Author: Segen Sara A. Habte

Categories
Jobs/Internships

Job openings with the Smart and Small Thermal Systems group (S2TS)

The Smart and Small Thermal Systems group (S2TS) within the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering in the mechanical engineering department, in coordination with its sponsors and collaborators, is looking for qualified senior level or graduate level students (graduate level is preferred) who may be interested in energy analytics/audit, simulation/modeling, as well as hands-on evaluation of commercial buildings energy consumption with the aim of reducing carbon emissions through energy efficiency, renewable energy, and electrification. Competitively paid hourly work or regular graduate student assistantship opportunities are available based on qualifications and matching interest/skills.  Expectations and tasks include the following:  

  1. Conduct hands-on and/or computer-driven energy analytics and building energy consumption analysis. Work with other team members in the group and prepare technical energy consumption analysis reports and presentations.
  2. Attend weekly meetings and report the progress made.
  3. Participate in presentation of the results and progress review meetings to the sponsor.

Qualifications and Compensation:

  • Graduate level students, or senior level standing (graduate level preferred).
  • Be available for 15 to 20 hrs per week. While semester-long opportunities will be considered, preference will be given to those interested in two semesters or longer work.
  • Have strong interest in energy efficiency/sustainable energy and a GPA of 3.25 or higher. Prior course work and/or experience highly desired. Limited training will be provided.  
  • Competitive hourly pay, commensurate with the experience and per the allowable university rates.
  • We are looking for students who are excited to get involved with this project, demonstrate good performance and enjoy developing competitive skills in this area.

Interested candidates should send a copy of their resume and a brief statement of interest to Drs. Ohadi (ohadi@umd.edu), Shooshtari (amir@umd.edu), and Family (rfamily@umd.edu). Also applicants need to submit their application at: https://forms.gle/TnHvJcroHXwbz8gB7  by no later than September 7th, 2022.  Applications will be reviewed upon receipt. Early applications are highly encouraged.    

Categories
Jobs/Internships

Mechanical Engineering Curriculum Tutor Needed

Penn State has a rising sophomore in their Mechanical Engineering major at Penn State who is looking for someone with deep knowledge of the Mechanical Engineering curriculum to tutor her in her major courses over the next couple of years. All of the tutoring is conducted online using digital whiteboards.

If interested, please contact:

David Russell
russelld@umd.edu
(240) 997-1091

Categories
Jobs/Internships

POSTDOC POSITION IN SOFT WEARABLE ROBOTICS, CONTROLS AND MACHINE LEARNING AT ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY (ASU)

Description:

We have a postdoc position in an exciting multidisciplinary project to develop an innovative smart shoe system for ankle injury prevention, which is funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Disease (NIAMS). The smart shoe system integrates machine learning-based wearable sensor data processing, a soft robotic ankle device with stiffness adjustment capability, sophisticated biomechanical models of foot-ankle mechanics, advanced injury risk prediction and control algorithms, and an intuitive user interface with real-time and summative injury risk metrics. The postdoc will work with Drs. Hyunglae Lee, Pavan Turaga, Sze Zheng Yong, and Matthew Buman and multiple graduate students with diverse backgrounds in biomechanics, soft robotics, controls, machine learning, and behavioral science. The position is available to start immediately.

Responsibilities:

  • Development of machine learning algorithms (especially, deep learning) for robust sensor data processing and activity recognition
  • Design and implementation of prediction and control algorithms to provide active assist-as-needed ankle support
  • Integration of the machine learning and control algorithms into the soft robotic ankle device
  • Device testing, validation, and troubleshooting
  • Subject recruitment, design of experiment, biomechanics data collection, processing, analysis, and interpretation
  • Participation in user studies for the design of a mobile app to support the smart shoe system
  • Mentoring graduate students for seamless integration of device development and machine learning and control algorithms
  • Presentation and publication of results in robotics, controls, and/or ML conferences and journals

Eligibility and Qualifications

  • Must have a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or related field
  • Must have research achievements and interest in one or more of the above-mentioned topics (i.e., soft robotics, controls, and machine learning)
  • Advanced programming skills (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Python, C/C++, ROS)
  • Strong hands-on debugging and troubleshooting skills with sensors and robotic devices
  • Candidates who have experience with motion analysis equipment (e.g., motion capture system, force plate, IMUs, insole sensors) and system identification for physiological systems are particularly welcomed

