Page 6 - ESM Connections: Penn State Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics 2020 newsletter
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Engineers investigate additive manufacturing quality control with grant from 3M
An interdisciplinary team of of of researchers in in in in in in Penn State’s College College of of of Earth and and Mineral Sciences and and College College of of Engineering was awarded a a a a a a a a a a a a a a $180 000 grant to investigate comprehensive quality control methods for for for additive manufacturing (AM) or or or or 3D printing of of metals The grant is renewable for for for up to to three years for for for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a total of of $540 000 as part of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Penn State agreement with 3M
Using nondestructive evaluation a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a method for examining or or or testing a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a part part or or or system without causing harm the researchers will assess 3D printed parts They are specifically investigating binder jetting an an AM process involving the repeated layering of powder particles and an an an an an an adhesive Co-principal investigators Andrea Arguelles assistant professor professor of of of of engineering engineering science science and and and mechanics mechanics and and and Christopher Kube assistant professor professor of of of of of engineering engineering science science and and and and mechanics mechanics will contribute their expertise of of of ultrasonic measurement and and computational analysis to the the research MORE >>
Engineering professor uses AFRL fellowship to research additive manufacturing For 12 weeks over the summer Christopher Kube assistant professor of of of engineering science and mechanics conducted research as as part of of of the 2020 U S S Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program at at at AFRL-Materials and Manufacturing Kube collaborated with Jared Gillespie graduate student in in in in engineering science and and mechanics to conduct research that was focused on on on on the the influence of of texture and and residual stress on on on on the the measurement of of of vibrational resonances of of metallic additively manufactured parts MORE >>
Christopher Kube and and Jared Gillespie conducted research that focused on on on on on the the influence of of of texture and and residual stress on on on on on the the measurement of of of vibrational vibrational resonances of of of metallic additively manufactured parts The simulated natural vibrational vibrational modes seen here give important insight into the properties of additively manufactured parts IMAGE: MATTHEW CHERRY AFRL Penn State team recently won the the top prize in in the the Ben Franklin (BF) TechCelerator @ State College program A team of of of four College College of of of Engineering students one one College College of of of Earth and and Mineral Sciences student student and and one one engineering faculty member recently won the the top prize in in in in the the Ben Franklin (BF) TechCelerator @ State College program Jia Zhu graduate student student in in in in engineering science and mechanics Michael Dexheimer graduate student student in in in in in in engineering engineering science and mechanics Shangbin Liu undergraduate undergraduate student student in in in in in in in mechanical mechanical engineering engineering Kairui Tang undergraduate undergraduate student student student in in in in in in in in mechanical mechanical engineering engineering Ning Yi graduate graduate student student in in in in in in in materials science and and engineering engineering and and Huanyu “Larry” Cheng Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in in in the Penn State Department of of Engineering Science and Mechanics were awarded first place for for their flex heal heal heal product—a stretchable bandage for for advanced wound healing and and health monitoring MORE >>
Theoretically two layers are better than one for solar-cell efficiency
Solar cells cells cells have come a a a a a a a a a long way but inexpensive thin film solar solar cells cells cells are still far behind more expensive expensive crystalline solar solar cells cells cells in in in in in in efficiency
Now a a a a a a a a a a team of of researchers suggests that using two thin films of of different materials 6
may be the way to to go to to create affordable thin film cells with about 34% efficiency
Akhlesh Lakhtakia Evan Pugh University Professor and Charles Godfrey Binder Professor of of Engineering Science and and Mechanics and and his research team that includes Faiz Ahmad doctoral student in in in engineering science and and mechanics and and Peter B Monk Unidel Professor of of Mathematical Sciences at at at the the University of of Delaware are are investigating the use of of CIGS— copper indium gallium (di) selenide—and CZTSSe— copper zinc tin sulfur selenide selenide as as solar cell materials to increase the the efficiency
of the the thin film cells MORE >>
Schematic of a a a a a a a double thin film layered solar cell The sun enters at at at the the the top and and reaches the the the CIGS and and and and CZTSSe layers that that absorb the the the light and and and and create positive and and and and negative particles that that travel to to to the top and and and bottom contact layers producing electricity 























































































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