Posted on

Fall Engineering Distinguished Lecture Tackles Energy Storage

Fall Lecture graphicsThe Fall Engineering Distinguished Lecture will tackle a topic very much in the news: energy storage. While the overheating of lithium-ion battery in smartphones is currently receiving much attention, energy storage on a large scale is equally important.

The amount of electrical energy derived from photovoltaic and wind sources varies with time, day of the week, season, weather, and other factors. Electrical energy must be stored during times when production exceeds consumption, and returned to the grid when production falls below consumption. Large-scale electrical energy storage is the single most challenging issues that California faces as it moves toward more dependence on renewable sources. Continue reading “Fall Engineering Distinguished Lecture Tackles Energy Storage”

Posted on

WOMEN IN STEM SHARE CAREER ADVICE

Women in StemThe Women in STEM Career Panel Tuesday drew dozens of female CSULB students to hear successful professionals share their experiences and advice. The panel, organized by STEM x: Sisters in Motion and the CSULB President’s Commission on the Status of Women, is the first in a hoped-for series.

“Women are underrepresented (in STEM) most of the time and it creates some difficulties and challenges,” said Melissa Norrbom, CSULB Student Life and Development Coordinator, adding that the series’ goal is “creating a network of women on campus to make women feel comfortable and figure out how to support them.” Continue reading “WOMEN IN STEM SHARE CAREER ADVICE”

Posted on

MAE Students Submit Proposal for Reuse of Shuttered C-17 Plant

Reuse of Shuttered C-17 PlantStudents often attend lectures or solve problems for extra credit, but Dr. Juan Cepeda-Rizo’s MAE 330 Thermodynamics class had an opportunity to do something with more impact—create a proposal for reuse of the shuttered Boeing C-17 production facility.

Cepeda-Rizo, who lives near the former aircraft plant, offered the opportunity at the beginning of the semester at the suggestion of neighbor Patricia Chen. With an interest in sustainable energy, students Mohamad Alkam, Hope Daley, Elyssa Lawrence, and Eric Velazquez immediately stepped forward. Facing a tight deadline of Sept. 12, the students came up with an idea for a solar park for the 160-acre site on Cherry Avenue near the Long Beach Airport. Continue reading “MAE Students Submit Proposal for Reuse of Shuttered C-17 Plant”

Posted on

Oct. 14 Technical Seminar Explores New Concepts in Rocket Propulsion

Next Gen Rocket PropulsionDr. Richard Cohn, Chief Engineer of the AFRL Rocket Lab at Edwards Air Force Base, will discuss new concepts in rocket propulsion on Friday, Oct. 14 during the College of Engineering’s first Technical Seminar of the semester.

Cohn will discuss the Integrated Modular Rocket Engine, on-demand solid propellant manufacturing, and new electric propulsion concepts that are currently being explored. In addition, his presentation will touch upon ongoing fundamental exploration work. Continue reading “Oct. 14 Technical Seminar Explores New Concepts in Rocket Propulsion”

Posted on

Army Provides MAE’s Yan Li with $800,000 for Materials Research

Li-Yan-picture
Yan Li, CSULB assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been awarded a nearly $800,000 grant from the U.S. Army Research Lab to fund research leading to development of stronger, tougher materials.

It’s not difficult to create materials that are tough, or can handle much deformation before fracturing. But creating materials that have both attributes is another matter.

“Achieving high strength and high toughness in materials—this is a big challenge,” said Yan Li, CSULB assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering.

A nearly $800,000 grant Li has been awarded from the U.S. Army Research Lab will fund research leading to development of stronger, tougher materials. First-year funding of $200,000 will go toward the purchase of a very important piece of equipment—a powerful digital image camera. Continue reading “Army Provides MAE’s Yan Li with $800,000 for Materials Research”

Posted on

U.S. ARMY RESEARCH LAB OFFERS COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES

army collaboration oportunitiesEngineers associated with the U.S. Army Research Lab work on everything from stronger helmets and safer vehicles to the development of new materials and energy sources. On Thursday, ARL’s Steve C. Taulbee visited the CSULB College of Engineering to talk about ARL’s Open Campus Initiative.

“We want to collaborate as much as we can with major universities,” said Taulbee. “We realize we’re in a military environment. You have to go through a gate. You may have to have a security clearance. There are things that prohibit open collaboration.” Continue reading “U.S. ARMY RESEARCH LAB OFFERS COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES”

Posted on

Stanford’s Khatib on Developing Robots for Hostile Environments

Robots for Hostile EnvironmentsThe idea to create an underwater robot came out of a conversation Stanford University computer science professor Oussama Khatib had with an underwater archeologist at a conference. Three years later, the university celebrated Ocean One’s first mission—diving 300 feet below the surface to recover items from a ship that sank off the coast of France in 1664.

Khatib, an expert in human-robot interaction, was at CSULB Friday to deliver a technical seminar on the New Robotics Age.

In the classroom, he said, students have taught robots to play ping pong, barbecue food, and fight. In the medical field, robot-aided surgery and robotic catheterization are being developed. And in the area of human augmentation, a number of different exoskeletons have been designed. Continue reading “Stanford’s Khatib on Developing Robots for Hostile Environments”

Posted on

Stanford Professor to Discuss State of Robotics

Khatib headshotFaculty and students are invited to attend the CSULB College of Engineering’s  final technical seminar of the semester. On Friday, May 6 from noon to 1 p.m., renowned Stanford University robotics expert Oussama Khatib will discuss how the generations of robots now being developed will increasingly touch people and their lives.

Khatib’s talk, “The New Robotics Age: Meeting the Physical,” will take place in the Niggli Conference Room, ECS-312. He will discuss new developments in robotics in the context of the underwater robot, Ocean One (called O2), developed at Stanford in collaboration with Meka-Google Robotics and KAUST. Continue reading “Stanford Professor to Discuss State of Robotics”

Posted on

New Writing Center Opens in VEC-128B

qudrat-maryam
Maryam Qudrat, director of the College of Engineering Writing and Communication Research Center.

If you’re an undergraduate student working on your senior-level capstone classes or a graduate student working on your thesis, be sure to stop by the new Writing and Communication Resource Center in VEC-128B.

The center is open Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. while classes are in session. Appointments are recommended, but walk-ins are available. Visit the WCRC website to book an appointment with a graduate assistant. Continue reading “New Writing Center Opens in VEC-128B”

Posted on

CECS Project Aims to Help City with ‘Tunnel Vision’

sewr_wkr_0The CSULB Computer Engineering and Computer Science Department (CECS) is working on a $62,000 pilot project to build a software application that would help the city of Long Beach improve inspection of its hundreds of miles of sewer lines.

The application being developed by CSULB engineering faculty and students would add some automation to the inspection process through a software tool that scans video images to detect problems.

The city’s aging network of sewer pipes must be regularly inspected to keep drains flowing freely—a process that takes about a decade to complete. The inspection process is currently carried out by video cameras that are pushed through tunnels to capture images that are viewed by employees visually checking for problems or needed repairs. Continue reading “CECS Project Aims to Help City with ‘Tunnel Vision’”