Application deadline

  • On a rolling basis

To be considered for this position, please email Dr. Hyunglae Lee (email: hyunglae.lee@asu.edu) with 1) CV/Resume, 2) transcripts, 3) a single-page statement of purpose, and 4) a list of two or three references

Categories
Defenses

UPCOMING DISSERTATION DEFENSE: KUNAL AHUJA

Name: Kunal Ahuja

Title of Dissertation: ULTRA-THIN ON-CHIP ALD LIPON CAPACITORS FOR HIGH ENERGY AND HIGH-FREQUENCY APPLICATIONS 

Date, time, location: August 4th, 1-3pm in EGR 2164 (https://umd.zoom.us/j/9523406285)

List of all committee members: 

  • Professor F. Patrick McCluskey, Chair/Advisor
  • Professor Gary Rubloff, Co-Chair
  • Professor Peter Sandborn
  • Professor Keith Gregorczyk
  • Professor Hugh Bruck
  • Professor Aris Christou
  • Professor Sang Bok Lee (Dean’s Representative)

Abstract: Liquid electrolytes dominate the supercapacitor market due to their high ionic conductivity leading to high energy and power density metrics. However, with the increase in demand for portable and implantable consumer electronics, all solid-state supercapacitor systems with high safety are an attractive option from both application perspectives and their similar charge storage mechanism. For solid state ionic capacitors, there remains significant room for innovation to increase the ionic conductivity and capacitor architecture to enhance the performance of these devices. Nano-structuring along with advanced manufacturing techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) are powerful tools to augment the performance metrics of these all-solid-state capacitors that can compete with state-of-the-art liquid electrolyte-based supercapacitors. This dissertation has two primary objectives; 1) Study the behavior of polymorphs of ALD LiPON as a capacitor material and 2) Enhance the performance metrics using advanced materials and 3D nanostructuring for improved energy storage and high-frequency applications.

In this work, ALD LiPON-based solid state capacitors are fabricated with a gold current collector to study the behavior of the solid electrolyte. LiPON shows a dual energy storage behavior, in low frequency (<10 kHz), LiPON shows an ionic behavior with electric double layer type energy storage, beyond this frequency, LiPON shows an electrostatic behavior with a dielectric constant of 14. The capacitor stack’s thin film structure and dual frequency behavior allow for extended frequency operation of these capacitors (100 Hz to 2000 MHz). Next, LiPON’s energy storage metrics are enhanced using pseudocapacitive energy storage behavior and enhanced surface area in ALD oxy-TiN. Finally, new fabrication techniques and ALD recipes are developed and optimized for integration into 3D templates. For fabrication of these capacitors, the material’s chemistry is analyzed, and ALD techniques are developed to enhance the deposition of electrode/electrolyte materials and current collectors into the 3D nanostructures. The intermixing during the ALD processes are studied to understand the behavior and reliability of these thin films. This work highlights LiPON characteristics as a capacitor material for high-energy and high-frequency applications. Though incomplete, we discuss progress towards the development of all ALD solid-state 3D supercapacitors that can compete against state-of-the-art capacitors available in the market.

Categories
Fellowships & Scholarships

American Association of University Women Fellowships

Selected Professions Fellowships are awarded to women who intend to pursue a full-time course of study at accredited U.S. institutions during the fellowship year in one of the designated degree programs where women’s participation traditionally has been low. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

OrganizationAmerican Association of University Women
Education LevelFellowship
SubjectsArchitecture, Computer/Information Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics/Statistics
Amount$20,000
Access ModeOnline
Number of AwardsNA
CityAny
NationalityDomestic
CountryUSA
Contest DeadlineDecember 1, 2022
Application FeesNA
RequirementsFellowship application

Application Deadline

The deadline for online submission of the application and supporting documents is December 1, 2022

Apply Now

Categories
Defenses

UPCOMING DISSERTATION DEFENSE: ZHAOXI YAO

Name: Zhaoxi Yao

Title of Dissertation: Thermal Management of Integrated motors for Electric Propulsion

Date, time, location: August 5, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM in EGR 2162

List of all committee members: 

