patterns using devices and technology that are sensitive to electromagnetic energy such as light, heat and radio waves. Some of these devices include cameras, thermal radiometers and microwave transceivers.

 

A number of the assignments required Heinze to work onsite during his co-op rotations at heavy and light industrial facilities, petroleum and chemical refineries and at national infrastructures such as roadways and bridges using these techniques.

 

This experience helped him to refine and strengthen his expertise of these resources. During one period of his co-op rotation, he employed them on a highly sensitive project at the U.S./Mexico border in conjunction with the U.S. Federal Government.

 

When Heinze approached EnTech about a co-op, Weil said, “We could see the spark that I remembered at GMI, one that empowers students. He wanted to use his education in a new and imaginative way, learn new tools and use those tools to explore new paths. I could tell that no one was going to stand in his way.”

 

Once Heinze finished his co-op and graduated from Kettering, EnTech made him an offer to become a full-time engineer and the decision was simple.

 

“I never thought I would use my Mechanical Engineering degree from a mile above the earth,” he said, referring to an aspect of his position that requires him to collect data from sensors mounted beneath the belly of a helicopter. He also said that since joining the company, “EnTech has become my lifestyle and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

Weil also said that Heinze has been instrumental in utilizing new computer tools to make the organization’s remote sensing techniques more efficient and cost effective for EnTech’s clients. Additionally, one of Heinze’s friends from Kettering—Steve Schwartz ’08, co-owner of Alfa Jango, a website development company—helped EnTech by designing the company’s website from the ground up.

 

“Our next step is to merge Stephen’s natural enthusiasm for people with his desire to harness the power of our remote sensing technologies to market our solutions to the world in need of them,” Weil said.

 

“His first challenge in this area will encompass the organization’s ability to locate leaks and erosion sinkholes caused by aging water and sewer pipelines in hundreds of miles of distribution pipelines per day in drought-plagued areas such as the state of California,” he added.

 

Now that his career path is clear, Heinze hopes to continue the learning process as an important contributor at EnTech. His most recent project worked to help drought-plagued areas in Texas, which he found particularly rewarding.

 

“Working for the company as a co-op first allowed me to engage in projects that are typically reserved for project managers,” he said. “It’s been such a great experience to receive exposure to so many challenging and important projects. I’m very appreciative of the opportunity EnTech has provided me so early in my career,” he added.

 

To learn more about EnTech Engineering Inc., visit http://www.entechworld.com/ or call (636) 207-0200. For more information on Kettering University’s Cooperative Education Program, visit http://www.kettering.edu/ or call (800) 955-4464.

 

Written by Gary Erwin
810.762.9538
gerwin@kettering.edu
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