Luckily, Vanderbilt faculty member Peter Pintauro has developed nanofiber electrodes to boost the power output of fuel cells by 30 percent at a lower cost and with better long-term durability.
However, they are usually costly and cannot operate for the same duration as conventional automotive combustion engines. Water is the only waste produced by fuel cell cars, making them great for the environment. Going Bigger and Bolder with Low-Carbon Energy Learn more about Vanderbilt faculty Ravindra Duddu, Doug Adams, and Florence Sanchez. It is one of many advanced materials successfully developed in partnership with industry at the LASIR lab at Vanderbilt. B) A new recyclable resin called Elium to manufacture wind turbine blades is tested using infrared imaging to track the material as it heats up and sets making its manufacturing more energy efficient. A) New approaches for sensing and data analytics are enabling next-generation sustainable and reliable infrastructure in every sector of the economy including for electric vehicles and renewable energy generation (wind turbine work pictured). One example of LASIR faculty projects is the design and evaluation of a new resin called Elium for a wind turbine manufacturer. Other notable projects have advanced noise, vibration, and harshness solutions for everything from the powertrain, over suspension, to chassis and body.
Even more exciting, Elium is just one of a few dozen successful industry collaborations between LASIR and original equipment manufacturer companies, particularly in the automotive manufacturing space. In this way, Elium reduces manufacturing costs and life-cycle energy use in addition to improving turbine reliability (Fig. Unlike traditional resins used to make wind turbines, which ironically require a lot of energy to produce and are difficult to recycle, Elium generates its own heat during the curing process and can be easily recycled. Sanchez’ international collaboration using innovative materials, including seawater and fiber-reinforced polymers for concrete (left panel) and another project to generate 3D-printed concrete using carbon nanofibers (right panel).Ĭontinuing the theme of sustainable materials, Vanderbilt faculty member Doug Adams, graduate student Christopher Nash, the Laboratory for Systems Integrity and Reliability (LASIR) research staff, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and industry partner Arkema have co-developed a recyclable composite resin for wind turbine blades called Elium. Clearly, the composition of concrete is not as concrete as it seems! Figure 2. Take for example the $6.7M international collaboration spanning eight countries funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council that Sanchez co-led, which focused on concrete made from seawater, sea sand, and fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt faculty member Florence Sanchez is busy testing the durability, resilience, and sustainability of new compositions of concrete, including 3D-printed concrete and concrete that incorporates carbon nanofibers/nanotubes and other nanomaterials. Benefits of using locally sourced waste glass as concrete aggregate alternatives. The team is collaborating with faculty at the Center for Sustainable Infrastructure, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and received seed funding from a local Nashville company named Good Molecules, LLC. 1), an approach that can both enhance sustainability, lead to a circular economy, reduce concrete’s carbon footprint, and potentially circumvent supply chain shortages. wastes about ~7.6 million tons of glass, but an undergraduate team led by Vanderbilt faculty member Ravindra Duddu is focusing on making concrete bricks that incorporate crushed glass sourced from used bottles (Fig. What if the materials can be sourced locally from your trash? Every year, the U.S. Nashville continues to boom with new buildings going up every day, but building materials are scarce and must be transported over large distances increasing the carbon footprint of construction. Cost-Effective, Environmentally Sustainable Infrastructure Materials Learn more about our highly functional, sustainable, multifunctional building materials as well as our innovative methods for producing low-waste, high-power green energy. Together with our partners, Vanderbilt is advancing sustainable materials to build your home, power your business, and strengthen your community.
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