  • Professor F. Patrick McCluskey, Chair/Advisor
  • Professor Michael Ohadi
  • Professor Amir Riaz
  • Professor Hugh Bruck
  • Professor Christopher Cadou (Dean’s Representative)

Abstract: Electrification of traditional combustion power units has been a major trend. The low emissions, low noise and high efficiency characteristic of electrified power, fit the vision of a low carbon emission future. The development of high power density electric motors is key to facilitating large scale, heavy duty applications. The demand for dense power leads to significant heat flux, causing thermal management to become one of the main obstacles in developing high power density electric motors. Multiple components in the motor generate heat. For example, the motor of interest in this paper is a 1 MW, high power density, surface mounted permanent magnet motor, with a segmented and laminated stator on the outside, and a laminated rotor on the inside. Heat is generated in the stator winding, stator core, magnets, rotor core as well as the motor drive. For high speed motors, windage loss could also be significant in the air gap. Among the heat-generating components, the stator winding is the primary heat source.

For this study, a comprehensive thermal management solution was developed. The power density of the motor, based on active mass, exceeded 22 kW/kg and majority of the loss came from the stator windings. Thus, a dedicated direct winding cooling combined with an integrated cooling jacket were deployed. Multiple winding cooling schemes were explored, such as investment-casted cooling channels in potting, hollow conductors, flooded slots and Litz-wire-wrapped cooling tubes. The flooded slots with scaffolding-shaped spacer were chosen in the end, which demonstrate good thermal performance, low pumping power, pressure requirements and low risk of partial discharge as the dielectric coolant also served as liquid insulation. A cooling jacket with integrated power module cooling was designed to cool the stator core and power modules. The cooling jacket included a compression sleeve, which served as the mechanical support to hold the stator segments as well as the cooling surface for the stator cores, and nine cold plates, hosting 18 power modules on top, placed around the curved outer surface of the motor. The cooling concepts were designed, simulated and validated by testing. A functioning prototype was constructed and in the process of testing.

Categories
Defenses

UPCOMING THESIS DEFENSE: ANTHONY DEVLIN LAROSA

Name: Anthony Devlin Larosa

Title of Thesis: DESIGN OF A LOW-COST PORTABLE HANDHELD SPECTROMETER FOR AEROSOL OPTICAL DEPTH MEASUREMENTS

Date, time, location: 08/05, 2:00 PM, EGR 2164 (DeWalt Seminar Room)

List of all committee members: 

  • Professor Miao Yu, Chair and Advisor
  • Professor Mario Dagenais
  • Assistant Professor Avik Dutt

Abstract: The impact aerosols have on human health and the climate continues to be a central topic in scientific research. The quantification of aerosol abundance in the atmosphere is a key factor in understanding the climate, Earth’s radiative budget, and their impacts to human health. This research focuses on the development and comprehensive assessment of a handheld field instrument that measures aerosol optical thickness. The challenges associated with designing a low-cost, durable handheld system with highly sensitive electronics, which is capable of direct-sun measurements, are investigated. The thesis work can be summarized as follows. First, the electrical, mechanical, and optical integration needed for the instrument development is discussed and presented. Second, the sensitivities of a compact micro spectrometer are analyzed in both the laboratory and field deployment studies. The spectrometer and the fully integrated instrument are characterized in terms of its spectral resolution, sensitivity, thermal characteristics, and stability. Finally, after successful performance characterization, the capabilities of the instrument for field measurements are explored by taking direct sun measurements. The results demonstrate that the instrument has great potential to be used as a rigorous scientific device or a citizen science, educational instrument for aerosol optical depth measurements.

Categories
Fellowships & Scholarships

Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

More information can be found here: https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22614/nsf22614.htm?WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Applicant Eligibility:

See the Detailed Eligibility Requirements in Section IV for full information. Eligibility is based on the applicant’s status at the application deadline.

