September/October 2010 Edition - University of Dayton Research ...

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PAGE 4 RESEARCH LEADER For more information, contact the Offi ce for Research at 937-229-3515 or e-mail Mary.Connolly@notes.udayton.edu. CUE (from page 1) Unmanned aircraft have many advantages over their manned counterparts, including size, extended flight time and cost efficiency, Rick added. While these qualities make them ideal for military use, UAVs are equally suited for civilian applications that also require airborne information gathering – from simple aerial photography to search and rescue, agricultural and forestry management, transmission line inspection, civil patrol, weather monitoring and more. “With the growing demand for UAV technologies for national security and emergency response applications, this center will be a boon to the Dayton re- gion – which is trying to establish itself as a home of UAV expertise, training and education – as well as to Ohio’s manufacturing and aerospace industries,” Rick said. “The CUE offers the perfect environment for our university, industry and Air Force partners to collaborate and rapidly fuse their technologies, and it will provide a path to market for small and large companies involved in UAV component development and manufacture. In addition, the WBI’s TecEdge Works facility provides an ideal infrastructure to support the center’s mission.” CUE facilities include six interdisciplinary laboratories equipped for research and development in power and propulsion, communication, onboard sensing and computing, control systems, rapid prototyping and software development. Center capabilities and services also include flight demonstration and testing, high-speed image and signal processing, fuel cell and battery testing, technology incubation and commercialization support, Scudder said. The center, a component of UDRI’s Sensor Systems division, will leverage existing regional strengths in advanced materials, sensors and aerospace systems to build expertise in UAV technologies, Rick added. “We’re poised to make Ohio a nationally recognized center of excellence in unmanned aerial systems.”
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2010 New contract Roger Wills (Metals and Ceramics) will serve as principal investigator on a new contract from Sundrop Fuels Inc. of Louisville, Colo. UDRI will provide materials related support to help Sundrop Fuels scale up operations to convert syngas created from biomass into “green” gasoline, diesel and aviation fuels. Sundrop uses low-cost concentrated solar energy to create temperatures of more than 1300 C, gasifying almost any biomass material to renewable syngas in just seconds. “Sundrop’s Director of R&D conducted a very through vetting process that pitted us against some top universities,” said Chad Barklay, group leader for Advanced Ceramics and Glasses. “But Roger’s extensive background and expertise, coupled with the myriad capabilities and applied R&D expertise at UDRI, put us head and shoulders above the competition.” River campus now home to Caldwell PAGE 5 About 45 Research Institute employees who worked in Caldwell Street Center were settled into their new digs at 1700 S. Patterson Blvd. by the end of September. The Aerospace Mechanics and Sensor Systems staff were the fi rst UDRIers to move west to the new space. No. 1 (from page 1) UDRI conducts research in the development, characterization, production, scale up, testing and qualification of new materials. The Research Institute has strong capabilities in material substitution, corrosion, erosion, degradation and failure analysis, as well as composites, high-temperature materials, coatings, material repairs, corrosion protection, sealants, elastomers and more, Allan said. UDRI is also a leader in developing multifunctional nanocomposite materials. “We provide a valuable service to our federal and commercial customers and have developed a national reputation for innovative but practical solutions to materials challenges.” UDRI has held the number two spot in federally funded materials research since fiscal year ’99 – with the exception of ’05, when it was also ranked number one. Federal sponsors include the Department of Defense, Environmental Protection Agency, National Institute of Standards and Technology and numerous other government agencies. Seventy six percent of UD’s total research volume of 96.5 million in 2009 was federally funded. In fiscal year 2002, UDRI jumped from fifth place to second in the nation in materials research sponsored by all funding sources (industry, federal and others combined), and has held steady at number two since. Other notable rankings include: number 11 in the nation for federally sponsored engineering research, number eight in the nation for research sponsored by the Department of Defense, number one in Ohio for allsponsored materials research and for federally sponsored engineering research, and number two in Ohio for allsponsored STEM research. Don’t forget! ...to set your clocks back one hour Sunday, Nov. 7, when Daylight Saving Time ends, and then... You’re Invited! ...join the good folks in the Purchasing offi ce for food, beverages and camaraderie at UDRI’s annual Christmas Party Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Hope Hotel and Conference Center.
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