Research discovery on waste heat could yield innovative new energy source
By Timothy Kelly The Earth and Mineral Sciences Energy Institute, Penn State University. Photo: T. Kelly Waste heat is the unused heat given to the surrounding environment (in the form of thermal energy) by a heat engine in a thermodynamic process in which it converts heat to useful work. Recovering and recycling waste heat has […]
How Penn State’s materials research discoveries are impacting society
By Cara Aungst Materials Day 2022, the annual marquee event for materials-related interdisciplinary science and engineering at Penn State, will be held Oct. 20-21, 2022, at Penn State’s HUB and Millennium Science Complex. The event will be held in-person this year after being held virtually for the past two years. This year’s theme is “Materials […]
Pennsylvania’s first-ever carbon capture project will have major local, statewide impacts
By Cara Aungst KeyState’s nearly $1 billion project will play a role in Pennsylvania becoming a ‘hydrogen superpower’ over the next 30 years, and Penn State is helping lead the way. KeyState is in the second phase of engineering Pennsylvania’s first carbon capture and storage project, to be built in Clinton County. The gas synthesis […]
The metaverse is coming… but not just yet
By Timothy Kelly Dr. Patric Dudas explaining camera tech to Metaverse Symposium participants. Credit: Penn State/J. Futrick/ICDS If it’s not here yet, then what’s all the hype about the metaverse? Google searches for the term “metaverse” peaked in early November 2021 after Facebook changed its name to Meta. Yet, the popularity of the search […]
Saliva and the science of sleep
By Holly Riddle Salimetrics’ new at-home assessment provides crucial biological data to those suffering from sleep disorders. (Photo: Provided) The last time HappyValley Industry caught up with Salimetrics, the company and leader in salivary bioscience was hard at work developing game-changing, saliva-based, Covid-19 antibody tests. Since then, the team, with its offices in Innovation […]
The future is soft
By Holly Riddle What do cephalopods like squid and octopi have in common with artificial organs, skin prosthetics and neurorobotics? According to one team of researchers, led by Dr. Cunjiang Yu, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development associate professor of engineering science and mechanics and biomedical engineering at Penn State, quite a lot. The team recently announced […]
Connecting chemistry, structure and function
By Holly Riddle Robert Hickey, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State Penn State is no stranger to materials research. Referenced as “Materials Valley” in the past, Happy Valley has positioned itself at the forefront of this area of research that touches “virtually every field of science and engineering,” according to the […]
“More like a natural ankle:” Happy Valley-born prosthetics poised to change future after limb loss
By Cara Aungst Impulse Technology’s biomimetic ankle closely mimics natural movement, making walking less painful and more accessible over rough terrain. PHOTO: Impulse Technology More than 50% of people with lower limb amputation have short and long-term pain associated with their prosthesis. Innovation Park-based company Impulse Technology aims to solve that — literal — pain […]
Engineering research reimagines concrete floors to advance construction innovation
A new research project led by Nathan Brown, assistant professor of architectural engineering at Penn State, is working to prove how designers could incorporate structural acoustic-optimized concrete slabs in building designs, cutting costs, reducing materials and decreasing the environmental footprint… without compromising areas like acoustics or structural properties. “If we put innovative ‘optimized’ floor systems […]