Applicants must self-certify that they are eligible to receive the Fellowship. To be eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following eligibility criteria at the application deadline:

  • Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
  • Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based Master’s or doctoral degree program in an eligible Field of Study in STEM or STEM education (See Appendix and Section IV.3 for eligible Fields of Study)
  • Have never previously accepted a Graduate Research Fellowship
  • If previously offered a Graduate Research Fellowship, have declined by the acceptance deadline
  • Have never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program
  • Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field
  • Individuals holding joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degrees who did not progress directly to a doctoral program the semester following award of the joint degree must apply as returning graduate students (see below)
  • Individuals with prior graduate enrollment who have: (i) completed more than one academic year in any graduate degree-granting program, (ii) earned a previous master’s degree of any kind (including Bachelor’s-Master’s degree), or (iii) earned a professional degree must meet the following requirements:
    • not enrolled in a graduate degree program at application deadline
    • two or more consecutive years past graduate degree enrollment or completion at the application deadline
  • Not be a current NSF employee

Number of Times An Individual May Apply

  • Undergraduate seniors and Bachelor’s degree holders who have never enrolled in a graduate degree program have no restrictions on the number of times they can apply before enrolling in a degree-granting graduate program.
  • Graduate students enrolled in a degree-granting graduate program are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted in the first year or beginning of the second year of their degree program.
  • Individuals applying while enrolled in a joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degree program are considered graduate students who: i) must have completed three (3) years in the joint program, and; ii) are limited to one application to GRFP; they will not be eligible to apply again as doctoral students. For GRFP, joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degrees are defined as degrees concurrently pursued and awarded.
  • Individuals holding joint Bachelor’s-Master’s degrees, currently enrolled as first-year doctoral students, who (i) have not previously applied as graduate students and (ii) enrolled in the doctoral program the semester following award of the joint degree, may only apply in the first year of the doctoral program.
  • Applications withdrawn by November 15 of the application year do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit. Applications withdrawn after November 15 count toward this one-time limit.
  • Applications not reviewed by NSF do not count toward the one-time graduate application limit.
Categories
Defenses

UPCOMING DISSERTATION DEFENSE: NEDA SHAFIEI

Name: Neda Shafiei

Title: Estimating The Reliability of a New Consumer Product Using User Survey Data and Reliability Test Data

Date: 7/27/2022 at 11am via Zoom only

Zoom Link: https://umd.zoom.us/j/9968970907

Committee Members:

Mohammad Modarres, Chair

Jefferey Herrmann

Abhijit Dasgupta

Katrina Groth

Vasiliy Krivtsov

Mohamad Al-Sheikhly, Dean’s Representative

Abstract: Collecting data for estimating the reliability of a new consumer product is challenging. Using test data for estimating reliability is usually insufficient because, in reliability tests, the number of samples, test stress levels, and test times are restricted. Collecting and analyzing reliability data of the same class of product obtained from user surveys offer a cost-effective and quick way to obtain the field prior reliability characteristics of the new device. User survey data, however, is biased. This dissertation provides a guideline for designing a reliability-informed survey. An approach is proposed that corrects any bias in the survey responses through the Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence method and uses bias-corrected survey data and test data about the similar product and test data about the new product to estimate the reliability model. The approach considers a product with many or several cycles to failure. The application of the approach is illustrated using the simulated survey and test datasets for a consumer electronic product with the failure mode of cracking caused by accidental drops.

Categories
Jobs/Internships

Postdoctoral researcher positions at Georgia Tech

Two Postdoctoral Fellow (or Research Engineer/Scientist) positions in the Woodruff School of Mechanical
Engineering at Georgia Tech
Ideal candidates should have strong background and publication record in one or more of the following:

  • Structural dynamics/vibration, elastic/acoustic waves, metamaterials/phononics
  • Ultrasonics, piezoelectric transducers, electromechanical systems, multiphysics problems (fluid-structure
    interaction, acoustic-structure interaction, etc.)
  • Dynamical systems theory/applications, inverse problems, machine learning, neural networks
    The Smart Structures & Dynamical Systems Lab (SSDSL) at Georgia Tech offers a diverse and collaborative
    environment with excellent professional growth opportunities. SSDSL alumni include faculty at top research
    universities, engineers in government labs and corporate research, among others.
    Postdoctoral Fellows (or Research Engineer/Scientist for senior applicants) will have exciting opportunities to
    engage in highly interdisciplinary projects, collaborate with/supervise graduate students and visiting scholars,
    and expand their knowledge and skills in a lab that aims to strike a balance between theory and experiment.
    Interested candidates should email their CVs/questions to Prof. Alper Erturk (alper.erturk@me.gatech.edu).